Good material to use as talking points with legislators, bureaucrats and other decision makers

[Guest guest]

Illinois Budgetary Concerns Affecting

Community Not-for-Profit

Developmental Disabilities Agencies

A Summary.

The following information highlights many of the concerns regarding the proposed

FY2012 Illinois budget (Source - The Arc of Illinois):

Illinois ranks 4th in the number of individuals with developmental disabilities

in state institutions. *

1. State institution budgets will increase $30 million in FY12. **

2. In FY12, Illinois will spend $340 million supporting 1,772 individuals in

state institutions.* *

3. In FY12, the average cost for a person in a state institution will be

$192,000 per year. **

4. In FY12, the average cost of supporting an individual in the community will

be about $13,500 per year. **

5. In FY12, Illinois will spend $400 million supporting 7,000 individuals in

institutional Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF). **

6. In FY12, Illinois will spend $600 million supporting 45,000 individuals in

community services. **

7. Illinois ranks 47th in community spending for children and adults with

developmental disabilities*

8. Illinois ranks 51st (including D.C.)in the number of small group homes for

children and adults with developmental disabilities. *

9. This budget in the wrong direction, investing $30 million in state

institutions while cutting community services by $76.3 million.

10. It hires 950 new state employees while direct care community staff will

likely be laid off.

11. It grants state employees an 8.25% wage increase while community wages will

be cut by 6%.

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12. Not one of the 21,000 children and adults will move off the state's waiting

list.

13. The proposed budget does nothing to pay community providers promptly!

14. This budget increases the reliance on institutional services and spends new

funds on the state institutions while cutting community services.

15. $76.3 million is cut from community developmental disability services in the

proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The budget eliminates the following services:

a. The Family Assistance Program

b. The UIC Family Clinic

c. All Epilepsy Grants

d. All Dental Grants

e. SIU Tele-med Grant

f. All Respite Grants

16. In the proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget the following services are cut by

10%. These services directly assist families supporting their children and adult

children in their homes:

a. Children's Home-Based Services

b. Adult Home-Based Services

17. In the proposed FY'12 budget, all Medicaid services are cut across the board

by 6%. Those services include but are not limited to:

a. CILA

b. Day Services

c. Therapies

d. ICFDD

e. PAS Services

f. Individual Service and Support Advocacy

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g. All Community Services

18. The average cost of a community group home (CILA) is $50,000. We can support

four individuals in the community for each person in a state institution.

19. Small community living options like CILA are safer, more effective and

healthier for individuals with developmental disabilities.

20. The Illinois Developmental Disability System has been studied many times.

All of those studies recommend downsizing the institutional system and investing

in the community system, including:

a. A Quest for Equality: Breaking the Barriers for People with Disabilities - A

Call to Action for Illinois' Leaders, Chicago Community Trust, 2010

b. The Illinois Blueprint for System Redesign, 2009

c. State Funding of Community Agencies for Services Provided to Illinois

Residents with Mental Illness and/or Developmental Disabilities

d. Financing Services to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in the

State of Illinois

e. 2011 State of the State's in Developmental Disabilities

21. There are now over 21,000 children and adults with intellectual and

developmental disabilities on the Illinois Waiting List (PUNS). Many families

believe their children will never be supported with community services here in

Illinois.

22. One in fifteen workers in Illinois is employed by non-profits.

23. It is estimated that there are 35,000 employees in the community

developmental disability system.

24. These workers are an economic force in the community; they do similar work

as state employees, and they too deserve annual wage increase not currently

budgeted by Illinois.

*2008 State of the State in Developmental Disabilities

**Governor's proposed FY'12 budget

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...