The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) budget includes a total of $1.428 billion to provide home and community-based services for 66,000 persons with mental retardation. This represents a 5.75% increase in funding. This initiative includes:
- $19.182 million increase to provide home and community-based services for 955 additional persons waiting for community services; including 45 residents currently at Altoona State Center, 855 on the waiting list, and 55 children aging out of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment program.
- 2% cost-of-living-allowance (COLA), totaling $13.7 million, for direct care workers in community services.
- $8.8 million to annualize previous program revisions providing enhanced community services.
The funding for 855 of 2,100 persons on the emergency waiting list and the 2% COLA have been included in the DPW budget thanks to the diligent efforts of PCPA members, the Mental Health/Mental Retardation Coalition, and various consumer, family, and advocacy organizations.
According to the Office of Mental Retardation (OMR), the Governor’s Budget Office determined how the number for the 2% direct support professional initiative (COLA) was constructed to ensure that funding was provided for “services.” The 2% was also applied to the Pennhurst dispersal and the Lansdowne appropriation.
Areas not included in the 2% COLA are:
- targeted service management administration funded at $1.148 million,
- waiver administration funded at $16.257 million,
- grants to three Arc agencies funded at $300,000,
- Health Care Quality Units funded at $4.072 million, and
- independent monitoring teams funded at $1.598 million.
PCPA will disseminate additional budget information as it becomes available. The preliminary PCPA 2005/06 state budget analysis and DPW Secretary Richman’s budget presentation are also available. For additional information regarding the OMR budget contact Linda Drummond. For general state budget information contact Melissa Simmons.
