Tag Archives: SOLA

How can we have stability and sustainability with up to 45% staffing turnover?

Stability and sustainability are critical to adequate care for everyone and most important for our most vulnerable.  With staffing turnover rates of up to 45% where is the stability for those who most require it?

This is the graph from the Division of Developmental Disabilities survey.  King  County has higher wages than the surrounding area – maybe this explains the lower turnover rate?  SOLA’s are state employees and this setting does provide more stability in staffing when compared to non-profit and private supported living homes.

The graph below is taken  from the same survey which indicates the high rate of staff leaving within the first 6 months of employment.  What does this rapid cycling of new staff not only do to the clients but how does it affect the training and staffing costs to the agencies?  Why are these people leaving so quickly?  Is it lack of training, lack of support, inadequate orientation, poor fit to the job, poor wages?

I’ve looked at the IRS 990 Tas Returns for at least 65 non-profit agencies which work with people with developmental/intellectual disabilities in our state.  You can view this excel workbook here:

non profits and financial statements

It is interesting to see the profits of some of these agencies – I can only wonder what the above graphs could look like if some of these agencies with large profit margins could increase the wages of the caregivers just a tad – would that help reduce this rapid cycling of staffing turnover?  Maybe just by slowing the turnover rate a bit the training and education costs would also decrease so the profits may not actually decrease – wouldn’t that be a win-win situation for all?

This is just wishful thinking in my part, I’m sure but I still can not help but think that it could be a possibility?  What do you think?

Where is the accountability?

I am writing with concerns that I and many others have regarding government accountability.

Much of this has stemmed from the passage of 2SSB5459 last year and the more that I research and uncover through public disclosure, the more I am frustrated by the lack of integrity and accountability that some of our state’s agencies and legislators allow.

This is a very complicated and convoluted mess now and it is highly charged with emotions of people with various ideologies. What is consistent though is the monopoly of decision making by one entity and the censorship which that entity uses so that others with information are not able to present to the public concerning issues which may not support the position of the reigning “expert.”

I am referring to issues regarding care of our most vulnerable citizens. The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), The Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC), Disability Rights Washington (DRW) and The Arc Chapters – which actually have a monopoly on almost all social media and groups that have issues pertaining to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities – all have an agenda which they push and utilize false, incomplete and inaccurate data and reports as “facts” in order to gain agreement with their agenda from others.

Logically, I could not see how what they were saying could in fact be true and I started to do my own investigation of data and reports. I have gathered much information through public disclosure and by looking at the original sources; it is clearly evident that the above mentioned agencies are choosing not to look at the data accurately. Any attempt to have accurate data shared is censored and people are not aware of the inconsistencies and inaccuracies that those agencies promote. Due to the inaccurate reports that the above agencies are using, our legislators are making critical decisions that are not based on the accurate data.

Many people are being hurt by these decisions and in fact we have already had one death this year solely due to the passage of 2SSB5459. It is time to stop and take a look at the practices of these agencies and question why they are promoting policies that actually hurt the very people who they are set up to protect.

I have contacted Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) regarding some of these issues also. The author of the last report which WSIPP published responded to me that yes, I indeed did have some critical information that needed to be considered but they are only able to do research if directed by the legislature. The problem is that so many of our legislators listen to the above stated agencies’ as the experts and will follow their instruction and recommendation when in fact that is part of the problem.

We need to have an outside entity look into these issues – an independent group which can look at the facts without needing to support an ideology. I have attempted to do this with research but since I am only one person and am reporting information which does not necessarily support the approved ideology, I am censored and silenced. It is extremely difficult to have people look at this information since this issue has gone on for so long and people are most likely sick of it being repeated.

I can tell you from looking at this issue without the ideology one will see a very different picture than the picture painted by the “experts”. Looking at the budget figures alone, the support needs of the residents (as reported by the individual residential agencies themselves) and taking information from DDD and DSHS reports, it is clear that there is a continuum of support needs and as a person has increasing needs, their cost of care for direct and indirect support needs increases. The place of residence does not affect the cost of direct care.

The other issue that will be seen is (as reported by the agencies themselves) the support needs of most residents in the community residential settings do not come close to the support needs of the residents who choose to live in the Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs). The “experts” will deny this and reference the report “Assessment Findings for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Served in Residential Habilitation Centers and Community Settings” by Barbara Lucenko and Lijian He dated February 2011 (http://publications.rda.dshs.wa.gov/1432/)

The report referenced above is a perfect example of manipulating the data to fit the ideology even though the data collected in the research did not support the ideology. The data was collected for three different residential settings: Residential Habilitation Centers, Community Residential and Other Community Residential. The data clearly showed statistically significant differences in supports needs between residents in all 3 settings. The author of this report chose to collapse the three settings into two for the “Key Findings” and proceeded to state “Residential Habilitation Centers and Community Residential” and “Other Community Residential” were the two settings. This manipulation totally changes the outcome of the data and this was done in order to support a particular ideology which the data itself did not support.

