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VOR's Weekly News Update
VOR is a national non-profit organization
run by families of people with I/DD and autism
for families of people with I/DD and autism.
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Save the Date!
VOR Annual Members Meeting
June 28, 2026
2:00 - 5:30 pm Eastern / 1:00 - 4:30 Central / Noon - 3:30 Mountain / 11 am - 2:30 pm Pacific
- Board of Directors Open Meeting
- Report on recent DOJ interpretation of the Integration Mandate
- Guest Speakers:
................Rhonda Butler - Louisiana State Assembly
................Nancy Brown - Pinecrest Center (Louisiana ICF) Administrator
................Irene Tanzman - President, Saving Wrentham & Hogan Alliance
- Annual State Reports Forum
You must be a member of VOR to attend
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A Note From VOR's Executive Director
I don't usually start off with an editorial, but this has been an exceptional two weeks. There have been a several actions taken by the Federal Government that need to be examined and discussed. They involve a new interpretation of the integration mandate as viewed through Olmstead and Section 504, increased funding for treatment facilities for people with mental illnesses, and actions taken by the Department of Education to divest themselves of the implementation and oversight of programs involving children with I/DD and autism. Some of these changes may be related, some are most likely not. But all have been in the works for months, as part of the administration's outlook on how to address the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and severe mental illnesses.
Several of these actions are likely to raise concerns in the disability community. In fact, they already have, especially the reinterpretation of the integration mandate.
To be clear, VOR has always advocated for choice, individual choice whenever possible and practicable, and the choice of parents, siblings, or legal guardians to make choices when the individual lacks the capacity to make informed decisions that affect their well-being. VOR has always supported the rights of individuals and their families to make these choices, and has asked that members of the greater I/DD and autism community respect the choices others make as they would ask others to respect their own choices.
VOR has always sought unity in the ID/A community. We are strongest when we stand together. If we don't stand by one another, how can we expect others to stand with us?
To put these recent actions into context, several VOR members, myself included, met with attorneys in the Department of Justice, Office of Civil Rights on June 8th. We were pleased to hear that DOJ has determined to change course regarding its decades-long determination to impose its views on community integration on states, which has resulted in the erosion of the ICF system. We also met with the Administration for Community Living (ACL), and spoke of our concerns with the ideology that "community living for all" has marginalized those who require higher levels of care that are rarely provided through Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS). We felt that our voices were being heard, though perhaps still drowned out by the din of voices of the "Inclusionistas". We also met with Congressional staffers, and felt that many of them understood our concerns about the need for ICFs, the Settings Rule, employment choice, the need to change the role of P&As, and our insistence that the diverse needs of this diverse population require a full array of residential, treatment, and employment options and opportunities.
This week, I went to a convention of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS, or NAS-DEES as they like to call themselves) and the Link Center, a group sponsored by ACL to bring about services and understanding of the population of individuals with concurrent diagnoses of intellectual disabilities and severe mental illnesses. This group was very supportive of the idea of community living, despite the fact that HCBS has failed to create successful, replicable models of care and treatment for this population.
My attendance at the convention on Tuesday was interrupted by an invitation to a meeting with staff advisors from the White House Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. The meeting concerned the announcement of a significant change of interpretation of the integration mandate as it has been enacted under previous administrations under Olmstead, Section 504, and other acts that have determined disability policy for the past 25+ years. Much of the focus of this change of policy appears to be related to the community of individuals with mental illnesses, especially those living on the street. And it may be connected to policies previously stated as "Clean Up Our Streets". It is not clear how much of this policy change is being made to help the ID/A populations or to allow for the forced institutionalization of people with mental illnesses.
While VOR has historically stated that Olmstead has been misinterpreted, and that the integration mandate has overreached its intention, we do have concerns that this new interpretation may lead to similar over-reach. We hope that is not the case. We also worry that this new interpretation will further divide the disability community against itself. Again, we hope that is not the case.
We do not know how this will impact disability policy, and the ability of people with disabilities to access the services they need and the pursuit of their the lives they wish to lead. It is likely that different states will take different actions in enacting these policies.
We encourage our readers to read and review the information in this newsletter, and to advocate for the rights of individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and mental illnesses in their states.
