The following information was made available from The PA Waiting List Campaign.
Please be advised.
More information can be found
Doom, Despair and Agony on Me,
Who remembers this pitiful country western song from Hee Haw? Turning on the news last night, and reading the papers this morning, sure does sound that way.
The Waiting List Campaign is going to take this one step further, almost no one is paying attention to the State budget. Over the past two weeks, the Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign visited nearly 30 legislators. We are focused on the State Senate, because the House had passed the Governor's budget. Please remember that there was NO Waiting List funding last year. The state budget is over $2 Billion in debt and yet, the Senate is determined to keep funding in there. We found most Senators extremely supportive.
Here's what the Governor's Budget and the House of Representatives passed:
The 2017- 18 proposed budget provides $26.5 million to serve more people in the community and strengthen our support for adults with Intellectual Disabilities and autism
- Moves 1000 individuals from the waiting list and into services.
- Establishes a new intermediate Community Support waiver for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism.
- Expands the Person/Family Directed Support Waiver (PFDS) for 820 special education graduates with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism.
- Expands the Adult Autism Waiver by 50 individuals.
- Expands the Targeted Services Management State Plan to include 2,000 individuals with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities.
- Funds the transition of 40 individuals from state centers to the community.
- Establishes two Bio-Behavioral Units to support individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism who have neuro-behavioral issues.
This State budget if passed, will allow our young graduating adults services and supports in the community and the new intermediate community support waiver will allow people to remain at home with their families and loved ones.
When visiting with state legislators, we asked what we could do to help them get the state budget passed. They told us that our visits and meeting with them was exactly what they needed. We promised to pass on their message. What we need you to do, is pick up your phone and call your state legislator or email your state legislator and let them know how important this funding is to you and your son or daughter.
This year we have a pretty good fighting chance at getting the Governor's Budget for Individuals with ID and Autism passed if we raise our voices and make those calls. If you don't know who your STATE legislator is go to: Contact your legislators
