The Pennsylvania
Waiting List Campaign
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What Are the FACTS?
Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign: Fact Sheet January 2008
The Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign is comprised of people with disabilities, parents, family members and providers whose purpose is to end the Waiting List for persons who are served by the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs, Mental Retardation system.
Also, many of their parents must leave their jobs to stay at home to care for their loved one causing severe economic impact on the entire family.
The Waiting List Campaign appeals to you to lend your voice and give your support for the following initiatives:
Funding for these services will have a tremendous impact for those coming off the waiting list. The Waiting List Campaign thanks and applauds all the leaders across the state that made this possible for people. However, more assistance and attention to this matter is needed. We still have more than 20,000 people waiting.
We respectfully request that the Commonwealth tackle these issues now so they don’t grow to points where there is continued crisis. Create a long term plan to address the waiting list. Supporting our most vulnerable citizens is a core function of government and must be a priority. Thousands of people wait for the supports they need to be happy, healthy, productive citizens in their communities.
Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign: Fact Sheet October 2007
The Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign is comprised of people with disabilities, parents, family members and providers whose purpose is to end the Waiting List for persons who are served by the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs, Mental Retardation system.
Also, many of their parents must leave their jobs to stay at home to care for their loved one causing severe economic impact on the entire family.
The Waiting List Campaign appeals to you to lend your voice and give your support for the following initiatives:
Funding for these services will have a tremendous impact for those coming off the waiting list. The Waiting List Campaign thanks and applauds all the leaders across the state that made this possible for people. However, more assistance and attention to this matter is needed. We still have more than 20,000 people waiting.
We respectfully request that the Commonwealth tackle these issues now so they don’t grow to points where there is continued crisis. Create a long term plan to address the waiting list. Supporting our most vulnerable citizens is a core function of government and must be a priority. Thousands of people wait for the supports they need to be happy, healthy, productive citizens in their communities.
Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign: Fact Sheet 2007
Legislative support is needed to pass the Proposed Pennsylvania State Budget which would provide services for 3,428 people on the Emergency Waiting List for Mental Retardation services.
This is the breakdown:
2,555 from the Emergency Waiting List
800 Students leaving High School and
73 young adults aging out of EPSDT
The Pennsylvania State Budget introduced by Governor Rendell on February 6, 2007 calls for an increase in state funding of $26.9 million dollars for people with mental retardation. If this budget is supported and passed by members of the State House and Senate, it would allow for more than two-thirds of those currently on the emergency category of the waiting list – and everyone on waiting lists for non-residential services – to be served. This would represent the largest number of people served in nearly a decade.
Breakdown of Proposed $26.9 million Expansion is as follows:
In addition to the MR Waiting List initiative, 100 adults with Autism would receive services. The $1.955 million dollar budget also includes provisions for the development of quality systems for adults with autism and an additional line of funding for autism intervention and services.
This proposed budget includes a 3% Cost Of Living Adjustment for the community mental retardation system programs for a total of $24.3 million.
WE CAN. WE WILL. WE MUST. END THE WAIT!
Number of People in Programs |
|
Community group homes (including 1 person agency operated homes) |
9,350 |
Own/relatives home |
3,100 |
Family Living/Life Sharing |
1,500 |
TOTAL |
13,950 |
The remaining people are in a variety of settings (domiciliary care, personal care homes, etc)
By the end of this year, we [OMR] anticipate 15,200 people will be served under the Consolidated Waiver. Source: Joe Church Office of Mental Retardation
As of September 30th, 2006, there are 45,350 persons enrolled in OMR Waivers, Base, Private and Public ICFs/MR in HCSIS.
Prior to this year, OMR depended upon County estimates of persons served. This year OMR has begun to use HCSIS as our tool for counting persons served. Also, in prior years, persons who were merely "eligible" for, but not receiving services other than case management (Un-served on PUNS for example) were also counted.
These are the extraction criteria for persons "served" as listed in HCSIS:
The consumer's record status is Active, the consumer's record has an MCI, the consumer's record is associated with OMR, and the consumer is listed as "Enrolled" in P/FDS, Consolidated, Base, Private ICF / MR, or Other.
Note: Does not currently include all persons billing through PROMISe for ICF/MR (public and private). "Other" includes State Center consumers, consumers who receive only County funding, and other exceptions.