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Part One - The Integration Mandate
You may download a copy of the DOJ's "Application of the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act to State Institutionalization of Patients with Severe Mental Illness or Disabilities" here.
or by copying the link below and pasting it into your browser.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1446701/dl&ved=2ahUKEwjwmMvj5pGVAxUug4kEHdMRGuAQFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw04WUg7CFlYJtPEIqqrVVfc
We encourage you to read this thoroughly. It will have implications in DD and Mental Health policy for years to come. VOR
Below are links to a few of the articles and statements that have appeared so far. Please note that VOR neither agrees nor disagrees with these opinions. We share them so that our readers can better develop their own views on the matter.
States aren't required to provide community-based care for people with disabilities, new DOJ opinion claims
By Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, June 18, 2026
Click here
DOJ Opinion on Olmstead Threatens the Right of People With Disabilities to Live in the Community
By Jackie Dilworth, The Arc, June 19, 2026
Read the Arc's statement here
DOJ Memo Is Attempting to Turn Back The Clock On Integration and Olmstead's Promise
American Association of People with Disabilities, June 18, 2026
Click here to read the statement from AAPD
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Part Two - Secretary Kennedy Announces Over $700 Million in New Funding to Address Mental Illness, Addiction, Homelessness
Press release from the Department of Health and Human Services, June 17, 2026
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. today announced the posting of a $96 million funding opportunity for the Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) program, along with $612 million in funding opportunities for additional behavioral health programs. These announcements, which drive forward President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, were made during a press conference following the Secretary’s visit to the Easterseals MORC Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).
"Through more than $700 million in new investments, we are advancing President Trump's Great American Recovery Initiative and addressing the addiction and serious mental illness that fuel homelessness across America. These investments will help move people from the streets into treatment and recovery, strengthen families, save lives, and make communities safer," said Secretary Kennedy.
“Every community deserves access to effective behavioral health services that help people prevent addiction, achieve recovery, address mental health challenges, and respond to crises,” said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll. “Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are a cornerstone of this effort, providing comprehensive, community-based care that helps people sustain recovery and rebuild their lives. Alongside initiatives like STREETS, they advance the goals of the Great American Recovery Initiative by connecting people to treatment, housing, and ongoing support that strengthen communities and save lives.”
$96 Million for Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) Program
The STREETS program, housed within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will award eight communities up to $3 million a year for four years. The program will distribute up to $24 million each year, totaling $96 million over four years, to develop multisector, state-of-the-art care systems for people who are homeless and have substance use disorders, serious mental illness, or co-occurring disorders.
Given the unprecedented burden and impact of addiction and mental illness among the homeless population, this program places special emphasis on rapid, comprehensive and coordinated street-based engagement, treatment, and recovery support services using a community-wide approach that brings together local government, health and housing providers, law enforcement, and the courts.
This funding aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order on Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets and the Great American Recovery Initiative, co-chaired by HHS Secretary Kennedy and White House Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery Kathryn Burgum. STREETS also supports SAMHSA’s Strategic Priorities to advance evidence-based treatment approaches that prioritize recovery, self-sufficiency, and public safety while directly combating the devastating effects of addiction in America. Programs awarded funding may not use housing first approaches or prohibited harm reduction services.
Continued
Note: This announcement appeared the day before the DOJ announcement on the Integration Mandate. According to sources, the actions initiated by these two federal agencies are related.
Bear in mind that this $700 million increase in funding is aimed at individuals with mental illnesses who live on our streets and our prisons, and has nothing to do with people with I/DD and autism. Nor does it in any way approach the magnitude of the nearly $1 Trillion in Medicaid cuts that were part of H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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Part Three: Special Education - Ed Department Strikes Deal To Offload Special Education
By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, June 16, 2026
The Trump administration is making good on a long-promised plan to shift responsibility for many special education programs out of the U.S. Department of Education.
The Education Department said Tuesday that it has reached an “interagency agreement,” or IAA, with the Department of Health and Human Services to “support the administration” of several programs under the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, or OSERS.
