Developmental Disabilities Reform Act

Draft Review & Revision Meeting 6

May 28, 2009
415 Michigan Avenue, NE

Meeting Notes

In attendance: Mark Back, OAG/DDS; Sandy

Bernstein, University Legal Services; Lashon Brown-
Woodman, DC Superior Court, MH/MR Division;
Laura Flegel, Quality Trust; Thelma Green, Project
ACTION!; L. Thomas Mangrum, Project ACTION!;
Mary Lou Meccariello, The Arc of DC; T.J. Sutcliffe,
The Arc of DC; Morgan Whitlatch, Quality Trust;
Robert Williams, DDS; Antoinette Wiseman, Septima
Clark Public Charter School

Meeting notes:

1. Welcome, Introductions and Announcements

Notes from Meeting 5 were distributed. Meeting 5

participants are asked to review the meeting notes and
contact T.J. Sutcliffe (tjsutcliffe@arcdc.net or 202-636-

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2963) with any corrections. Meeting notes are not
intended to be a transcript of the discussion, but rather
attempt to highlight key items discussed and the
resolution of each item.

2. Discussion of: Criminal background checks; Abuse

and neglect registry

The group discussed the “Criminal background check”

and “Abuse and neglect registry” sections of the draft
DDRA and agreed to change the sections in the
following ways:

Require DDA and providers to check the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, Office of
the Inspector General, “List of Excluded Individuals
/ Entities,” which lists individuals and entities
individuals and entities currently excluded from
participation in Medicare, Medicaid and all Federal
health care programs on the basis of convictions for
program-related fraud and patient abuse, licensing
board actions and default on Health Education
Assistance Loans.

The group also agreed to take several follow up steps:

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The group discussed at length the list of felony
offenses which, if a conviction occurred in the last 7
years, would exclude a person from working for the
DDA or a provider. Changing this 7-year ban to a
lifetime ban was proposed, but the group was unable
to achieve consensus and no change was decided.
However, the group agreed it would be helpful to
discuss this idea with providers and with Laura Nuss
and Judy Heumann. Mary Lou Meccariello will
follow up with the providers. The Drafting
Subcommittee will meet with Ms. Nuss and Ms.
Heumann soon and will put this topic on the agenda.
The Drafting Subcommittee may also consult with
the Expert Review Panel.

The group agreed it would be helpful to reach out to

the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to get
MPD’s perspective on the criminal background
check proposal.

The group agreed that a suggestion to make DDA

staff and/or provider staff mandatory reporters of
suspected abuse and neglect may be beneficial.
However, the group agreed that the issue needs

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 more study. T.J. Sutcliffe will convene a work group
of people interested in this topic.

3. Next meeting

The next meeting will be Saturday, May 30th from 11:00

a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 3400 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Avenue, SE (QT Family EMPOWERment Center /
National Children’s Center). The topics will be
determined by the group.

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