CLI Incorporated

P.O. Box 508

Norwalk, Ohio 44857

CLIsupports.com

419-706-5137

Week of February 3rd, 2024

Carole & the Crafty Bunch are quick on Valentine's day trigger!

Fun

(and Love) were in the air last week in class . . .

Have you seen a CLI Staff Member (or a gaggle of us) do something that impressed you? Did we do anything that made you wish we hadn't?

Take 3 minutes and fill out a quick survey to tell us about it. There's a FREE Ohio Lottery Scratch Off ticket in it for you-- and we'll keep it confidential if you want us to.

CLI is kicking off our Kenilee Lanes Accessibility Project fundraising 2.0 this week with a Valentine's Day Carnation Sale. All profits will go toward completing the wheelchair accessibility at Kenilee Lanes in 2026. We raised $80,000 right before the pandemic, but then had to give almost all of it back to donors when material prices shot up. Our target is $150,000 over the next 12 months.

The Usual--

Last week was a pretty hectic week, although I was extremely grateful to be open all 5 days! I hate closing us down-- especially when it really isn't that bad.

Something happened in the news last week that I want to talk a bit about because I think many people don't understand how DD providers like CLI can afford to operate.

As a 501(c)3 non-profit, CLI is not allowed to be political. And the truth is that CLI represents people from both political parties. This is a bipartisan issue. We don't have a side. And if a CLI staff person has an opinion (it happens)-- that staff must keep that opinion under wraps when we are at work. So that's my preamble to this next bit.

The services that CLI and ALL other Ohio DD providers-- residential, day service, vocational, you name it-- are paid for by Federal Medicaid dollars. Like many Americans, I am worried about the growing Federal debt.

Obviously Medicaid spending is a hot-button issue. As our politicians in both parties wrangle about what gets cut and what does not-- it worries me that Medicaid funding for people with DD is going to get confused with the larger Medicaid argument. It's not clear whether would have happened if last week's Executive Order to stop Medicaid payments would have included the DD services. Our funding comes from Ohio Medicaid on a fee for service so that we get paid a fee for each unit of service that we provide. DD providers like CLI do not have deep pockets, and our business is very low margin, so a temporary stoppage of payments could put providers out of business pretty quickly.

If you are politically connected to anyone in either party-- and/or you are a letter writer-- it is important that our politicians understand Ohio's DD system-- both at the federal level and the state level.

That's all the soap-boxing I have for this week. If anyone has questions or just would like to talk to me directly, I'm happy to do that. I'm hard to reach by phone, so definitely leave a voicemail so that I can call you back. Email is often the best way to connect.

Have a great week!

-John

What's new in Thrive?

The past few weeks in THRIVE we have been talking about Healthy Relationships. Every group had great discussions about what makes a true good friendship. We also discussed how to stay safe.

For the next couple of months we will be talking about various topics such as horticulture, personal finance, cooking, and music to name a few. By exploring these topics with hands-on activities everyone will be better able to identify their interests which can help guide them to new and exciting activities, and of course increase independence!

Our first topic is horticulture. Check out the pictures about to see THRIVE's new grow tables, custom made and donated by Kay & Paul Schoen!

Julie d'Aliberti

Community Access Facilitator

419-706-2635

Another Cavs win! 144 - 101!

A great time & another

record-setting performance!

Want CLI to help you plan & do fun stuff with your friends?



Don't be shy!

Firelands Local LLC

Don't forget to recycle your old election signs & clean plastic stretch wrap. We take all parties & all types

(paper, hard plastic, plastic film)!

James Johnson

james@firelandslocal.com

419-921-6400

The Good News from the Good Works Cafe--

CLI's Good Works Cafe offers a free community lunch every Friday afternoon at the Norwalk Reservoir,

staffed entirely by volunteers with DD made from food donated by OHgo and other

community partners!

Members of GWC toured the Second Harvest Food Bank in Lorain. We learned where the food products we use for our community Friday meals are from.

Question of the week

Q: Where does CLI get money to operate?

A: CLI is actually 3 different companies. The largest one is CLI Incorporated, whose business is to provide supports to people with developmental disabilities. CLI bills the Ohio Department of DD for services provided to anyone on a Medicaid "Waiver". Approximately 66% of the money paid to CLI comes from Ohio Medicaid & the remaining 34% comes from the local County Board of DD's tax levies. There are a few people that CLI serves that don't have a Waiver. In this case, 100% of their supports is typically paid by local County Board of DD where they live.

CLI owns two smaller companies. Firelands Local LLC and CLI Good Works LLC. Firelands Local LLC generates 100% of its money through business services like Document Destruction, Boat Wrap Recycling, Assembly, etc. CLI Good Works LLC makes most of it's money through the operation of Kenilee Lanes Bowling Center.

Missed a newsletter? All of our old ones are achived on our website:

Shared Video(s) of the week: