RTR In the News
Human Service Jobs Benefits Everyone
I am confused. Over the past few weeks there has been much talk in the media about jobs and the federal stimulus package passed at the beginning of President Obama's term.
Specifically, there is considerable criticism that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has not created as many "new" jobs as the White House and various talkinghead pundits predicted at the time.
I am puzzled by the emphasis on "new" jobs, however. Is one job better than another?
In my eyes a job saved is as good as a job created because the net result is the sameaperson is employed who would otherwise be unemployed.
We cannot afford to have any more people become unemployed.
Here in Massachusetts, Gov.
Patrick has done an excellent job of judiciously using stimulus dollars wherever he could to protect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, such as those served by companies like Road To Responsibility, Inc.
In so doing, he also saved hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in the private human services employment sector (while the state has cut tens of millions of dollars out of the human services budget over the past two years those cuts would have been significantly greater without these funds).
These people are hard-working, taxpaying citizens who contribute as much to the economy as any other group of workers while also caring for people who cannot care for themselves.
These services ultimately save society money by preventing these individuals from ending up in more costly service models (such as state institutions, hospitals or nursing homes), while helping to keep their families intact and functioning.
Much of the money used to support these vital services and jobs came in the form of enhanced Medicaid matching dollars (also referred to as FMAP). This program is set to expire on Dec. 31 unless steps are taken immediately by the governor and our congressional delegation to extend the program through June 30, 2011.
This is a move being requested by governors from all across the country and will probably be a major point of discussion at the National Governor's Association meeting in Boston today.
Without something like this occurring, the economies of many states will be thrown into chaos and many thou recently expressed a plan to extend the enhanced Medicaid matching program through June 30, 2011 by using unspent money already allocated through the ARRA.
This plan, then, would simply redirect a small fraction of those funds allowing them to save jobs while protecting basic life services to some of the most vulnerable people in our so-Christopher White sands of people across the country will lose their jobs.
Frankly, I am afraid that such an occurrence will send our already fragile economy into a double-dip recession or even a depression. Like many, though, I too am concerned about the federal deficit and the long-term implications on our economy.
Fortunately, there may be an option available that would help to protect jobs now without increasing the federal deficit. Sen. Scott Brown has ciety. Passage of such legislation will also help to buy more time for our economy to further stabilize without shedding more jobs in the meantime.
Please call your federal and state legislators and ask them to support the extension of the enhanced Medicaid matching program through next June.
It is likely that there will be a vote on this issue in Washington this week, so call now.
Christopher T. White, Ed.D., is president and CEO of Road To Responsibility, Inc. of Marshfield.
BUDGET PROPOSAL HURTS RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
GateHouse News Service
Posted Mar 03, 2010 @ 10:00 AM
Marshfield —
To the Editor:
I’m not sure you’ve noticed, but we are on the verge of appropriating homelessness for persons with developmental disabilities here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the state budget process! If you didn’t notice, don’t feel bad; the message was delivered in a way that makes it difficult to recognize. Budget figures have a way of obscuring humanity, and there are no “decoder rings” available to the general public to help interpret those cold numbers.
When Gov. Deval Patrick released his plan for fiscal 2011 a few weeks ago, it included cuts in excess of $22 million from the residential services line of the Department of Developmental Services’ (formerly the Department of Mental Retardation) budget. On the surface, this may look like a small number to a recession-weary populace that has gotten used to hearing budget figures being bandied about in the billions and trillions of dollars (usually when talking about deficits). Frankly, it probably looked like a small number to the budget people in the governor’s office, too.
Trust me when I tell you, though, that this is actually a huge number. The residential services line of the DDS budget represents homes for people with developmental disabilities. These are people who are unable to care for themselves and who have no real options when it comes to living situations. Many of these individuals once lived in the institutions we, as a country, vowed to close back in the 1970s and 1980s. Sadly, those institutions remain open today. This dual system is draining exorbitant amounts of ever-more-limited resources from community programs, which have demonstrated the ability to successfully serve the exact same populations, for less money, over the past 30 years.
The Association for Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP) and the Arc of Massachusetts estimate that these cuts will result in 300 adults with developmental disabilities losing their homes! For most, these will be homes they have been part of for many years. Where will they go? The governor’s budget does not provide any direction in this regard.
The state institutions are not an option, as they cost more than community-based programs. In addition, the courts have been very clear over the past 30 years that large institutions are not humane or appropriate settings for persons with developmental disabilities.
There are no less expensive “step-down” programs for these individuals. Decades of level funding or budget cuts forced such moves to occur years ago.
Service providers cannot simply absorb these cuts without endangering everyone in the system. It has been 23 years since there have been any cost of living adjustments to these contracts! You can well imagine how much less you could afford in 2010 if your earnings had not increased since 1987. There is nowhere else to cut in these programs without endangering the health and safety of everyone involved in them.
We cannot allow this to occur. These are awful times. People are hurting everywhere. I understand these facts. I also know that the citizens of Massachusetts do not want their leaders to balance the state budget in such a heartless manner. Please call your legislator today and ask them to reverse this cruel cut.
Christopher T. White
President/CEO
Road To Responsibility Inc.
Marshfield
