Tad Coffen wrote on 01/19/10 4:00 PM

I have attempted to enroll my son in the IRIS program. I started the process in early November as our county discontinued services Dec 31 2009. I was told the transition to IRIS would be smooth with no disruption of current service. The date of this comment Jan 19, 2010, no services, no plan. The IRIS office in Madison sent me a plan to approve, it was another participants plan. I called the office as indicated on the cover letter four times and left voice mail messages. I have kept the other participants plan secure and pray if my son's plan went to another they are doing the same. I have not received a return call. I am thinking that IRIS and Fisher Price are partners... I need assistance, my son needs the services once provided. Any suggestions are welcome... Thank you in advance...

Joshua C. Moss wrote on 04/21/10 9:38 AM

Tad,
If you feel that there is a hitch in the process of getting enrolled in IRIS, I recommend contacting disability Rights WIsconsin at www.disabilityrightsWI.org The above "more information" link above will also take you there.
Joshua Moss
joshua@trueindependenceinc.com

julie payne wrote on 07/02/10 4:06 PM

BEWARE of working with the manaement roup that runs IRIS and the Financial service agency. Guardians of our group home signed up children and signed contracts, for our ate which was below the allocation. We hav 4 sevraly disabled adults. A month later we were told we could only get part of our rate from IRIS and the rest would come from medical assistance forward card. We explained we were not venders and could not bill forward directly. IRIS (the management group) said no problem you will receive invoices and fill them out for a certan number of units and mail them to The Laurie Knapp organization way up north. Knapp is a personal care provider, but they are not a vender either so Knapp will send your invoices to the Eau Clair nursing. This will take 3 to 5 months of turnover for every month billed. Our one resident received Nov.'s payment the followin April. WHY DO THIS? TMG receivs pay from the state for every client who signs up, they receive the entire allocation amount minus what they have their FSA send you AND since the Knapp and Eau Clair nursing home are members of the management group they skim off a kick-back for submitting your invoice to the tune of 15%. They started cutting our checks by thousands because they just decided to. We are suing TMG's IRIS program their response was we have no staff workin for IRIS it is a business in name only. The Judge asked "who then should they sue." answer WHY THEY SHOULD SUE THE GUARDIANS OF THEIR RESIDENTS. If anyone would like to call or email me for more info my phone # is 262-490-9719 email Julie_jewels13@hotmail.com

El Jay wrote on 10/25/10 5:03 PM

Milw Co did a Functional Screen of our son and came back with "Budget". Had no idea this was out there except for DRW. Likely would have not asked in this regard except Family Support expected to roll around Spring 2011 no longer applied. Getting process started took 'til middle of Sep when the Consultant we picked "blind" from abbreviated resume's called to say we had to have a Temp plan for IRIS to be effective Oct 1 by the following day. Having been given the "budget" we scrambled to apply "self directed" funds that "we know what is best for our child" per their packet and website". Well... only In Home Therapy was on Temp Plan and it's like pulling teeth to have clear explanation of what happens to additional items to put in budget eg Assistvie Tech accomadating Bathroom etc., ad nauseum. Will give this a chance but references to a "Committee" approval and 30-90 day payment window puts us way below entitled "budget". They need a new name other than a "budget" If we budgetted our limited resources like this we'd be foreclosed and have utilities cut off and so on. They have 4 testimonials as to customer satisfaction on the website 1 of which outlines how terrific IRIS has been modifying what sounds like an ATV so that the recipient can ride around their 50 acre property with a brother and 2 friends of his "choice". Same comment also describes time spent on trips to hotels with hottubs and enjoying their breakfasts. Now I know that every individual has his/her own needs and I don't deny any persons as being more or less needful of supports than others, however it seems that our requests along the lines of transitioning, inclusion, education, therapies and training with applicable technologies for a meaningful and satisfying work and life of "things that are important to him" are beginning to seem like more than a little "hype" in condescending langauge that are meant to give IRIS a good feeling of "helping" we poor less fortunate charity cases rather than equal citizens deserving of benefits earned our rights over our long working careeers and years of advocacy. After 3rd or 4th reading of their available materials contradictions and restrictions are easier to see between the lines. Like said will give this a chance for a reasonable time and can only hope it gets better.