Urge legislators to stop MRDD budget cuts

In response to Strickland Administration's call to recalibrate agency budgets, the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities announced recently that its plan to cut $17 million, or 11 percent, would:

Move 191 disabled individuals out of their homes,
Eliminate approximately 450 staff positions
Close 5 buildings and numerous units at the 10 DC campuses, and
Forfeit approximately $6 million in federal Medicaid funding.

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Talking Points

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

The proposed cuts for the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities are bad news for patients, their families, and Ohio communities. The proposal includes cutting $17 million, or 11 percent of the Developmental Center budget.

This budget move would force 191 disabled individuals out of their homes and eliminate approximately 450 skilled direct care positions.

With an estimated 16,000 clients on waiting lists for residential services, Ohio simply cannot afford additional closures and staff reductions. The state's system of MRDD services cannot afford to lose any state-operated Developmental Center beds let alone 191 in the budget correction bill.

In areas such as Gallipolis, Mount Vernon and Cambridge, clients would be forced to move hundreds of miles away from the support of their families and caring staff. When residents are moved far from home without regard to travel burdens or decreased family support, everyone loses.
 
Meanwhile, the state's ability to recruit and retain qualified direct care staff --being the single most prominent health and safety concern in Ohio's MRDD system today -- would be further weakened. The persistent cutting of the state's career MRDD employees, who make a living wage with benefits and a retirement plan, is contrary to every recommendation currently being made in the field. Unlike the public sector, the private sector's turnover is as high as 80 percent annually -- typically because of low wage rates and lack of benefits.

In 2004 and 2005, the state closed two DCs, Springview and Applecreek, decreasing capacity by 300 beds and losing hundreds of qualified direct care staff in the MR system. If the current proposal to eliminate another 191 beds is implemented, the state will have eliminated 25 percent of its total program in just five years.

Stop the drastic $17 million cuts in MRDD services. I urge you to stand up for Ohio's families, communities, and the skilled public employees who serve our most vulnerable citizens.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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Governor Ted Strickland
Representative Jon Husted
Senator Bill Harris
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