On February 25, INARF member organizations, along with the Direct Support Professionals of Indiana, The Arc of Indiana, and INARF and Ability Indiana staff, gathered for INARF Statehouse Day. Members and staff connected with over 50 legislators and staff, providing information about their organizations, services, and individuals they serve. ​

Last week, Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann announced that the state is awarding more than $14.3 million in rental housing tax credits (RHTC) to 18 multi-family housing developments throughout Indiana. Three INARF members were awarded tax credits in the last round of competition for new affordable housing sites. LifeDesigns, Inc. of Bloomington was awarded funds for a 35 unit complex and New Hope Services, Inc. received assistance for a 48 unit project in Brazil, IN. Englewood Development Corporation, Inc., an affiliate of the Englewood Group, also received an award for a 68 unit development for the elderly in Lebanon, IN. ​

Two members of the Direct Support Professionals of Indiana Board of Directors participated in INARF’s 2016 Statehouse Day on February 25. New board member Ashley Campbell and Rick Adams, a DSPIN Board member at-large, had the opportunity to speak with many legislators including Senators Mark Stoops and Vaneta Becker, a 2015 DSPIN and Self-Advocates of Indiana Friend of the Industry Award recipient. ​

The INARF Succession Committee is continuing to accept resumes from candidates for the INARF CEO position. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to work with member agencies, State officials, and other allied partners to advance leadership of the Association; proactively shape the future of the human services delivery system; build resources, tools, and methods to enable members to achieve success; and ensure the long-term viability of the Association.  Feel free to forward information on the position and how to apply to interested candidates.

State officials have announced additional funding will be provided to Indiana Adult Protective Services (APS), the system responsible for protecting Indiana's most vulnerable adults. Earlier this year, an investigation found that APS is underfunded and that existing funding mechanisms do not allow for sufficient staffing to handle the roughly 40,000 calls it receives each year. On Thursday, Senator Luke Kenley announced that the state will allocate about $1.1 million to APS to allow for the hiring of 18 new full-time investigators. Currently, the equivalent of 30 full-time investigators manage cases for the entire state.