Bills 1344 and 2349 Stall - Sad News for Sonoma Developmental Center Families, Residents and Community

Despite strong local support for two bills, one put forth by Senator Evans (SB 1344) and one from  Assemblywoman Yamada (AB 2349), both pieces of proposed legislation have stalled in appropriations.

The bills sought to give local stakeholders, including Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) families, Sonoma County, local organizations, and local citizens a voice in the future of SDC. The bills also supported services on the SDC site while retaining the open space.

Look for more news on the legislative process in the upcoming issue of the Gazette!

Dangers Exist for Those in Community Placement

This story out of Southern California is a year old now but it came to our attention recently when a friend of PHA was looking for a good place to recommend to someone who wanted to work with people with autism. She thought of the Jay Nolan Center as a possibility, and this news story popped up:

Caregivers accused of abusing man with autism (video), by Carolyn Costello, KT (3/21/13)

The parents did decide to sue the caregivers over the incident. You can read another story relating to the suit here: Parents sue caregivers after hidden cameras capture abuse of 31-year-old autistic son in his L.A. home, by Erik Ortiz, New York Daily News (3/19/13).

This is another sad and disturbing case highlighting the pressing need for improved oversight of community services and placements -- and the importance of staying informed about options for care.

DDS Proposes Trailer Bill Language for State Budget

The Department of Developmental Services has proposed two pieces of Trailer Bill Legislation to the state budget now under discussion in Sacramento.

1. (628) Crisis Admissions
2. (629) Community State Staff Program

Click on the links to access a copy to read and/or download (pdf).

IN RELATED BUDGET NEWS:

There are two budget hearings coming up in just a few days.

The Assembly budget hearing is this Friday, May 16, 2014, at 9 a.m., in Room 4300, at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

And then on Monday, May 19th, the Senate budget hearing, will be held at 1 p.m., in Room 4203, also at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

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Also, there has been some May Revised Language proposed, which relates to the Task Force recommendations issued earlier this year and Sonoma Developmental Center. It is as follows:

The Plan for the Future of Developmental Centers

The Plan for the Future of Developmental Centers in California, issued January 13, 2014, recommended that the future role of the state should be the operation of a limited number of smaller, safety‑net crisis and residential services. The Plan also recommends continuing to serve individuals judicially committed to the state for competency training and to provide these individuals transition services as they move back to the community. Further, the Plan recommended developing new and additional service components, including development of an enhanced community behavioral home model and providing health resource centers and community housing through public/private partnerships. Consistent with the Plan, the May Revision proposes developing resources in the community for individuals transitioning from developmental centers, as follows:

• Developing a pilot program for a new enhanced behavioral support home model in the community. The May Revision contains $13 million in reappropriated Community Placement Plan funds for this purpose.
• Improving crisis services at Fairview Developmental Center and establishing new crisis services at Sonoma Developmental Center. The May Revision proposes $3.2 million ($2 million General Fund) and 43.1 positions to serve individuals in the community with developmental disabilities who need short‑term stabilization.
• Expanding the Community State Staff Program to support individuals moving from developmental centers and enhancing regional center staffing to support community transition, resource development, and quality assurance. The May Revision contains $458,000 ($321,000 General Fund) and four redirected positions for the Department to evaluate developmental services community placement funds.

Significant Adjustment:

• Federal Certification Status — The May Revision includes $1.5 million ($894,000 General Fund) for 2014‑15 contract costs related to the Program Improvement Plan for Fairview, Porterville, and Lanterman Developmental Centers. The Plan was entered into on January 16, 2014, with the California Department of Public Health and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to bring the facilities back into compliance with federal requirements.

Governor Brown's proposed budget revisions address Developmental Centers Task Force recommendations

The following update on the Governor's proposed budget revisions, released today in Sacramento, was provided by Marty Omoto via the CDCAN (California Disability Community Action Network) Report.

NOTE: There will be a HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER CONFERENCE CALL BRIEFING ON GOVERNOR’S BUDGET PLAN TODAY AT 2:00 p.m.

The California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley and various department directors will convene a public stakeholder conference call to discuss and answer questions on the Governor’s proposed budget revisions, which were released today.