Also, in prior years, the children now served by the Office of Child Development in Early Intervention or the Infant/Toddler Waiver were included.
Information provided by:
Suzanne Puzak
Division of Program Analysis
Office of Mental Retardation
Department of Public Welfare
Phone: (717) 787-9807
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the 2005 census in Pennsylvania to be 12,429,616.
In his Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Budget Proposal, Governor Rendell has requested $16.6 million to provide community services to 806 people on the Waiting List as follows:
Governor Rendell has also requested $29 million for a 2% cost of living adjustment for direct care providers in community mental retardation services.
The Mental Retardation system in Pennsylvania has never been adequately funded. We now know the numbers and they continue to grow at a rate of 150-200 per month, as people come forward and register with their county MR offices. The funding has not paralleled the growth in numbers of people in need of and eligible for services through the Mental Retardation system.
Although we appreciate the constraints facing the Commonwealth at this time, the Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign will not be content until all people waiting for services, particularly those in the emergency category, receive the supports and services they need to live Everyday Lives in their communities.
Governor Rendell has requested $19.182 million in his 2005-2006 Budget Proposal to provide community services for 955 people. 855 from the Waiting List, 45 from Altoona State Center, and 55 people who are aging out of EPSDT Services.
Governor Rendell has also requested $13.750 million to provide salary increases for Direct Care Workers in the Community.
There are 20,383 people from across the state who are waiting for services through the mental retardation system as of October 1, 2004.
800 children with mental retardation graduated in June 2004 to no job, no services and no hope. Children who the state spent tax payer dollars to provide special education supports and services for 21 years. They and their families are concerned about the quality of life that will result and the possibility of regression both cognitively and socially.
There are three categories of need for people who are waiting for services from the mental retardation system. Those include:
The Office of Mental Retardation estimates that $67.8 million in state funds are to be matched with federal funds in order to eliminate the Emergency Category.
Three waivers are available through the Office of Mental Retardation with federal matching funds. This federal funding match is what allows people the opportunity to receive the monies that enable them to get off the Waiting List and begin living their lives.
The Mental Retardation system has never been adequately funded. Accurate numbers of people on the Waiting List were unknown prior to initiation of the Prioritization of Urgency of Need (PUNS) in 1999. We now know the numbers and they continue to grow. The funding has not followed the growth in the numbers of people served by the Mental Retardation system.
The Waiting List has now become a crisis of epidemic proportion.
As of April 1, 2000: US Census Facts
Pennsylvania's population according to the 2000 State Data Center is 12, 281,054. There has been a positive 3.4% growth rate change. Pennsylvania is ranked 6th among the states with a population density of 266.7 persons per mile. Pennsylvania is ranked 2nd nationally in percent of population age 65 and older and ranked 1st nationally in nativity.
There are thousands of parents who are elderly and can no longer provide care for their adult child who is living at home. Many times parents or caregivers must quit their job to stay at home with their loved one who is on the Waiting List, impacting not only the family's economics but also the tax base in the community.
Family members of people and individuals with mental retardation want to live with dignity and respect in the community to attain and maintain a good quality of life. They do not want to sit home all day long, not participating in the everyday life activities all people take advantage of on a typical day.
The Fiscal year 2000/2001 budget proposed a 6 year initiative to resolve the issue of the Waiting List. At that time the number of people on the Waiting List was tallied at 14,200. That proposal was never fully funded and currently the number of individuals on the Waiting List is over 20,000.
There are 2,130 people on the emergency waiting list and fiscal year's 2004/2005 budget only provides funding to serve 475 people on the Waiting List.
The Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign is appealing to you to lend your voice and give your support for the Waiting List initiative. Adequate funding is needed to address this issue for people who need Mental Retardation services.
The Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign is dedicated to ending devastating Waiting List for community services for people with mental retardation.
The Campaign was created in 1999 by Vision for Equality, Inc. in response to the public outcry of people who were seemingly forgotten by their Commonwealth.
The Waiting List Campaign will press on until adequate funding is allocated every year to support every person on the Emergency Waiting List with the services they need to live in their communities. The Waiting List is a crisis in our communities, our neighborhoods, and our families.
Funded by
Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
and directed by
Vision for EQuality, Inc.
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