Through the arrangement, HHS will handle grants authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as well as the Vocational Rehabilitation Disability Innovation Fund, programs related to Special Olympics and a handful of other obligations. The Education Department will maintain “all statutory responsibilities,” but HHS will “manage competitions, provide technical assistance, and integrate ED’s programs” with the programs it already administers, the Education Department said.
Separately, much of the agency’s Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, which fields complaints of disability discrimination in schools, will move to the Department of Justice, officials said. Families will continue to file complaints and communicate with the Education Department, but the agency will rely on the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to investigate and resolve them.
“These agreements align federal responsibilities with the agencies best positioned to support them, strengthening the effectiveness and impact of critical services,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
Officials insist that the agreements do not in any way alter federal protections and students with disabilities will not lose any rights, including their right to a free appropriate public education.
“Through this partnership, HHS and the Department of Education will cut bureaucratic barriers, better align federal resources, and deliver more effective support for individuals with disabilities and their families,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Together, we will improve education and employment outcomes, uphold the rights of individuals with disabilities, and help every child reach their full potential.”
But, disability advocates warn that moving special education to HHS will weaken coordination with general education and it sends the wrong message.
“IDEA is an education law — not a health law — and moving it to the health department is more than a bureaucratic change; it segregates special education from K-12 programs and signals a move toward a medical model that views students as patients rather than as learners with strengths, potential and belonging,” said Chad Rummel, CEO of the Council for Exceptional Children. “No one can show us how the time, energy and resources needed to move special education to the health department will benefit children.”
Over a year ago, President Donald Trump announced that he would move “special needs” programs to HHS as part of a commitment to close the Education Department.
Without approval from Congress to shut down the department, however, McMahon has used IAAs as a workaround, allowing her to break apart the agency bit by bit. Before this week, the Education Department had already announced 10 IAAs under McMahon, but none focused on special education.
Though the IAAs for OSERS and OCR have been expected, disability advocates have been working for more than a year to push back against the plans. Now, Denise Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, or COPAA, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of students with disabilities and their families, is calling on the Education Department to reverse what she called “illegal and harmful moves” and is urging Congress to step in.
Continued
Trump Breaks Up Education Dept., Prompting Worries Over Civil Rights
By Michael C. Bender and Dana Goldstein, The New York Times, June 16, 2026
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday plans to move two major functions of the Education Department to other parts of the government in the most aggressive moves yet by the White House to dismantle an agency it has pledged to dissolve.
The changes move programs for disabled students into the Health and Human Services Department and the enforcement of civil rights laws in schools to the Justice Department. Administration officials said the changes would improve government efficiency and lead to better results for students.
Eliminating the Education Department requires an act of Congress, and disability groups have argued that so does moving the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The office oversees $15 billion a year in funding for students with disabilities and enforces compliance with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
The Education Department will also shift duties for its Office for Civil Rights, which for decades has enforced anti-discrimination laws in schools, to the Justice Department.
In recent years, the largest share of complaints about discrimination in schools have been filed on behalf of disabled students. The changes appeared to decouple the administration of services for students with disabilities from the enforcement of civil rights protections for those same students.
The changes were expected to be challenged in court immediately as part of a continuing lawsuit that a coalition of Democratic attorneys general first filed last year over the administration’s attempts to dismantle the Education Department.
The American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents about 2,000 current and former Education Department workers, immediately criticized the announcement, describing the moves as part of the Trump administration’s attempt to “unlawfully dismantle the Education Department.”
“This will leave our most vulnerable students and families who have been shut out of our education system without the services they need and without protection when they face discrimination,” said Rachel Gittleman, the president of A.F.G.E. Local 252. “This isn’t efficiency; it’s chaos.”
Education Department officials said students, parents and educators would not experience any change in services. But additional details were not immediately available.
“These agreements align federal responsibilities with the agencies best positioned to support them, strengthening the effectiveness and impact of critical services,” Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said in a statement.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, which has a budget of $140 million, will now refer all civil rights complaints to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, according to an agreement between the departments. The Justice Department has lost more than 20 percent of the nearly 13,000 lawyers it had at the start of the second Trump administration, which some have attributed to political pressure inside the department.
