Knock….Knock Anybody Out There?

Well much has transpired on the state funding scene since my last blog. The Governor restored some cuts proposed by her administration in the area of Developmental Disabilities and she proposed or floated the idea of a .5 cent state sales tax to go to the voters in March.

Morningside contacted local groups to organize a legislative forum to describe the services people with developmental disabilities receive and the impact of loss of service would mean to our legislative contingent. This forum was presented on November 16th at River Ridge Covenant Church. We had over 150 people sign in but estimates placed the crowd at 200 – by far the largest turnout of this type ever in Thurston County. The people reporting on the services did an outstanding job and I was very proud of our staff for organizing this, and making all the necessary arrangements and setting up for the evening. A big thanks goes out to them. The ARC of Washington videotaped the event and a posted a clip on YouTube :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv-WI3TCs0Y).As the video points out only one legislator out of 9 attended and we thank Sam Hunt for attending…but what about the other 8? Well most were busy with either raising funds or attending their peers fundraising events. After all isn’t filling the war chest more important than talking to continuants in this day and age?

After last session and with this special session and the short session coming up in January it is my observation that legislators are becoming more callous, in my opinion, over what the loss of service would mean to this vulnerable population. Saying “well there just isn’t enough money” is disturbing especially when the state is taking in more money than last year…and the year before that. So let’s be honest it isn’t because the state doesn’t have enough money for this service. There is just too much demand for the dollars available. But why choose to cut funding to individuals with developmental living and working in the community and boot them to the street?

Well who knows for certain the workings under the dome and the complicated bureaucratic maze? Well when it comes down to it my hope is that compassionate hearts prevail in the discussion.

Armageddon

The state government revenues are not making expectations because this recovery is stalled. The national pundits are questioning whether this is a double-dip or another recession. Our local economic vitality indicators look abysmal. Obviously expectation of generated tax revenue dropping has prompted the Governor to call on state agencies to present 10 percent reduction packages in advance of the planned special legislative session slated for November 28th. What does this mean for the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), the funding arm of state government responsible for providing services to individuals who have developmental disabilities? Of the current $1.3 billion dollar hole DSHS needs to cut back $573 million and of that ADSA (the division that includes DDD) needs to cut $411 million or about 72% of all DSHS cuts!

How they plan to make the cuts is to change the eligibility criteria so that some people will be ineligible to receive any service. In terms of the number of people this represents 51% of those currently in service or 8,700 people will be denied services of any kind. For vocational programs the number is approximately 4,100 individuals who would no longer receive employment support services. So while 10 percent overall cut seems small it becomes 51 percent of people no longer receiving any support to live and work in our community - which is huge. Yikes, the thought of the impact of the loss of services is staggering. Without living and work supports most of these folks will be on the street. Many of those we support don’t have families to help them so there is no fallback position for them.

What do these cuts mean for other DSHS programs? The information below was supplied by the Washington Budget and Policy Center.
http://budgetandpolicy.org/schmudget/deeper-budget-cuts-would-put-lives-on-the-line
As a starting point, state agencies have submitted proposals to reflect a 10 percent reduction in their budgets. In addition to the cuts in employment programs such a scenario would include:
• Suspension of prescription drug coverage for 500,000 individuals.

• Over 18,000 fewer students enrolled in community and technical colleges.

• Elimination of food assistance for 14,000 low-income legal immigrants.

• Reductions in domestic violence services and assistance for children with high behavior needs, affecting 4,500 children.

• The loss of health care for 25,000 children.

• Elimination or reduction of mental health, long term care, and developmental disability services for more than 80,000 individuals.

• Elimination of support to ensure positive birth outcomes for 54,000 at-risk mothers.

• Elimination of health care coverage for 36,000 working adults.

Maybe now you know why I entitled this Armageddon. The effect of these cuts is the end for so many vulnerable individuals in our state. So please join with us in making sure individuals will not be shut out of services they deserve.