There are other issues regarding how 2SSB5459 was passed into law. There was a public hearing (with only 20 minutes notice) May 18, 2011. Rule 45 was suspended for this meeting so that bills could be heard without 5 days’ notice. I do not see any written notes regarding the reason for this rules suspension. This public hearing was to be on SSB5459 yet as the public meeting was commencing (again with only 20 minutes’ notice) it was stated that there was now a new substitute bill that was just at that moment going into the Electronic Bill Book.

 How can there be public testimony on a bill that is not even available yet?  Also, it states in the bill history that the First Reading of 2SSB5459 was on May 19, 2011 – the day after the public hearing. Why is the path of 2SSB 5459 allowed to take this very unusual and undemocratic route to passage of this bill?

I have much more information regarding costs, health and safety, quality of care and support needs. I would welcome the opportunity to be able to share this information with people in hopes that some of the decisions that have been made based on information only supporting one ideology can be looked at with a more objective perspective.

Please contact me for information regarding costs reported by agencies, DDD Reimbursements to agencies, Support Needs Index of Residents and cost shifting.

Thank you,

Cheryl Felak, RN, BSN

$1,249,175 – where’s the savings?

Question to ask the Department of Social and Health Services and The Division of Developmental Disabilities:

 

Why did you close a fine facility, Frances Haddon Morgan Center, and force residents out?

 

One of these residents has died, there are several living in temporary housing awaiting construction of their “new” homes.  The state has awarded Inland Empire Residential Resources $1,249,175 to build SOLAs (State Operated Living Alternatives) for these residents.

http://www.commerce.wa.gov/DesktopModules/CTEDPublications/CTEDPublicationsView.aspx?tabID=0&ItemID=9621&MId=870&wversion=Staging  (see page 3)

Where is the cost savings and how can our state say that we have a history of safely and smoothly transitioning people out of institutions into community homes.  This fiasco is the complete opposite.

Please, encouarge our legislators to ask DDD and DSHS this question.

 

 

DDD Costs of Care and Decisions which cost lives

Some decisions have been made which have cost people their lives – I’m hoping that before anymore lives are lost or hurt, our legislators will be given accurate data upon which to base their decisions.

This has not happened in the past due to ideology gone awry.  The cost reports for the care for our citizens with developmental disabilities has been falsified and reported inaccurately.  As a start to this, I have prepared the attached letter – it has a few charts and examples of where this reporting has really missed capturing the costs of care for some of our citizens with the highest acuities who chose to live in small community homes.  Remember, this is not the choice for everyone.

The RHC is the most COST EFFECTIVE environment of care for our citizens with the highest acuity.  Why, in times of budget crisis would people allow these misleading cost reports to guide them is beyond me – not only are we ending up spending more for less care but fewer and fewer people will be able to receive care too.

Please read the letter -  Comprehensive Cost comparison

Manic Psychosis tape

We hear so much about people with developmental disabilities.  Many advocates take family members to Olympia to meet our legislators.  There are many of us who have family members who are not able to go to Olympia to advocate for themselves.  I have been asked, if Fircrest is so great, why don’t we see residents down in Olympia?  This question was asked of me by one of the executive directors of a chapter of The Arc in our state.  Obviously she is unaware of the issues which most of our family members whose home is in an ICF/DD face everyday in their lives.

For an example, I am publishing this audio of my son.  What you will hear was very typical for every day in our house and would go on for hours and days.  Maybe after listening to this, that particular Arc executive will understand why ICF/DD residents are not able to advocate for themselves.

This is my reality.  Sound quality not the best (sorry) and audio starts at 1 minute

Developmental Disabilities Coalition for Washington State

Dear Advocate for our citizens with Developmental Disabilities,

We are gathering people and organizations to become members of our Developmental Disabilities Coalition for Washington State. We realized that the support is very fractured across the state and with this new coalition we will be able to communicate, educate and interact with others who maintain that a continuum of care for our citizens is critical.

DD Advocates support person-centered care which focuses on quality of life issues, health, safety and community for our loved ones.  We uphold the U.S. Supreme Court Decision Olmstead which guarantees choice to the individual.

