Fw: Arc Update on the Closing of Mabley and ville

[Guest guest]

Arc Update on the Closing of Mabley and villeFYI

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

Arc Update on the Closing of Mabley and ville

The Arc of Illinois issues of the day from the desk of Tony

auski Is this email not displaying correctly?

View it in your browser.

Friend on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Forward to a Friend

The Arc of Illinois

The Arc of Illinois is a state chapter of The Arc

of the United States. The Arc of Illinois is committed to empowering persons

with disabilities to achieve full participation in community life through

informed choices.

Leaders in The Arc:

Once again we are faced with the closing of state

institutions. This time the Governor has decided to close Mabley in Dixon and

the ville Developmental Center. Lincoln was closed in 2002. Last year,

Howe was closed.

The number of people living in Illinois state

institutions continues to decline. In 1998, 3,405 lived in state institutions.

Today, that number is about 1,975 individuals.

Monday, I met with the Governor’s team to

discuss these closings. Jack Lavin, Chief of Staff for the Governor stated,

“It is Governor Quinn’s policy to rebalance the system into the

community.â€

Gelder, Senior Advisory on Health Policy

for the Governor called the Governor’s decision, “A game changing moment and

we are serious about moving ahead to support the community.â€

I understand that this is not a perfect plan but

what is? Most of my career has been advocating for the closing of state

institutions and investing in community. The Governor’s decision now presents

us with the opportunity to make this a reality. I am putting our best efforts

behind the Governor’s decision and I need your support as well.

The Arc is advocating for a smooth and safe

transition for the individuals at Mabley and ville. The state must

increase capacity and resources to move and support those individuals in the

community. You have done this before and you do it very well.

The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board called me on

Monday and asked The Arc’s position on the closings of Mabley and

ville. I met with the editors the following morning asking for their

support of the closing.

I will be meeting with other editorial boards once

again. Last May, in our LIFE Campaign, we generated no less than six major

editorials supporting investing in the community and moving away from

institutional services. See a summary of those editorials below.

Other helpful facts.

We know that people live healthier more productive

lives after they transition out of institutions. This is especially true of

those persons who moved and carried the label of being “severe.†We also

know parental support is very high for the community after the move to the

community according to a summary the closing of 27 other state institutions by

C. Lakin, Ph.D., University of Minnesota.

In the new “State of the States in Developmental

Disabilities 2011,†the average daily spending per person in Illinois state

institutions is $498 or $181,770 per year for 2009! The average CILA cost is

$52,454 according to the Division of Developmental Disabilities, March/2011.

COGFA

The Commission on Government Forecasting &

Accountability (COGFA) will hold statewide hearings on the closings in the next

two months. That commission will make recommendations to legislators after those

hearings. This is an important commission.

The two co-chairpersons of COGFA are Senator

Schoenberg and Rep Patti Bellock.

I met with Rep Bellock Monday to brief her on my

meeting with the Governor’s Staff and The Arc’s position on the closings.

Pictured here is Rep Patti Bellock, Tony and

Shirley , Executive Director of the Family Support Network.

Here are the members of COGFA and their email

addresses. If any of these legislators are your legislators, you need to meet

with them.

Schoenberg

jschoenberg@...

Frerichs frerichs@...

Matt senatormattmurphy@...

Suzi Schmidt suzi@...

Dave Syverson Sen1@...

Donne Trotter senatortrotter@...

Bellock rep@...

McCarthy kevmac37@...

Elaine Nekritz enekritz@...

Poe poer@...

Al Riley rep.riley38@...

Tryon Mike@...

Statewide Actions

Director Romano is convening a meeting of state

associations and other advocates to coordinate efforts to close Mabley and

ville. I will be at that meeting.

Here is what you can do for now:

1. Share with me, any self-advocates or family

members who would be willing to talk with me about their successful transition

from a state institution to community living.

2. If your Senator or Representative is a

member of COGFA, please connect with them and share your support of the need to

rebalance the system. Let me know what they say.

3. If you see a story on the closing of Mabley

or ville, respond with a letter to the editor.

4. Connect with your Representative and Senator

and voice your support of rebalancing the system. Let me know what they say.

5. Send me any press you see on the closing of

Mabley or ville.

I need your support. More importantly, the people

at Mabley and ville need your support.

Here is what national experts reporting on

Illinois have said in recent years.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTAL

DISABILITY SYSTEM

All of the following expert reports have called

for the rebalancing of the Developmental Disability System in Illinois and the

closing of state institutions.

v A Quest for Equality: Breaking The Barriers For

People With Disabilities, A Call to Action For Illinois Leaders, The Chicago

Community Trust, 2011

v The Blueprint for System Redesign in Illinois,

Human Services Research Institute, 2008

v State Funding of Community Agencies for

Services Provided to Illinois Residents with Mental Illnesses and/or

Developmental Disabilities: Final Report to the Illinois General Assembly,

T. Powers, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 2006.

v Financing Services to Individuals with

Developmental Disabilities in the State of Illinois, Gettings, National

Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services, 2003.

LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTIONS CALLING FOR REBALANCING

THE DD SYSTEM

v House Joint Resolution 28 – 2009

v Senate & House Joint Resolution 15 – 2011

Here is what editorial boards across the state are

saying about community-based services!

Arc Editorial Support for Community Services

The time to reform and rebalance the Developmental

Disability System in Illinois is NOW. These editorial boards get it!

Chicago Tribune, May 23, 2011

“Disability advocates say the state could save

roughly $170 million by closing four of its eight institutions. This needs to

happen in a way that’s least disruptive for the people at these institutions.

But it needs to happen.â€

State Journal-Register, May 22, 2011:

“For years, advocates for the developmentally

disabled have tried, with very limited success, to persuade the state to move

away from reliance on institutions and toward greater use of residential group

homes and community programs for those with developmental disabilities.â€

“Illinois must move out of the dark ages in

treating its most vulnerable citizens.â€

Pantagraph.com, May 22, 2011

“… the trend in recent years has been moving

toward community-based settings – and Illinois lags far behind other states

that have scaled back or eliminated state-run institutions for those with

developmental disabilities.â€

“It is a matter worthy of consideration – for

financial as well as humanitarian reasons.â€

Rockford Register Star, April 27, 2011

“Illinois has its priorities exactly

backward.â€

“Is it any wonder why Illinois is ranked 51st in

the nation for supporting citizens in their communities?

Chicago Sun-Times, June 15, 2011

“For a state looking to cuts costs wherever it

can, moving away from expensive institutional care is imperative.â€

“States that have seen the light have moved away

from warehousing people with disabilities in large, residential facilities in

favor of placing them in smaller, community-based settings.â€

follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a

friend

Copyright © 2011 The Arc of Illinois, All rights

reserved.

You are receiving this email because you are a member of

The Arc of Illinois.

Our mailing address is:

The Arc of Illinois

20901 S.LaGrange Rd.

Suite 209

fort, IL 60423

Add us to your address book

unsubscribe from this list | update subscription

preferences