Gregoire screwed up big time

I'm copying and pasting this email from the ARC of Washington, because I don't think many people are aware of what's going on in Olympia. There are some DEVASTATING cutbacks being put into place, and many affect those of us with disabled children. In addition to what you will read below, also know that her cuts extend to removing special needs help in schools. Many children will be removed from speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy because of her cutbacks.

Excerpt from the letter I just received:

DSHS will no longer pay school districts for special education related medical services delivered to Medicaid enrolled children in special education. These school-based services include audiology, counseling, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological assessments, speech therapy, and evaluations. These services may still be provided by the district. (yea, cuz our districts can tooootally afford this).
PLease read, and contact your respected legislator. These cutbacks are NOT the answer!!!

Public hearings on budget cuts! Make your voice heard! Next week legislators will be returning to Olympia and both the House and Senate will be holding public hearings on the 6.3% across the board budget cuts put in place by the Governor. Please attend if at all possible. This is your chance to let those who represent you know how the cuts will affect you! Note: PH = Public Hearing in which members of the public are invited to testify on the topic. Testimony is typically limited to one or two minutes in budget hearings, so be prepared and keep your comments very brief and to the point. You will want to be there early to sign in to testify as there is usually not enough time to hear from everyone. Groups who want to share the same message are encouraged to appoint one person to testify on behalf of the group and the other members stand at their seat while the person testifies in order to show legislators they are unified in their message. You may also just sign in either in support or in opposition to the budget (or bill) without testifying. WS = Work Sessions are a convening of legislators on a committee where they hear from individuals they have specifically requested to provide them information on a topic. Members of the public are welcome to observe work sessions but are not allowed to offer testimony. Often there are a limited number of handouts on the topic available for the public, but they often run out. After the work session they provide some, if not all, of the handouts on the committee’s web page. December 2010 Assembly Day Hearings Monday, Dec. 6 10:00am Senate Health & Long Term Care WS on: Adult Family Homes Health care workforce 1:30pm Senate Ways and Means PH on: Budget update (across the board cuts) Revenue update Preliminary long-term outlook Tuesday, Dec. 7 1:30pm House Health & Human Services Appropriations (HHR A) WS on: Budget outlook and FY 2011 Across the Board cuts Tobacco prevention program Disability Lifeline implementation Wednesday, Dec. 8 3:30pm House Ways & Means Committee (HHRA) PH on: Governor’s budget cuts Transforming Washington group / gov’t system reform) 6:00pm Senate Children's Legislative Oversight Committee Agenda: To be announced. Racial Disproportionality Report out Thursday, Dec. 9 1:30pm House Health & Human Services Appropriations WS on: TANF Federal Health Care Reform update Proposed Executive branch health care restructuring Children’s Administration block grant & performance-based contracting 3:30pm House Ways & Means (HHRA) WS on: 2011-13 Budget outlook Budget overview Building the budget Collective bargaining Dec. 15-20 Governor’s budget is due out Below are the Governor's 6.3% across-the-board budget cuts for developmental disabilities that will be the focus of the hearings: Medicaid prescription drugs – Funding is eliminated for all outpatient pharmacy prescription drugs for adults. Only medications administered in a physician’s office or outpatient hospital settings will be covered. This takes effect March 1, 2011. Medicaid Personal Care – Client receives personal care from a provider based on their assessment from the Division of Developmental Disabilities, allowing them to remain in their home. Cuts will be based on acuity (how high the need is). 6 to 14 hours per month will be cut from all clients beginning January 1, 2011. Children’s Intensive In-home Behavior Supports – Provides in-home professional help for children with extremely challenging behavior challenges to avoid placing the child in an institution which would cost the state much more. This program is frozen, no new families will be enrolled. Effective Nov 1, 2010. Individual and Family Services (IFS) – IFS is used mostly for respite, it is also used for therapies/co-pays and various other services. All families currently on IFS will lose service from Nov 2010 to July 2011. Dental Services – All adult dental services except emergency services are eliminated. Adults will be able to go to a dentist or the emergency room for pain medication only, dental services will not provided. Effective Jan 1, 2011. Vision, hearing & podiatry, physical, occupational & speech therapy services are all eliminated for adults. Effective Jan 1, 2011. Residential Services – Rates to community residential providers will be cut 2%. It will be difficult for providers to attract and retain a stable workforce. Effective Jan 1, 2011. Employment Services – Rates that counties pay employment providers will be reduced, causing service levels to clients will be reduced. Cuts to employment services means a loss of taxpayer revenue, no return on the State's special education investment and more demand on other support services. Effective Jan 1, 2011. Transition Services – Clients graduating from high school in 2010 may lose their job that school transition staff helped them get or end up at home with no job, no return on the State's special education investment and more demand on other support services. Funding for 240 state-only clients that have not entered service will be eliminated. Effective October 2010. Eliminate Case Managers (No Paid Services) – Clients with no services won’t have a case manager to provide community resources. Other clients won’t get timely assessments for services as some case manager positions currently open will not be filled. Effective Jan 1, 2011. Temporary Layoff Days are extended to all DDD employees and two more layoff days are added. Effective Oct 1, 2010. Residential Habilitation Centers – Reduce/restructure training programs & some services, close cottages, some staff layoffs. Effective Jan 1, 2011.