This letter is going to all groups within our state who advocate for our citizens with developmental disabilities.  Please pass it on to new groups or interested people.  Also, please read the enclosed  Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Letter regarding their position on H.R. 2032, a bill which does not uphold the U.S. Supreme Court Decision Olmstead.

There is much work to be done particularly with the onset of more budget cuts.  This is not the time to continue a fractured advocacy movement. 

Please commit to the support of a continuum of care model and join our online group at

 dd-coalition@googlegroups.com

 

State Audits Show DSHS lost over 2 million dollars due to mismanagement

The Department of Social and Health Services is so mismanaged that they have lost over 2 million dollars in our public funds in just the past couple of years.

I want to know why the department is not scrutinzed and held accountable for thier lack of ability to manage payroll, contracts, benefit payments etc. yet say they do not have the budget for cost effective, crucial programs and services for our citizens with developmental disabilities.

Why is DSHS allowed to cut programs, why do some prominent agencies which masquarade as disability advocates, some of these even paid with our public funds themselves, advocate for closure of needed and desired programs while at the same time pushing for the undertaking of costly experiments with the lives of our most vulnerable citizens?

I am outraged by not only the lack of accountablity but the lack of integrity in the managment of DSHS and the integrity of some advocates (The Developmental Disabilities Council, The Arc Chapters, just to name two – there are more involved in this scandulous cover-up)

Our legislators and public are not told the truth about the costs nor are they told the truth about what is found in the data of many reports.  Not only is much of the data misrepresented but U.S. Supreme Court Decisions, such as Olmstead, are misrepresented by these agencies.

It is time that we, as grassroots advocates, make these issues known and upfront.  It’s a hard battle to fight but we need to do it for those who cannot do it themselves.

See this document for resources, facts, Washington State Auditor’s reports and other issues.  Many of these issues were defered and will be looked into this year, hopefully.

DSHS Audits and losses

Please Listen to Us!

I am attaching some very interesting documents.  What I would love to know is if the Department of Social and Health Services and The Department of Developmental Disabilities are listening to the people they are serving.

To me, from looking at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) DDD Assessment Report dated January 31, 2009, it clearly outlines the numbers of people and the programs and services requested.

JLARC Final Report 013109 DDD assessment

This is what I find very interesting and confusing:

Program Requests:

ICF/MR – 20

Roads to Community Living – 1

Service Requests:

RHC or ICF/DD services – 40

Roads to Community Living – 1

Looking at what was requested by the people, it is clear that the people are requesting the ICF/DD services much more than the Roads to Community Living Services.  Why then, is the Department downsizing the ICF/DD’s and putting thousands of dollars into the RCL program?  Why is the State of Washington spending over $250,000 on a “Family Mentoring Project” for the Roads to Community Living when it is clear that the people involved are not even asking for this? Is this being a responsible steward of our public funds? Is this being cost effective?

It is time to listen to those who really receive the services and programs – not those who masquarade as their advocates.  The people have clearly spoken and they are asking for the services in the ICF/DD’s.

Please Listen to Them!

Number of Programs which DDD Clients Access:

Number of progrmas which DDD clients access

Other DSHS Services Received by DDD Clients:

Services Received by DD Clients in FY 2008

Court Rejects Claims of Abuse

Finally, the courts are listening to the real experts in the care of our citizens with developmental disabilities  -  the families and guardians.

We need to maintain a continuum of care for the health and safety of ALL people with developmental disabilities.  This is a victory for those who need the very critical part of that continuum that many with skewed ideologies have been trying to eliminate.

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/06/09/court-rejects-claims-institution/13294/

Local News | What did and didn’t pass in Legislature this year | Seattle Times Newspaper

When I read this article and see no mention of SSB 5459 in this – I realize that the bill that was so critical in my mind was of little significance to the state as a whole.  I have a hard time coming to grips with this and then wonder, if this bill was of such little significance, why didn’t legislators listen to the sensible and responsible facts that were brought to their attention and vote NO on SSB 5459?  There must be another reason that overrode responsibility, basic human and civil rights, personal choice on residence as guaranteed under the Federal Olmstead decision and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services guidelines.

If anyone could enlighten me as to what deals were made which caused this bill to pass I would love to know.  Maybe if I understood what was exchanged in order for a responsible, humane and sensible person to vote yes on this bill,  I could understand why innocent people were made scapegoats for such an “insignificant” bill.

Local News | What did and didn’t pass in Legislature this year | Seattle Times Newspaper.