Continued
Statement from the Autism Society of America on the Department of Education Agreement to Move IDEA and Civil Rights Functions
Available here
Note: Sources in the White House have made clear that this initiative is not related to the actions taken by DOJ and HHS this week. It is entirely coincidental that this happened during the same week, although it is indicative of an overall change in policies regarding people with disabilities.
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As I had indicated in my opening blether, I attended parts of a convention of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services this week. the conference was overseen by ACL Administrator Mary Lazare and ACL Commissioner on Disabilities Rebecca Hines.
VOR has been meeting quarterly with NASDDDS and the Link Center about the need for services for people dually diagnosed with I/DD and SMI (severe mental illnesses) as well as those with autism with aggressive and/or violent behaviors.
The convention covered a number of topics and presented good information, but was singularly focused on Home- and Community-Based Services and community integration. Sadly, our conversations about the need for new service models outside of the HCBS system was not included in any of the discussions, despite the fact that State Directors of DD Services admit to having known about this problem for years and have been unable to develop treatment models within the private provider system that characterizes HCBS.
The group presented a document from National Core Indicators, "NCI Data Brief: Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions Among NCI-IDD Respondents"that provided helpful information about individuals with co-occuring IDD and SMI, including details that 49% of the survey's respondents with IDD have at least one mental health condition, including:
- 31% have a mood disorder
- 30% have an anxiety disorder
- 11% have a psychotic disorder
- 10% have an other mental health condition
The survey only covered people living in group homes and family homes, and failed to include any information on people being treated in the mental health system with intellectual disabilities, or people living on the streets or in prisons who exhibit these dual diagnoses. The report is available for download here.
The topic of Dual Diagnosed Individuals was covered by Nancy Thaler, a woman many VOR have met with over the years who has overseen the closure of several state-operated ICFs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and who continues to dominate disability policy to this day. Ms. Thaler did make an excellent presentation about understanding the Dual IDD/SMi population (see link below) but never discussed any practical solutions to providing services for these individuals outside of the established channels that have failed to address the problem.
Nancy Thaler's report is available for download here
Despite the lack of inclusion of members of the IDD/SMI Community who are not being served by HCBS, we look forward to continuing our conversations and working toward real solutions for this population in the future.
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Trump administration tightens oversight of state Medicaid demonstration programs
by Nada Hassanein, Stateline, June 18, 2026
The Trump administration told states last week it will exercise more stringent financial oversight of waivers that states use to design pilot programs under Medicaid, the state-federal program for low-income people and those with disabilities.
In letters sent to state Medicaid directors, the administration announced the changes to Section 1115 “demonstration waivers,” which states apply for and use to test innovative pilot programs that expand Medicaid coverage or benefits. It’s the latest in a series of administration crackdowns on Medicaid spending.
The demonstration projects aim to improve health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees or the administration of the state’s overall Medicaid program. Waivers can involve changes to financing structures or implement special coverage benefits for specific populations.
For example, several states have been using demonstration waivers to help enroll soon-to-be-released incarcerated people in Medicaid. And in 2024, waivers were approved in four states that allowed for Medicaid coverage of traditional healing practices at tribal health facilities and urban Indian organizations.
But starting next Jan. 1, the administration said, applications won’t be approved unless the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief actuary “certifies” that waivers won’t result in more federal spending compared with what spending would be without the demonstration program.
Such budget neutrality was already required for waivers, and the applications were approved at the discretion of the Department of Health and Human Services secretary. But in its letters to states, the administration emphasized that the applications will also have to be approved by the CMS actuary.
Continued
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Medicaid Overhaul Complicates States’ Plans to Bring Care Into Jails and Prisons
By Julie Wernau and Dan Gorenstein, Tradeoffs, June 18, 2026
Funding cuts and program changes required by H.R. 1 are forcing states to make hard choices about the future of this bipartisan experiment.
Cody Coughenour didn’t know it, but the Medicaid card he had in his hand when he left jail in northern Washington last winter was one small sign of a much larger experiment unfolding across the country.
Washington is one of 19 states that have received federal approval to enroll people in Medicaid before they leave jail or prison — a radical change in Medicaid policy that health care and law enforcement leaders believe will save lives.
