Fw: Butterfly Effect October 13, 2011

[Guest guest]

Really good Q & A in this issue re: proposed closures of Mabley and ville

Developmental Centers...scroll down to mid-newsletter.

From: Ray Graham Association

Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 11:49 AM

jeruefamily@...

Subject: Butterfly Effect October 13, 2011

Butterfly Effect

Thursday, October 13, 2011

www.raygraham.org

Partners for the Solution

Partners for the Solution is Ray Graham

Association's long-term endeavor to become the voice of change. This growing

group of advocates and other community groups work together to promote public

awareness, advocate for equality and change public policy. A main goal of

Partners for the Solution is to encourage the state to invest in quality

community-based services instead of costly archaic institutions.

We are all parnters working together to find

solutions.

Please take a moment to contact the Governor and

your State elected officials and communicate that the right decision was made to

close ville and Mabley. Encourage them to partner with RGA and other

community service providers to promote successful transitions to community

services. Find elected officials: http://www.illinois.gov/teledirectory/

Developmental Center Closures: Frequently Asked

Questions

Ray Graham Association fully supports the closure

of ville and Mabley Developmental Centers. RGA believes that all people

should have the freedom to live in their communities with support. It is well

researched and documented that people with intellectual disabilities thrive in

community settings. Since Governor Quinn's recent announcement to close several

state operated facilities accross Illinois, RGA has received numerous questions.

The following FAQ addresses the most frequently asked questions:

Q: I have heard that Developmental Centers like

ville and Mabley are very expensive. How does this compare to community

services like RGA?

The State of the States in Developmental

Disabilities 2011 Report tells us that the annual average cost of care in

Illinois for a person in a State Institution was reported as $181,717; in a

private ICFDD $57,065; and in a CILA (group home setting) $37,041. Note that

the licensure and regulatory requirements for state institutions like Mabley

($123,788 per person/year) and ville ($150,505 per person/year) is the

same as that for private ICFDDs, such as Ray Graham Association’s Specialized

Living Center. It is important to understand that although community services

are less costly than institutional care, the needs of individuals leaving

institutions must be fully assessed, and community providers must be reimbursed

for the full cost of meeting these needs.

Q: Can community providers like RGA really serve

people from institutions? I hear their needs are much greater.

Absolutely! Thousands of former residents of

institutions are leading productive and fulfilling lives living in community

residences. There is no clinical standard that distinguishes residents of

institutions from people living in community settings.

Q: I hear that families of those at ville

and Mabley do not want their family member to move. Is it right to force this

move?

Certainly, families are concerned. This is a

tremendous change and must be handled first and foremost with each person’s

unique needs in mind. We are ready and eager to partner with families to

support them through the change. We have a positive record in doing so already.

In the past couple years, eight people transitioned successfully from

institutions to RGA. People are achieving important personal goals, and

families are overwhelmingly pleased!

Further, the system must be rebalanced. This past

year, Illinois spent $307,500,000 on 2,101 residents living in state

institutions like Mabley and ville. Illinois has over 20,000 people

waiting for services in the community with 14,000 plus in emergency or critical

situations.

Q: I keep hearing about the loss of jobs for

state employees at ville and Mabley. Can these employees find jobs in

the community system?

Of course! The community providers will need to

hire more employees. The concern for the state employees is that their wages

are much higher than those employees in the community system. Although in many

cases the same labor union that represents state employee also represents

community employees, the wages in the community systems are strictly tied to

reimbursement rates which are significantly lower. Ray Graham Association

supports efforts to increase reimbursement rates from the state so that direct

support staff in community settings can receive better compensation for the

important work they do.

Q: Do other states have institutions where people

with intellectual and developmental disabilities live?

Other states are closing their institutions as

well. In fact, there are 14 states that have totally closed these settings.

Nationally, in 1968 there were 194,650 individuals living in state institutions.

In 2009, there were 33,732 individuals in state institutions in the US, and this

number continues to drop. Clearly, these settings are obsolete and being phased

out.

To put Illinois' situation in perspective, when

Mabley and ville close, there will still be six other state institutions

in Illinois with 1,687 people segregated from society. We continue to

institutionalize more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

than 47 other states.

Q: What can I do to make this happen?

As an advocate, a family member or a tax payer,

you need to let your elected officials know that you support community services

for all people with disabilities. Inform elected officials that you want your

tax dollars spent wisely and that in order for this plan to work, adequate

funding must be provided for people currently receiving community services, as

well as those moving from institutions.

Please Educate your friends and families on our

Partners for the Solution

message! Visit our website for additional

details.

www.raygraham.org

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