King County finalizes legislative priorities for developmental disabilities

Don't change eligibility - protect DDA services and language access

Invest in employment and housing

• DD forum registration and information
  

King County and its Board for Developmental Disabilities, a citizen's advisory board that provides oversight of DD community services, have finalized the county's 2021 legislative priorities for developmental disabilities.

Preserve and Protect the Safety Net for Individuals with Disabilities Across Their Lifespan

Recommended Actions:

• Maintain current eligibility criteria for state Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) paid services to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) continue to access Medicaid State Plan and Waiver services including employment, community inclusion, respite, personal care, and residential services.
  
  
• Maintain interpreter services provided by the State Health Care Authority, including video interpretation services to ensure effective delivery of essential services.

Invest in Employment and Housing for People with Disabilities to Support Economic Recovery

Recommended Actions:

• Protect employment funding and ensure all state DDA eligible students leaving high school in 2021-2023 are added to the Basic Plus Waiver in order to receive employment and other needed services.
  
  
• Increase the supply of affordable housing, including housing for individuals with I/DD and their families, through investments that include $250 million for the Housing Trust Fund.

The Arc of King County and representatives from its Community Change Champions and King County Parent and Family Coalition joined other community volunteers on the DD board's legislative committee to discuss and offer input on these priorities. 

The county will share and discuss them with state legislators representing parts of King County at a legislative forum on Monday, November 23. The public is invited to attend! It will be presented online, with interpretation support.

• DD forum registration and information
  

News to use: Deep cuts proposed for Medicaid long-term supports

Speak up. Be loud. Here are talking points and resources

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The state's tax revenue is way down, which means legislators will be facing tough budget decisions – including  whether to cut Medicaid long-term supports. There are proposed cuts to both DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration and DSHS Aging and Long-Term Supports Administration. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities may be served by either or both.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

PEOPLE WOULD NO LONGER QUALIFY: The cuts come from changing eligibility requirements. This means people affected would no longer be eligible for DDA or ALTSA (or both). This is NOT a proposal to trim back some services clients get. It is a proposal that boots them off all long-term support.

PEOPLE WITH HIGHER SUPPORT NEEDS MAY BE CUT: The cuts are NOT limited to people with light support needs. Proposed eligibility changes would affect people with medium to significant support needs, as well.

CUTS GO DEEP: 30 percent of DDA clients supported in the community could lose all services. Overall, a quarter of DDA clients would lose services. ALTSA changes would affect hundreds of DDA clients supported in Adult Family Homes – meaning they would literally lose their homes – plus many people with developmental disabilities who don't qualify for DDA but do for ALTSA could loose those supports. Eligibility changes would also affect Community First Choice, or personal care.

The situation is serious: DDA started the required approval process through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. This is so they could cut supports, if required, by July 2021.

... But no decisions have been made. Typically the state legislature finalizes the state budget in late spring.

You can keep up to date on this and other issues by subscribing to newsletters from The Arc of King County Advocacy Team:

• Engage – Advocacy news and opportunities for civic engagement. Subscribe: https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1894973/1898164/
• Community Change Champions – opportunities for people with disabilities. Subscribe: https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1902489/1898164
• Sharing – Designed for the King County Parent and Family Coalition; includes information for people using and navigating supports. Subscribe: https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1894973/1898164/

WHAT TO DO: Contact your three state legislators now. We recommend emails - they are easier for legislators to track. Meetings are also great. 

You can find your legislators here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder 

When you click on their name, their contact info comes up. Legislative emails all use the same protocol: firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov

Plan on communicating with your legislators at least four times between now and spring:

• NOW - Explain how loss of eligibility would affect you;
  say what you want them to do. (Example: Please commit to educating other legislators in your caucus about the impact these cuts will have on constituents). See our message guide, below, for more detail. If you have a newly elected representative, reach out as soon as they are sworn in (early January).
  
  
• GOVERNOR BUDGET PROPOSAL - Expected mid-December to early January. Respond to his proposal (whether he includes cuts, or advocates to protect; how he frames the need for possible cuts, etc).
  
  
• MID-SESSION - Quick update and reminder to keep it on their radar. Mid to late February
  
  
• CLOSE TO END OF SESSION - Final reminder of impact cuts/investments will have as legislators consider final budget proposals. Mid to late March.
  
  

RESOURCES TO USE NOW:

Guide to write a message: https://arcofkingcountyvoice.blogspot.com/2020/09/how-to-contact-your-legislator-and-what.html 

Power point presentation (updated 10/20/20): https://arcofkingcounty.org/file_download/6b1ef4bf-31c7-4632-85a8-d4e40e5a9dd9

Issue paper for legislators (talking points and graphics): https://arcofkingcounty.org/file_download/2a30b8f1-4b5f-4f03-bb57-56c7bf479deb

Action alerts: Subscribe to The Arc of Washington's action alerts: https://arcwa.org/action-center/

 

 

Ready, set ... legislative session!

3 things you can do to be present and speak up

Are you satisfied with services for people with developmental disabilities? With educational outcomes? With housing challenges?

One of the biggest barriers - maybe the biggest - with public services is that people without disabilities do not give a lot of thought to the needs of people with disabilities when it comes to policy and investments. So we end up with services that at best are challenging to access (DDA's No Paid Services list), and that all too often segregate out people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (public education) and so limit access. Or, they just don't align well with community need (Adult Family Homes, segregated developmental preschools).

One key thing disability advocates can do is introduce themselves to elected representatives. Tell your story. Help them understand that decisions they are making on the public's behalf are leaving people with disabilities behind.

Another is to review and assess proposed policy with a disability lens. Is it universally designed? Does it comply with civil rights? Will it help you, or hurt you?

Advocacy can be as simple as being present and giving feedback.

The state legislative session starts January 13. It is a short one (60 days), and there are already bills being drafted or proposed that affect people with disabilities. For instance, a big one from Senator Randall would forecast and fund long-term Medicaid services for people with I/DD as entitlement. That means if you qualify, you would get services. There are House and Senate bills in the works to expand early learning; at least one calls out the need to ensure any preschool expansion MUST include children with disabilities and factor in their support and access needs. (And, no, unfortunately that sort of thinking is not automatic).

If you want public policy to reflect and address your needs, you need to get into the mix.

There are lots of ways to engage, but to keep it simple, we're flagging three.

1. Attend an Engage! training. We have two set for January 11: Public Policy Basics, and Advocacy Tips and Tools. You can attend one, or both.

• Engage! class sign-up and details

2. Attend our legislative overview, January 14, part of our ongoing education and outreach for the King County Parent and Family Coalition.

• Add legislative overview to your calendar

3. Go to Olympia. Attend a hearing; watch from the gallery. Stop by your elected leaders' offices. Leave messages. Let them know you are present. We are coordinating support for 10 advocacy days - seven I/DD-specific with The Arc of Washington, plus ones for early learning, K-12 education, and housing.

• Find and sign up for an advocacy day

Using social media to learn and share is great. But change happens when people take action in the community.