CDCAN
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY
COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
DISABILITY RIGHTS
NEWS REPORT
#034-2006 March 30, 2006 -
Thursday
Advocacy Without Borders:
Connecting people with disabilities & seniors to rights and unified
action
1225 8th
Street Suite 480 - Sacramento, CA 95814 916/446-0013 Fax:
916/446-0026
Marty Omoto - director email: martyomoto@rcip.com
website: www.cdcan.us
CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET
* SENATE
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE TO MEET 4/3 AT NEW TIME 10 AM
* REGIONAL CENTERS &
DEVELOPMENTAL CENTERS ON AGENDA
* ISSUE OF CONTINUED FUNDING REDUCTIONS MAJOR
ISSUE
SACRAMENTO - The
Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Sen.
Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego) is scheduled to meet Monday, April 3 at the new
earlier time of 10:00 AM (changed from 1:30 PM), at the State Capitol in Room
4203 to consider the Governor's budget proposals impacting services and supports
funded through community-based regional centers and also services provided by
the state owned and operated developmental centers. [Note: watch for
CDCAN Action Notice for more information on logistics and details about this
hearing]
When: April 3, 2006 - Monday morning at 10:00 AM
(note time change from 1:30 PM)
Budget Issue: Regional Centers and Developmental Centers (Dept
of Developmental Services)
Who:
Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health & Human Services
Where:
State Capitol - Room 4203
Priority: VERY HIGH
Alert Issued:
YES
Should People Come To
Hearing: YES - note time change from 1:30 PM to 10 AM!!!
Note: Due
to construction on the Capitol grounds and the building of a visitor's pavilion
on the entrance facing L Street, the only wheelchair accessible entrance is from
the SOUTH entrance (facing N Street).
About 200,000 children and
adults with developmental disabilities receive different levels of services by
community-based organizations and individuals funded by the 21 non-profit
regional centers. Just over 3,000 persons with developmental disabilities reside
in the state's 5 developmental centers and 2 smaller institutions. One of
the five institutions - Agnews Developmental Center in Santa Clara County, is
scheduled to close June 2007, though that date may likely be pushed back.
Likely Major Budget Issues That Subcommittee and Advocates Will Focus
On
* 3% One-Time Increase for Some Programs: The Governor's
proposal to provide a one-time 3% increase to several community-based
organizations who provide services, will be reviewed by the subcommittee.
* On-going Rate Freezes and Need for Rate Increases: Many advocates,
while praising the Schwarzenegger Administration for including the one-time
increase, are pushing for larger increases to help keep alive critical programs,
including employment, and to lift the on-going freeze in how much the State pays
community organizations for the cost of providing services.
*
On-going Funding Reductions ("Cost Containment Measures") - Other Issues of
major concern that will likely be addressed are proposals by the Schwarzenegger
Administration to continue on-going funding reductions of many community-based
programs, - some which were first passed under Gov. Gray Davis.
*
New Proposal To Control Spending - The subcommittee will consider a
new proposal that seeks to place new contract requirements between the State and
the 21 non-profit regional centers that is tied to specific funding reductions
or cost savings in their budgets that fund community based services (called
"purchase of services" or "POS"). Many advocates are opposed to that proposal
because they say it will result in denial or reduction of services for people
who need them, and also more reductions in funding.
* Update on
Agnews Developmental Center Closure - The subcommittee will also hear an
update on the progress of the closure and transition plan of Agnews
Developmental Center.
* Other budget related issues include status of the
Department of Developmental Services' long delayed computer system to track
persons receiving services and other information, impact of changes made at the
federal level to Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal) to persons with developmental
disabilities.
RELATED ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
HEARING
When: April 24,
2006 - Monday late afternoon at 4:00 PM
Budget Issue: Regional Centers and Developmental Centers under
Dept of Developmental Services
Who: Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health & Human
Services
Where: State Capitol - Room
127
Priority: VERY
HIGH
Alert Issued: YES
Should People Come To Hearing:
YES
How To Receive CDCAN Capitol
News Reports and Alerts
The California Disability Community Action Network is a
non-partisan link to tens of thousands of Californians in every community,
including people of color, people of every type of disability, including people
with physical disabilities, people with developmental and other disabilities,
people with traumatic brain and other injures, people with mental health needs,
seniors, people with MS, Alzheimer's and others, and all of their families,
community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers, and other
advocates. These action alerts and news reports is for all of them.
If you would like to get on this distribution (and conversely, get off of
it) please send an email with that request to: martyomoto@rcip.com OR sign up via the NEW
CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us Sharing information is part of
our organizing effort. Please feel free to forward or copy this
(attribution is nice but not necessary). We're all in this together!
MANY
THANKS to Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, The University
Affiliated Programs, CHANCE Inc, Parents Helping Parents, Arriba, Strategies
Toward Empowering People, Parents Helping Parents, Asian American parents
groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living
Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other
self advocacy and family support groups California Disability Rights Inc ,
developmental center families, and hundreds of individuals like Maureen
Fitzgerald, Terri Lantz, Christal Hopkins, Lisa Brown, Anna Wang, Dennis Dishaw,
Bob Benson, David Engberg, Connie Arnold, and so many others who through their
support and contributions, make the non-partisan CDCAN reports and townhall
telemeetings possible. Thanks also to partnerships and the good people
with the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and also the Department of
Health Services, the Department of Developmental Services, Department of Social
Services and the CA Health and Human Services Agency and other agencies, and the
State Legislature and staff, the Legislative Analyst Office. Good people
who do good things can make a difference together