Morningside Ride

The 2011 Morningside Road Challenge was fun!!!! This event is growing each year and this year we had more people come in costume.

Here is the winner of the “Best Dressed” costume award.

For the second year Alisha Blain and Stephanie Scott have worn coordinated outfits.  Note the matching accessories!

And best corporate “dressed” needs to go to First Citizens.

I hope everyone who participated had a great time. This year Lucas Doelman who is both a board member and a client gave a wonderful talk from his point of view of our staff who are dedicated, motivated and strive for success. He did a masterful job from his perspective on how these attributes are important in one’s life, how it related to him and how our staff exemplify this in their daily work supporting individuals with disabilities. I trust attendees at the ride took away how wonderful and dedicated our staff are.

So in the spirit of the Road Challenge 2011 – “How do you Ride?”  We hope well until our 2012 Road Challenge.  See you then.

I am blessed

I am thankful to God for many things but I believe, next to my family, I am most thankful for Morningside and being a part of an organization with solid values, clear vision and a social justice mission. By extension I am also thankful for our staff who are very focused on what we do, have a spirit of helping others and a drive to make sure individuals with disabilities have opportunity.

It is so fun to talk with staff who get excited when the perfect job match is found and the person we are supporting is happy for a job that they choose to do and fits their needs and desires. We don’t have easy jobs. First, it’s a challenge to get an employer to even talk with you. But then to have an employer say yes - well, it’s time to get ecstatic. What I enjoy also about my job is talking to employers who expound the virtues of hiring a person with severe disabilities. I love to hear about how the workplace has improved and changed as a result of hiring one of our clients.

It is also true that I get bummed out when something goes sour with a job. For instance I happened to find out by happenstance that a long time employee at Pizza _ _ _ was let go. I use this person as an example because this national company conducted a study extolling the virtues of hiring individuals with disabilities. The study found their turnover rate was 200 plus percent for non-disables workers at entry level jobs but a miniscule, in comparison, 30% for individuals with disabilities. This person whom we support has been an employee there for the past 9 years and rarely missed a day of work. She had been known to walk to work in the snow for fear the transit system wouldn’t be operating that day. She was the embodiment of the study they conducted nationwide. She was the living example of the positive return on investment of lowered turnover rates. She was let go because of economic reasons and no amount of discussion could change this manager’s mind. The manager has been the store manager for two years and he said that it was an economic decision and it sticks. I think it is penny wise and pound foolish. Boy are they losing out. Not only are they losing a good loyal employee they have lost a lot of goodwill in the process. I for one was a customer but I won’t be encouraging people to buy from them in the future.

The only saving grace in all of this is that I chatted with her the other day and she not bitter or resentful but looking ahead because as she puts it “I am a good worker. Someone will want me, huh Jim?”. She is so positive and encouraging to others, I am blessed to know her and a better person because of it.

ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) 21st Anniversary

Justin Dart speaks at the tenth anniversary of the ADA in Washington DC



July 26, 2011 marks the 21st anniversary of the signing of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act. As always I reflect on the words of Justin Whitlock Dart Jr, a profound leader, during his lifetime, in the disability rights movement, and can almost hear his richly cadenced voice calling for justice in our society:

“I adamantly protest the richest culture in the history of the world, a culture which has the obvious potential to create a golden age of science and democracy dedicated to maximizing the quality of life of every person, but which still squanders the majority of its human and physical capital on modern versions of primitive symbols of power and prestige.

I call for solidarity among all who love justice, all who love life, to create a revolution that will empower every single human being to govern his or her life, to govern the society and to be fully productive of life quality for self and for all.

I do so love all the patriots of this and every nation who have fought and sacrificed to bring us to the threshold of this beautiful human dream. I do so love America the beautiful and our wild, creative, beautiful people. I do so love you, my beautiful colleagues in the disability and civil rights movement."

