This email (below) is from the woman who publishes the Mouth. I don't know how she got my e-mail but it is nice to get encouragement. I know there are lots of people in Illinois fighting to implement Olmstead so I want to pass the compliment along to every one involved. Let's put the pressure on the State. I think we need to be talking to our State Legislators and broadening the circle of advocates involved.

Also I downloaded the Missouri plan and it appears to be a useful document to work from.

We will be having a planning meeting June 5th at 1pm at Access Living to start to put our demands on paper.

Tom Wilson,
Access Living

----- Original Message -----
From: Lucy Gwin - [email protected]
To: Tomas - [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 1:16 PM
Subject: go Olmstead GO!

Tom,
I'm thrilled to hear how much you are accomplishing. Freedom Clearinghouse stands ready to help in any way. Candace Hawkins (573-636-2098) -- whom you may have met in Springfield last week? -- is the person who got it done in Missouri. Call on her in any snaggles with the state. She really knows how states work and where to put the pressure. Her email is "Candace Hawkins" You've probably used our website, but if not, check it at www.freedomclearinghouse.org. The state plan Candace wrote for Missouri is right there, word for word. Plus the language of the bill they were able to push through the state legislature as part of the massive Appropriations Bill. It's all there.

Another group that's active, active, ACTIVE on Olmstead is the Olmstead Coalition in Connecticut and they're going about it very differently but beautifully. Ed Preneta of their DD Council is one contact, and his email is [email protected].

I just LOVE seeing Access Living dig into this!

Lucy