Research shows that people leaving incarceration are at significant risk of death in the first weeks after release, particularly from overdose. Many people also leave jail and prison with untreated mental illness, substance use disorders and chronic diseases. Finding insurance and treatment while also looking for a place to live, a job and reconnecting with family can be incredibly difficult.
Coughenour experienced this gap in care on numerous previous releases from jail over the years. But this time, he was able to make a seamless transition to drug treatment and mental health counseling.
“We didn’t make any stops,” Coughenour told me about the day he was released. “We went straight to the treatment facility.” Now, he says, he can focus on reconnecting with his 14-year-old daughter, signing up for phlebotomy classes and staying off illegal drugs.
This experiment in bringing Medicaid behind bars is now colliding with H.R. 1, the sweeping federal law that is forcing states to make major changes to Medicaid.
“The realities of what H.R. 1 presents to us,” said Oregon Medicaid Director Emma Sandoe, “are making us make very difficult decisions now.”
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Is AI Fair? New Evidence Suggests Bias Against People with Intellectual Disabilities Is Built In
PR Newswire, June 16, 2026
A new study titled, "Identifying Implicit Bias in LLM-based Chat AI Toward People with Intellectual Disabilities," published in the Disability and Health Journal reveals that the use of AI widely used systems are quietly reinforcing harmful stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and creating a technology lifecycle that is welcoming automated ableism, leading to potential prejudice and discrimination. Among the core findings, five leading AI systems consistently generated stories portraying people with ID as more dependent, childlike, and in need of supervision than people without disabilities. That's according to a new landmark study conducted and administered by Special Olympics in collaboration with university research partner Oregon State University.
This is alarming news considering in the United States, over 1 in 10 workers use Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to perform their job. Chat models are trained on data from the internet, including social media and news data, and this data can have stereotypes, hateful language and negative themes. A lot of negative things get removed from the model responses, but some things are harder to detect and are not removed and harder to find. These biases then show up in stories or responses generated by AI.
The Methodology:
The study analyzed whether implicit (hidden and unconscious) bias toward people with ID can be identified in commonly used Large Language Models (LLMs), and if identified, is there implicit bias in these LLM-based chat models directed toward people with ID? Additionally, the study wanted to prioritize how we can identify and measure differences related to people with ID to examine these biases. The researchers used five popular AI models, including GPT-4-Turbo. They asked the models to create 25,000 short stories about everyday situations. Some stories included a description of the person having ID, while others did not. The team then used GPT-4-Turbo to analyze the stories. They looked for patterns that showed bias, such as portraying people with ID as dependent, childlike, or needing help.
The findings revealed that AI is indeed, reflecting our biases and shaping how people access and understand information, influencing decisions in areas like jobs, healthcare and education – often without people realizing it. But this work demonstrates a critical step: that it's possible to measure bias in a rapid, automated way, and develop effective methods to reduce bias over time.
"Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming foundational to how our world operates—from healthcare to education to economic opportunity. That makes this a pivotal moment. If we do not intentionally design for inclusion from the outset, we risk embedding bias into systems that will scale globally and persist for generations. We want to disrupt automated ableism from the start," said Nathan Cook, Special Olympics Chief Information and Technology Officer. "This report makes clear that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities must be included not just as beneficiaries, but as contributors in shaping AI. Building inclusive AI is not just the right thing to do—it is essential to creating technologies that are effective, equitable, and truly serving all people."
Continued
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Louisville health clinic to lose funding amid Kentucky budget cuts
By Lillian Metzmeier and Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier-Journal via AOL, June 14, 2026
The state-owned Lee Specialty Clinic is set to see a $4.5 million reduction in funding through 2028, Beth Fisher, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in a statement. The cuts stem from the latest two-year budget approved by the Kentucky legislature in April, part of which called for the clinic's outpatient services to receive $720,000 in funding for fiscal year 2026-27 and $697,500 in fiscal year 2027-28. Inpatient services are expected to continue at Bingham Gardens Intermediate Care Facility in Louisville.
"The Governor is currently taking steps to prevent the worst, and his administration repeatedly warned the General Assembly about the painful impacts of these cuts, but the state is now forced to bear the outcome of these shortsighted decisions and the chronic defunding from the federal government," Fisher said.