In this forum I have questioned the advancement, or lack thereof, in our society in attitudes toward individuals with disabilities. I struggle with the dichotomy of seeing people with disabilities succeed in achieving their goals every single day and the continuing ignorance of some in our society. Sometimes the lesson comes right to my own doorstep. The night before last night my sister and my daughter, Megan, called to vent about an incident of blatant discrimination. Megan had recently traveled to Whidbey Island to look for a new puppy. After the visit the breeder called Megan to tell let her know she could not have the puppy because she was too disabled to have a dog! The woman went on to say that due to Megan’s condition she couldn’t take care of a dog adequately. After all the woman had once broken her leg and had a hard time taking care of her dogs. Not only did the woman say this to Megan but she also stated she had emailed other kennels breeding the same type of dog to warn them of Megan’s interest and notify them that they shouldn’t sell to her because of her disability.

I haven’t discussed my daughter or her disability in this forum. Suffice to say Megan is a wonderful person and a very accomplished individual. She received her high school diploma and AA degree at the same time. She was one of only 2 students to accomplish this feat attending River Ridge HS that year. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Washington, School of Medicine and has passed her licensing board examination. In high school she played on the River Ridge Tennis Team in doubles and played in the school marching band. I think she can manage being a dog owner! But all this woman could see was a young woman with a disability. Besides the fact that Megan is accomplished and she certainly can handle a dog, hasn’t this woman heard about service dogs? Apparently this breed isn’t cut out for the task.

In conversations with my friends with disabilities I know this happens all the time. I ask myself, will it ever change?

Then I think of Mr. Dart and his call for fighting injustice to ensure everyone has the right to govern their own life and participate in our society as equals. Mr. Dart gives us much to ponder.

Funding Following Policy

Last month in my blog titled “Not Again” I mentioned a movement to repurpose state budget money designated for employment programs for use in day activity programs.

The troubling issue is a shift in policy that is counter to normalized services and integration for adults with disabilities. We have worked years to get away from large segregated group programs and I am concerned we will shift policy by shifting funds. The adage is true - follow the dollars and you’ll know the priorities.

The Working Age Adult Policy makes work a priority and isn’t that what our society values? Don’t we gain great intrinsic, not to mention monetary, value in working? I mentioned in the Not Again Blog that when we were contemplating closing the sheltered workshop we employed the services of an outside consultant to ask the clients what they wanted. 80% of our clients said they wanted to work in the community! They wanted to have the same opportunity as all citizens because that is what America is all about – working and being productive in our society.

Does pet therapy or music therapy sound good? Sure, but most of us need to work in order to survive. If, in fact, the policy in this state is to prioritize work then the money should follow. If, in fact, we want an ancillary program centered around singing or making a dog’s tail wag then fund that - but not by taking the funding from employment programs. I say fund the program that best represents what is happening in the community. I don’t see our friends and neighbors sitting around during the work day petting cats as a large group activity! If, in fact, this alternative program is funded then in my opinion it should be integrated with other programs. Volunteer at the local humane shelter or sing in a community or church choir. The problem once again is that people take a paternalistic stance leading to a situation where we decide what is best for individuals with intellectual disabilities without really considering what they want.

I have talked about when I worked in Ellensburg, Washington many years ago. We had a segregated recreation program – best in the state in my opinion in large part due to the fact that we had a great Director and students from CWU’s recreation program working for us. When clients came to me and asked to change the service because they wanted to have more normalized activities I had to convince the staff that it was a good idea to move away from large group activity to more individualized services. Funding always came up as a stumbling block. It is hard to fund individualized services on a large group funding model. But should Pet the Kitty be 5 days a week several hours a day? Even I get tired of singing in my church choir after an hour of practice.

So I propose that funding for employment remain the same, that the Working Age Adult Policy stand and that funding is established for “recreation” programs based on an integrated model. And finally if respite care is the real root issue then funding should be established for an appropriate very short term, short duration respite model not adult day care.

Annual Report Available

Our 2010 Annual Report is available both on line and in printed form.

Our report is informative and riveting. Everyone loves it even Aiden (seen below) thinks it’s cool.

Please let me know if you would like a hard copy.