iBudget/Core Services Talking Points

·         Core services (or the list of services to meet extraordinary needs in SB 1516) are biased against consumers who live with their families. 

o   It excludes many services that families rely on to keep their child at home such as respite care and adult day training (ADT).

o   Saying that people can choose other services with their budgeted amount is a hollow promise when there not enough money to go around

o   In addition, spending on non-core services will make people only wonder how long before they no longer have that choice and those services will be cut too.

o   Families and individual with disabilities need meaningful choice.  Everybody is different.  There is no one set of core services.  No one size fits all.

·         responsible for their quality of life.

·         Saying that people living in the community should get thSaying that the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) should be concerned with only health and safety for people living in the community ignores all of the other needs that people have and how community program really work.

o   For instance, the impact of eliminating transportation services is will create isolated mini institutions where the well being of an individual will seldom be assessed by others and abuse can be easily hidden.

o   It also sets up a double standard because APD’s leadership accepts a broader responsibility for people living in the state institutions including being eir needs met by other community resources ignores the millions of dollars that are already raised to supplement APD’s Waiver funding.

o   As an example, ADT providers by proviso have for year raised 12.5% of the program’s cost through community match.

·         Core services by any name are a bad idea.