Advocacy

Policy Priorities

Current Advocacy Initiatives 

Developmental Services: Medicaid Sustainability

Policy priorities 

Medicaid funds support people with developmental disabilities so they can live in the community instead of institutions. EnCircle provides a variety of services and supports reimbursed through Medicaid. One of our major priorities involves ensuring sustainable access to Medicaid for people with developmental disabilities. Medicaid allows community inclusion rather than institutional isolation. Our advocacy priorities stem from policy and implementation challenges connected to workforce issues, Medicaid sustainability, and administrative complexities.

What we support

We support strategies, practices, and policies that place the people we serve at the center, and support their health, well-being, and integration into communities across the state. Our advocacy activities address the actions below. Our advocacy seeks:

• to streamline and simplify regulatory requirements.
• to ensure the long-term sustainability of Medicaid.
• to secure fair and sustainable Medicaid reimbursement rates that support the workforce.
• to support workforce development to ensure high-quality care.

Special Education and Minnick Schools

Policy priorities

Funded through state and local dollars via the Children’s Services Act (CSA), Minnick Schools are private day schools, the least restrictive option for quality special education outside of the public school system. We work hand in hand with local municipalities, the public school system, and local communities to ensure that students with special education needs who have exhausted all options within their public school system can find educational success. The legislative and policy priorities associated with special education in our Minnick Schools address funding challenges, parental engagement, awareness, and education, and relationship building with partner organizations and local decision-makers.

What we support

We place the educational needs of all children at the center of what we do. We advocate for funding stability, parental engagement and partnership, and policies that strengthen local partnerships. We accomplish this by supporting specific advocacy actions. We work with our partners:

• to push for stable and equitable funding for private day schools.
• to engage and educate parents about their rights, private day schools, and available educational options in their community.
• to build strong relationships with local leaders and community partners to support families and their long-term success.