Bringing our people home - Part 2Santa Barbara NewsPress
California's State-Run Institutions for People with Developmental Disabilities
Bringing our people home - Part 2
Santa Barbara NewsPress
7/3/00
Terry Boisot
In 1999 health officials withheld $24 million per year in federal funding from Agnews Developmental Center located in San Jose where 495 people with disabilities live. The first patients at Agnews were received in 1888. The center could not meet minimum criteria for patient care and safety, and officials cited that patients were in immediate danger of physical injury. Californias general fund has picked up the money lost for the centers falling out of compliance.
On July 9, 2000, health officials will withhold $36 million per year in federal funding to Sonoma Developmental Center located in Eldridge where 883 people live. Sonoma was opened in 1891. State and Federal investigators found the center out of compliance in several areas of care and safety including: staffs response to incidents; patients rights; and education and training programs for patients. Again, Californias general fund will cover the loss of federal funds.
More and more taxpayers money continues to be poured into these centers to perpetuate isolation and damage to the human spirit.
I have given you a small picture of conditions people with developmental disabilities endure in Californias developmental centers, and the cost to taxpayers locally and state-wide. Now, Id like to focus for a moment on what is happening to support 162,000 people with developmental disabilities living in communities throughout California, which includes 7,000 people from the tri-counties.
People with developmental disabilities are living with aging parents, and housing is inadequate. On Friday, the Governor vetoed $2.8 million for Affordable Housing Projects for people with developmental disabilities.
Day programs that train, educate and support adults with developmental disabilities have stopped accepting new referrals or have closed their doors because of inadequate staff. The staff that support people with developmental disabilities in day programs are paid wages from state funds that do not compete with wages paid employees at Burger King. In Santa Barbara with its high-cost of living many support staff live below the poverty level earning less than $8.00 per hour.
On Friday, the Governor vetoed legislative augmentation to wages for direct care staff that would have resulted in a 20% wage increase. The Governor has agreed to an 8.5% wage increase - merely raising salaries to a higher level of poverty.
Comparable staff employed in the developmental centers earn from $14 per hour to $19 per hour with a $500 monthly recruitment and retention bonus.
It is now time to build quality community supports and living options consistent with the inherent value of all people and there is no longer a forum to debate the place of people with disabilities in the society and community.
Next weeks column, in conclusion of this 3-part series, will describe efforts to close down the developmental centers and what that means to people whose home community is in the tri-counties and to tens of thousands more living throughout California.