- 2013 State Auditor’s Report on DDA
- To comment on SB 5594, click here
A bill in the Senate, calls for closure of the intermediate care facility at Fircrest School by the end of 2022. We posted a blog about this bill on April 7. Generally, we support it; but closure needs to come with additional investments in residential and community supports. A question was since posted on our Facebook page asking how the state plans to support people affected by a Fircrest School closure. We answer, below; adding context for those looking to share resources with legislators and others who may not be grounded in the state’s system of supports for people with I/DD.
A balancing act: Expanding options, while safeguarding people in transition
In Washington and across the nation, most people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) live, work and play in the community. Many need various supports - from personal care, to therapies, to residential and employment support. They get them, mostly, in community settings. In fact, in Washington more people with high acuity are served in community settings than are in the state residential habilitation centers (RHCs).But this does not mean we can relax about community supports, or assume that an individual’s transition needs will be met when he or she leaves an RHC. One of reasons we like the bill is the attention to transition for both the individuals with I/DD and their families.
We also like that the bill specifically calls out the need to increase state operated living alternatives (SOLAs), and emphasizes that the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) shall provide opportunities for RHC employees to obtain jobs in SOLAs. Continuity of care is important.
With this legislation, The Arc of King County is asking legislators to focus on the needs of people with I/DD first and foremost, and to consider that the transfer of resources from aging institutions to community options will give individuals with I/DD more options.