Fisher said the budget allocations mean "significantly fewer Kentuckians will be served" after the new fiscal year begins July 1.
Ashlea Murphy works as a medical assistant at Lee Specialty Clinic where her 22-year-old brother is also a patient. Autistic and nonverbal, like many of the patients at Lee, her brother has been a patient at the facility for about four years. The clinic specializes in intellectual developmental disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, as well as community crisis patients.
"Lee Clinic is a doctor's office facility that has all the providers that our patients require under one roof," Murphy told The Courier Journal on June 12. "We have physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, endocrinology, gynecology, dental. We have a full lab, and we have medical and psych providers."
During an all-staff meeting June 11, Murphy said she was told that 83% of employees from each department of the Lee Specialty Clinic would be terminated after July 15. Fisher did not immediately respond to a Courier Journal question about how many staffers would lose their jobs, but said in a prior statement that patients and staff will be provided a "one-time allocation" in response to the funding cuts for the clinic.
"Out of all the employees that are there, no one is as much concerned of losing their job as they are of what's going to happen to the patients," Murphy said. "There is no other facility like this in the state of Kentucky, or any other state that I'm aware of."
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More than 1,000 patients to lose access to special needs clinic services in Louisville
By Reyna Katko, WDRB News, June 12, 2026
Lee Specialty Clinic has helped thousands of people for about a decade. It serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
However, staff members tell WDRB more than a thousand patients won't have access to this specialized care after July 15th.
"We're going to suffer," Amy Cutter said.
Cutter's daughter, Kennedie, has Autism and Primrose Syndrome, a genetic disorder. She said finding proper care for Kennedie was a challenge before she discovered Lee Specialty Clinic in 2020.
"Most doctors don't want to care for a child that may hit them or have some breakdown," Cutter said.
"They don't have the behavior supports there."
The clinic is a safe space for people with special needs. They can get medical or dental care, different kinds of therapy and more under one roof.
"You feel welcome," she said. "You feel understood, and that's very important for our community.
Kennedie visits Lee Specialty Clinic at least once a week. Sometimes she rides bikes and works on communicating using an iPad.
It's part of her routine and brings tears to her mother's eyes.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Kentucky Cabinet Health and Family Services fund this clinic. However, it's facing millions of dollars in budget cuts.
A spokesperson with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services sent WDRB the following statement:
"Team Kentucky believes healthcare is a basic human right that all of our people deserve access to.
While the Lee Specialty Clinic will continue providing services to residents at Bingham Gardens Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), its outpatient services will unfortunately be scaled back significantly due to the cruel and senseless budget cuts enacted by the state legislature. The Governor is currently taking steps to prevent the worst, and his administration repeatedly warned the General Assembly about the painful impacts of these cuts, but the state is now forced to bear the outcome of these shortsighted decisions and the chronic defunding from the federal government.
Despite the growing need for services for Kentuckians with complex mental health and developmental disabilities, the General Assembly reduced the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities’ (DBHDID) budget by 4% in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2027 and 7% in SFY28, forcing a $4.5 million total reduction for the Lee Specialty Clinic, which serves both the residents of Bingham Gardens Intermediate Care Facility and those with intellectual disabilities in the community. The clinic’s outpatient services will remain open with the budget bill appropriation of $720,000 in FY27 and $697,500 in FY28, but significantly fewer Kentuckians will be served beginning in FY27. A one-time allocation is being provided to extend the transition timeline for patients and staff.
The Cabinet is actively working with the provider contracted to operate Lee Specialty Clinic, IDD Health, to evaluate the potential for future sustainability. Team Kentucky remains committed to protecting mental health and disability support services within the resources it has been allocated and recognizes the critical roles these services play in the communities we serve."
"These children need this," Cutter said. "It's just a huge, huge loss for the community."
Staff members said most employees received their 30 day notice of termination on Thursday, June 11.
Continued
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Connecticut - New DDS Commissioner Macy's First Stop...Meeting with Self Advocates
Press release, CT Developmental Services
In his first act as Commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), it was important to Dr. Macy to make it memorable.
"I wanted my first meeting outside of the agency, as Commissioner, to be with People First of Connecticut," Commissioner Macy told the crowd. "You matter, and what you think matters to me. I'd like to meet with you on a regular basis to hear what you are thinking about what the Department is doing or what other issue are important to you."