The call is scheduled for today (Tuesday, May 13) at 2:00 p.m.

Conference Call Information:

WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 2014

TIME: 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time
CALL-IN PHONE NUMBER: (800) 857-2847
PASSCODE PHRASE: CHHS Budget


The conference call organizers advise people to join the call 10 minutes prior to the 2:00 p.m. scheduled start time (so 1:50 p.m.) to register with the operator and be placed into conference.

Summary of Governor's Budget Revisions that affect the disabled community, according to CDCAN:

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. released his proposed revisions to his 2014-2014 State Budget proposal this morning that holds a tight lid on any new increases in state spending. The proposed spending plan for the State budget year that begins July 1, 2014 and ends June 30, 2015, does not propose any new funding restorations or major funding increases to health and human service programs, except for those originally proposed in his budget plan that he released in January. 
The Governor also did not propose any changes to his controversial proposal made as part of his budget plan released in January that would cap In-Home Supportive Service (IHSS) worker hours to 40 hours a week to comply with the new federal over-time regulations that go into effect January 1, 2015. Democrats in both the Assembly and State Senate are likely to push back and revise his proposal however in the coming weeks as the budget process moves forward.
 
The Governor did not propose new restorations of major health and human service programs beyond what he proposed in January. The Governor did not propose any restorations of eligibility to the State’s early intervention program – called “Early Start” that provides critical interventions to infants and toddlers with developmental delays.


THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENTAL CENTERS


The Governor addressed recommendations made in the the Plan for the Future of Developmental Centers in California, issued January 13, 2014, that recommended that the future role of the state should be the operation of a limited number of smaller, safety‑net crisis and residential services.

• The Plan also recommended continuing to serve individuals judicially committed to the state for competency training and to provide these individuals transition services as they move back to the community.
• That Plan in January also recommended developing new and additional service components, including development of an enhanced community behavioral home model and providing health resource centers and community housing through public/private partnerships.
• The Governor this morning, proposes developing resources in the community for individuals transitioning from developmental centers, as follows:
• Developing a pilot program for a new enhanced behavioral support home model in the community. The Governor’s May Revision contains $13 million in reappropriated Community Placement Plan funds for this purpose.
• Improving crisis services at Fairview Developmental Center and establishing new crisis services at Sonoma Developmental Center. The Governor’s May Revision proposes $3.2 million ($2 million in State General Fund) and 43.1 positions to serve individuals in the community with developmental disabilities who need short‑term stabilization.
• Proposed expansion of the Community State Staff Program to support individuals moving from developmental centers and enhancing regional center staffing to support community transition, resource development, and quality assurance.
• The Governor’s May Revision contains $458,000 ($321,000 General Fund) and four redirected positions for the Department of Developmental Services to evaluate developmental services community placement funds.

NEXT STEPS

Governor’s proposed revisions to his budget plan that he released in January – and that original budget plan itself – still requires final approval of the Assembly and State Senate.

• Both houses budget subcommittee have held a series of budget subcommittee hearings between March and early May, holding “open” – meaning taking no action – on nearly all of the Governor’s major proposals, including those impacting In-Home Supportive Services, Medi-Cal, developmental services, CalWORKS and other health and human services, education and other areas of the budget.
• Both Assembly and State Senate budget subcommittees have scheduled final budget subcommittee hearings later this week and next to review and (for new or changed proposals by the Governor) take additional public testimony, and take action on those major “open” items. Both subcommittees can and will likely advance new proposals that either replace, be in addition to or change the Governor’s proposed 2014-2015 State Budget plan.
• From there the budget plan will be given tentative approval by the full budget committees in both houses before the budget package is sent to budget conference committee where different actions taken by the Assembly and State Senate are taken up and if possible, resolved. No public testimony is taken at any of the budget conference committee hearings.
• At this point the Governor and the legislative leaders in both houses – primarily the Democratic leaders – will meet and work out compromises in areas in the budget where there is disagreement.
• Before the end of June, both houses will pass a budget plan for 2014-2015 and send the package of bills to the Governor.