Complex government negotiations? Our broad expertise—including specialized nonlegal services—helped more people become part of the community.
Two years ago, a group of concerned parents in the state of Maine
had a vision – of creating a quality post-secondary education
program for developmentally disabled young adults like their children.
They asked Bernstein Shur Government Solutions (BSGS) to help them
make it happen.
Aiming high
BSGS public policy strategists Larry Benoit and Kay Rand became
key advocates for STRIVE U, as the program came to be known. They
understood right away that the developmentally disabled often had
limited options in life once they reached adulthood. Why not create
a college to meet their needs, too?
The first step was to find the right educational partner. We approached
the University of Southern Maine and were given the go-ahead by
USM President Dr. Richard Pattenaude to form a project team. Working
together, we crafted a Memorandum of Agreement. We mediated the
limits of USM's responsibilities as a STRIVE U partner. In
partnership with STRIVE U's Planning Advisory Committee,
we helped design the program itself as it came to be launched on
the USM campus.
But how to pay for it?
The second step was to secure financing. At a time when the state
of Maine thought it had no funds available, Bernstein Shur Government
Solutions was able to approach key contacts in the Department of
Health and Human Services – and Governor John Baldacci – to
negotiate a matching Medicaid grant. The result? STRIVE U got the
funding it needed.
A singular success story
Today, the parents' dream of helping developmentally disabled
young adults is a reality. STRIVE U is a unique, two-year residential
program. It gives students with disabilities the chance to attend
real college classes and develop skills for independent adult living.
There’s no other program like it in America.
Before STRIVE U, the alternatives for the developmentally disabled
typically included living with family members or becoming wards
of the state for life. In addition to the obvious value of graduating
adults who become productive members of society, STRIVE U represents
a considerable cost savings for Maine and Medicaid – as much
as $40,000 a year for every graduating student.
A helping hand
According to STRIVE U Executive Director Peter Brown, the program
exists in large part due to the efforts of Bernstein Shur Government
Solutions. Our strategists knew how to navigate government bureaucracy
and work side by side with parents and other supporters to ensure
that the project came to fruition.
To this day, BSGS continues to support STRIVE U's fundraising
efforts. We are now working to help the program acquire permanent
housing facilities in Portland and exploring the possibility of
opening a second STRIVE U site.
Bernstein Shur Government Solutions web site