April 21, 2004

Dear Consumer and Family Member,

It is our pleasure to announce that Philadelphia MRS has selected four organizations to provide supports coordination for individuals with mental retardation.  These organizations are The Consortium, Partnership for Community Supports, PersonLink, a program of Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, and Quality Progressions.

Over the last three years, Philadelphia MRS has been working to reorganize supports coordination. You may have attended one of the community meetings held during this time, when input about supports coordination was received. We considered your input and are moving forward.

During April and May 2004, there will be a series of information sessions where you will have an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of representatives from each of the four organizations.  A schedule of meetings is enclosed along with a short description of each of the new supports coordination organizations. Philadelphia MRS will complete the change from the current agencies to the new agencies over the next four months. 

In response to the advocacy of consumers and their families who have expressed their strong desire to have choice in this process, we have modified the process and are enclosing a selection card.  You are asked to choose among the four agencies.  Please indicate a first and second choice of agency.  We hope that the enclosed information will offer you some background on these new organizations. If you are able to come out to a meeting, you will have the opportunity to meet agency representatives in person. If we do not receive a response from you by May 18, 2004, MRS will assign you to one of the four organizations.  Please note that if you are assigned and find at a later date that you want to make a different choice, you will have that option within the available capacity.  

It is our requirement that each of the new organizations will serve individuals from all over the city and that each agency provides supports coordination to people living at home as well as people who are living in residential services operated by an agency. Each agency will be the same size with the same type of staffing. Agencies will have a limit on the number of people for whom they can provide supports coordination.  Agencies are currently beginning to hire staff to work as supports coordinators. Unfortunately, it is not possible at this point to tell you if your current supports coordinator will continue to work in the MR system or with which agency they will be employed.  Philadelphia MRS will attempt to honor individual choice to the greatest extent possible.                                        

In the meantime, we encourage you to attend one of the scheduled meetings to learn more about the organizations and the activities being undertaken for the transition. More meetings may be added in May.  You will also be able to read about the upcoming changes in the Family Forum or in future letters if you are unable to get out to a meeting.  We will continue to work closely with consumer and family groups as we move through this transition period.

                                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                                      Kathy L.Sykes

                                                                                                    Kathy L. Sykes

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