Photo above: Last March, advocates for those with developmental disabilities spoke to O’Malley chief of staff John Griffin. Ken Capone, mentioned in story below, is at far right.
By Len Lazarick
Community service providers to the developmentally disabled are “honestly at a desperate point” in continuing to operate, Laura Howell of the Maryland Association of Community Services told the Senate Budget Committee Thursday.
The state’s reimbursement for direct support staff “is the lowest that it has ever been,” Howell said. Gov. Martin O’Malley cut their reimbursement in this year’s budget in January, and that level was continued in Gov. Larry Hogan’s budget.
A few years ago, the rate was 69% above the minimum wage, now it is just 28% above the minimum wage for all staff, regardless of experience or length of service, Howell said.
These low-paid workers take care of over 25,000 people with a range of disabilities, some needing 24-hour care.
Howell said providers are discharging staff, closing group homes, lowering staffing ratios and cutting health insurance benefits.
Howell said her members tell her that the quality of staff is declining, and because of low wages, good staff members get trained and then go on to work for better pay in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
A 4% increase in the reimbursement rate was negotiated last year as part of a deal to increase the minimum wage for all workers in Maryland. That increase has now been cut in half.
“There are no more painless cuts left and this is a recipe for disaster,” Howell told the committee.
Troubled agency
The Developmental Disabilities Administration has been a troubled agency within the health department for years. In 2012, it was discovered that agency had left unspent $38 million despite having thousands of people on a waiting list for services.
The head of DDA, deputy secretary Bernie Simons, gave a brief overview of the status of the agency. Simons came to the agency from Missouri last April, and is the fourth DDA administrator in the last three years.
He said his biggest challenges are the restructuring of rates and replacement of a legacy information technology system that is 15 or 20 years old.
Service providers were previously paid in advance, and much of the accounting was still done on paper.
The agency’s budget is about $1 billion, with about $420 million in federal funds.
Senate Budget Chairman Ed Kasemeyer
Simons is also restructuring the agency functions in its headquarters and regional offices.
Ken Capone, public policy coordinator for People on the Go, a well-known advocate who uses a computerized text-to-voice generator to speak from his wheelchair, told the senators: “I worry about being able to hire and retain good staff.”
“We are displeased with the cut to the direct wage increase,” Capone said.
At the end of the brief hearing, Budget Chairman Ed Kasemeyer, who has helped the DDA beneficiaries in the past, told the witnesses, “We’ll do the best that we can do.”
Along with the “troubles” experienced by this agency, wasn’t a part of the alcohol tax increase “supposed” to help fund this agency at least for a short period of time? As I remember the amount that the DDA ultimately was allocated wasn’t exactly the amount originally touted in ads supporting the increases. Yet here we are again. Even after the mismanagement of returning millions of federal $$ earmarked for the care of these individuals? The DDA needs more $$. OK, but not without management accountability. As an agency within the Health Dept, where is the oversight from that department? Taxpayers don’t begrudge the providers a decent wage, nor do we want these people neglected. But where is the concern from those in charge other than when it’s time to beg for more money?
From the article: ” The Developmental Disabilities Administration has been a troubled agency within the health department for years. In 2012, it was discovered that agency had left unspent $38 million despite having thousands of people on a waiting list for services.”
Since this is the case… Why wasn’t the problems corrected earlier ? It was mentioned that the agency has a $1 billion dollar budget… Apparently they don’t have a good finance person handling the funds… 15-20 year old computer systems ? Again, why weren’t the systems upgraded over the past few years ? Who made the decisions ? And having 3 directors in 4 years doesn’t help…
Again, where was the oversight of this agency ?
The answer is not more money, but good budgeting and honest handling of the funds so that the providers can get a fair wage for the responsibilities they have and the clients that they take care of can get better care…
I totally agree. We’ve spent millions of taxpayer dollars on a hapless Health Exchange but this agency is still using a 20 year old system?
Because nobody was watching, nobody at all !!!
And with a $1 billion budget, some money could have been spent on upgrading PC systems, but… PC’s bought in “bulk” are very cheap…
I used to work in the computer arena, and I saw the same things at almost every government (Federal,State,County, & Municipal) offices… The private sector was very up to date… Makes you wonder…
But, then again this is typical of the type of people who infest the government… And they probably get bonuses for this…
By not “shortchanging” our teachers, should we shortchange the service providers of our developmentally disabled? The message our State sends to its citizens is its treatment of the most vulnerable amongst us. The power of the teachers unions versus those who are powerless! Who will our politicians pick?