Community Supports For
Individuals with Disabilities Need More Funding
Budget
Dollars for DMR Should Favor Community Supports Over Facilities
The Department of Mental Retardation announced the
closure of the FernaldDevelopment Center
in February 2003. At least one advocacy group, COFAR, and a union VP want to
keep Fernald open, and ignore the realities of the FY2004 budget debate.
Although we appreciate the difficulty posed by
change, the closure and move toward community services are important steps in
addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities. Given the limited budget
dollars for DMR in FY2004, every dollar diverted to Fernald and the other five
DMR facilities favors overly-restrictive services, and weakens community
programs.
Fully Fund Community Services
The Arc of Massachusetts strongly encourages
legislators and the administration to fully fund community programs, and not to
divert funds to facilities accounts by cutting services to those in the
community as witnessed in the H4000 Bill (House Ways & Means budget bill of
May 2003). The total additional funds needed in FY2004 for community services
beyond H4000 is $14.0 million, based on The Arc of Massachusetts estimates for
a minimum level of community programs.
With a tight DMR budget and plans to close the
facilities, each dollar added to community services favors both facility
and community consumers. The benefits to consumers in the community are clear;
their services are maintained.
The benefits to consumers in the facilities are more
subtle but compelling. When facilities close, more than 85% of residents choose
community services, rather than moving to another facility (as shown by
closures in the past ten years of Belchertown,
Berry and Dever). When all
facilities are slated for closure, all consumers benefit with strengthened
community services.
Second, the universal request by all consumers
moving into the community, including those in facilities, are strengthened
services. For facility residents moving into the community, strengthened
services are their number one request.
What an Extra $1 Million/Year Buys for DMR
Community Services
What does an extra $1 million/year buy for DMR
community services? Take your choice among the following:
- Restore
all the cuts to programs for 400 young people leaving special education
programs who require assistance as adults.
- Restore
family support funds for approximately 1,000 families providing services
in their homes
- Pay
a portion of health-care premium increases for direct-care workers, now
earning less than $23,000 per year
- Eliminate
proposed day-program fees for 3,300 people who currently receive these
services at no charge
- Eliminate
proposed transportation fees for 3,300 people living at home who must
travel to their day program
Status of the Six Massachusetts Facilities
Since 1977, over 85% of facilities’ residents in Massachusetts have left
for the community. 1,100 remain in six facilities with all the buildings, land
and many support staff needed for the existing large physical plant.
The current status of the facilities is not
sustainable, given the desperate need to address deferred maintenance and
required upgrades for safety and environmental requirements. Major capital
expenditures for deferred maintenance and required upgrades can be avoided, if
all six facilities are closed.
Summary
Continuing to fund facilities at the expense of
community services hurts two ways. Both facilities and community consumers are
short-changed with weakened community services, as explained above. Equally
important, expensive beds are maintained in an old service model that no one
has chosen in the past 25-years, once they or their families understand that
facilities are the most-restrictive services, isolated from the community,
family and friends.
The Arc of Massachusetts urges legislators and the
administration to fully fund community services, and not to divert funds to
facilities accounts. The community is where 30,000 DMR consumers (more than
96%) have their services, and want them in the future.
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* Golden, Patrick, Center for mentally retarded
a victim of state budget cuts, Milford Daily News, February 27, 2003