People First of Connecticut is a statewide self advocacy organization with 10 chapters in the state. The chapters meet every other month at a central location to share self advocacy news and issues.
"It meant so much to me as the new commissioner to meet with self advocates from around the state," said Commissioner Macy. "If we are to build a more inclusive community it will require that all stakeholder groups work together. It’s only through listening to each other that we’ll be able to ensure that citizens of Connecticut with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities and their families have the most responsive and cost effective service systems possible."
Commissioner Macy's first couple of weeks has been extremely busy meeting with legislators, department employees in Central Office, Southbury Training School (STS) and the regular monthly meeting with the trade organizations. He also testified before the Legislator on the new Autism Waivers and the Executive Nominations Committee for his confirmation.
Commissioner Macy has said time and time again he is ready for the many challenges that will come and committed to “creating a sense of “A Community of Providers”, a community that doesn’t have to have private sector nor public sector labels, but one that is focused on meeting the needs of those we all share responsibility in supporting and perhaps re-thinking how we can all work more productively together.”
Read the full article here
Note: Commissioner Macy previously served as CT's Commissioner of DD Services until 2014. He voiced opposition to keeping Southbury Training School (a state-operated ICF) open, and supported the idea of moving people with I/DD into homes of non-disabled individuals willing to be paid to provide rooms in their homes. He was most recently the Director of Community Services at the Delaware Health & Human Services Division of Developmental Services.
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[Please click on blue link to view information about the bill]
VOR SUPPORTS:
H.R.6137 / S.3211 - Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-NJ) and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) - A bill to require the Office of Management and Budget to consider revising the Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a separate code for direct support professionals
H.R.6766 / S.3492 - Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) - Essential Caregivers Act - To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to require skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for the intellectually disabled, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities to permit essential caregivers access during any period in which regular visitation is restricted.
H.R.4796 - Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) - Restoring Essential Healthcare Act -To amend Public Law 119-21 (The One Big Beautiful Bill Act) to repeal the prohibition on making payments under the Medicaid program to certain entities.
H.R.4807 - Rep Greg Landsman (D-OH) - Protect Our Hospitals Act - To amend Public Law 119-21 to repeal certain changes to provider taxes under the Medicaid program.
H.R.1262 & S.932 - Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) "Give Kids A Chance Act" - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations. This bill would renew research into pediatric cancers and includes increasing funding for rare diseases, some of which cause Intellual and developmental disabilities and autism.
H.R.1509 & S.752 - Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) & Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act -
This bill would amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to streamline the enrollment process for eligible out-of-state providers under Medicaid and CHIP, and streamline enrollment under the Medicaid program of certain providers across State lines.
H.R.2598 & S.1277 - Rep Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) The IDEA Full Funding Act
To amend part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to provide full Federal funding of such part.
S.2279 - Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)
A bill to repeal the changes to Medicaid State provider tax authority and State directed payments made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and provide increased funding for the rural health transformation program.
H.R.1950 - Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) - Protect Social Security and Medicare Act
To protect benefits provided under Social Security, Medicare, and any other program of benefits administered by the Social Security Administration or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
S.779 & H.R.1735 - Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) & Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX)
To amend title XIX of the Public Health Service Act to provide for prevention and early intervention services under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program
H.R.2491 & S.1227 - Rep Kat Cammack (R-FL) & Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) - The ABC Act
To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Commissioner of Social Security to review and simplify the processes, procedures, forms, and communications for family caregivers to assist individuals in establishing eligibility for, enrolling in, and maintaining and utilizing coverage and benefits under the Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs
VOR OPPOSES:
H.R.2743 & S.1332 - Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) & Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Raise the Wage Act - A bill to provide increases to the Federal minimum wage and for other purposes. VOR opposes the provision in this bill that would phase out section 14(c) and sheltered workshops for indiviiduals with I/DD and autism.
S.2438 - Transformation to Competitive Employment Act (Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) - A bill to assist employers providing employment under special certificates issued under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 in transforming their business and program models to models that support people with disabilities through competitive integrated employment, to phase out the use of such special certificates, and for other purposes.
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