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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Director Cathy Ferry recently gave testimony at the LOB encouraging our Legislators to increase funding for our Independent Living Centers February 28, 2008 Dear Senator Prague and Representative Ritter,
I am writing to you as the Eastern CT members of the Human Services
Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.
As you know, The Disabilities Network of Eastern Connecticut (DNEC),
has been the state and federally mandated Center for Independent Living in
eastern CT for 20 years.
The point has been made time and time again, that the non profit
service providers in CT give essential community services at a cost that is
usually significantly lower than similar state run operations. This is
because, over the years, we have not been granted increases equal to those
of state employees, or even in keeping with inflation. In addition, we have
often been required to do more and more with less and less via state
contracting. None of this is news to you, and you have heard from many non
profit agencies.
The situation of the five CT Centers for Independent Living is
particularly difficult. (Without Senator Prague's timely intervention, we
would not receive this year's legislatively granted 3% COLA from DSS.)
DNEC and the four other Centers for Independent Living (CILs), are
consumer run and consumer directed service entities. We espouse the
Independent Living Movement philosophy of peer mentoring of persons with
disabilities, by persons with disabilities. We help folks with any
disability to make choices and to set their own goals so that they can live
the most possible independent and productive lives of their choosing. By
mandate, at least 51% of of our staff and our board of directors must be
individuals with disabilities. (DNEC far exceeds this mark.)
We work with individuals, and their families, who have all and any type
of disability; physical, cognitive, genetic, acquired. We see the person
first, not the disability.
In addition to peer support,information and referral, and independent
living skills training, we engage in system advocoacy and public education.
Our goal is to forward the intent and spirit of the Americans With
Disabilities Act (ADA), to make all areas of public and private life truly
accessible, both physically and in personal quality, for everyone.
Currently, we are the lead agency in eastern CT for the CT Nursing Home
Pilot Transition Project (NFTG), soon to be the expanded Money Follows the
Person (MFTP) program. Last year, we helped more than 10 individuals to
transition from expensive skilled nursing home institutionalization to less
costly and more inclusive community living, with necessary wrap around,
individualized support services. We continue this process today.
We serve all of eastern CT (from Putnam and Danielson, through
Willimantic, Colchester, Norwich, New London, Groton, Waterford, and all the
small towns in between.) We serve 25 towns and cities, all disabilities,
children, adults, seniors, families, veterans, all from our small office in
Norwich. DNEC's staff includes 4 fulltime workers and 3 parttime workers.
In the last 2 years, we have had to eliminate 2 and1/2 positions. We have an
additional 1 and 1/2 positions open that we cannot refill due to inadequate
funding. DNEC (and each of the 4 other CILS), have been cut $33,000 in
state DSS/BRS funding in the last year. Our federal funding is level this
year. We have been informed by RSA that it will be cut next year.
My staff earn between $11 and $15 per hour,with minimal benefits for
fulltimeworkers. Most of the staff have been with DNEC for 6-8 years. This
is the 4th year in a row that we have been unable to grant any salary
increase. Rather, they receive increased caseloads and responsibilities to
cover the work of those who have left for greener pastures, or whose
positions have been eliminated.
In order to to just catch up to where we were 4 years ago, (discounting
inflation, gas and health insurance cost increases), DNEC needs a $100,000
core funding increase. I am constantly writing private grant applications to
supplement our meager budget, while trying to simultaneously supervise my
stressed out staff, and to participate in statewide advocacy and networking
activities.
Last year, we served more than 100 individuals and families from
eastern CT, who have disabilities and who have requested our asisstance.
Most are poor and on, or applying for, Title XIX and/or SSDI/Medicare. We
receive an average of 90-100 separate information and referral requests per
week. Staff caseloads are as high as 20-40 individuals, while we also run an
interactive website, provide ADA consultation to public entities, pursue
individual case entitlements and technical special needs, such as ramps and
adaptive equipment. We attend school school PPTs, run a monthly Deaf Focus
group, provide outreach, prevociational and daily living skills. We work
with all, including individuals with brain injuriesand PTSD, veterans, their
families, persons with disabilities who are at risk for abuse, and exhausted
caregivers. We participate and network at the local, state and national
level in advocacy for accessible, affordable,housing development, emergency
planning, and public education.
Our nursing home transition program alone, not only drastically
improves the quality of an individual's life; it saves CT at least $80,000
per person, per year.
Centers for Independent Living (CILs), are one of the best kept secrets
of community resources for persons with disabilities and needs in the state.
We save taxpayers' dollars, and help those who can, to work and become
taxpayers, not tax money users. (This community is a vast untapped resource
of potential motivated employees).
The financial position of DNEC, and the 4 other CILs, is so precarious,
that if we follow the trend of the last 4 years , soon, we will no longer be
able to continue our 20 year history of personal empowerment, dignity and
consumer driven programs and services. This reprehensible situation is
occurring just when CT is assaulted by the pressures of an aging workforce,
nursing home scandals, returning veterans with multiple needs and
disabilities, and a medically increased survival rate and complexity of
needs of children and adults with disabilities.
Surely, CT is not so fiscally shortsighted, or so callous, as to allow
this trend to continue. The needs and lives of thousands of CT citizens and
children who live daily with disabilities are at stake. We are efficient and
consumer based. So many have, and can, benefit from our experiences,
examples and programs.
Therefore, on behalf our consumers, board members and staff, I ask you
to increase the DSS/BRS appropriation to the 5 CILs by $100,000 per center,
ongoing. We are a great buy! Thank you.
Yours truly,
Catherine Ferry, Executive
Director
New Flea Market FormatMay 2, 2007 -- DNEC’s annual flea market is just around the corner! This year, we are holding it on September 16th with a rain date of September 23rd. The hours are 10-3. We decided to hold the event a little later in the summer to try and avoid the terrible heat we have endured the past few years. We have a new format for the Flea Market this year, and are incorporating a community fair into the mix. We will have educational displays as well as entertainment for children, and we have even lined up a food vender to provide breakfast and lunch foods. Here are the major changes we have planned for this year: ¨ The Flea Market is moving to September to avoid the heat of years past ¨ Our flyers advertising the event will be more widely distributed than last year ¨ We will be actively recruiting Social Service agencies to join us to provide information to the public ¨ Maps of the Flea Market will be provided showcasing the names of all the donors on the reverse ¨ DNEC has recruited a clown for the day who will sell balloons and do face painting ¨ DNEC has recruited a food vendor so that breakfast and lunch foods will be available at the event. We can’t wait for this year, and hope you are anxiously awaiting it too. Thanks to your suggestions, this year should be better than ever. See you there!
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Copyright © 2007
The Disabilities Network of Eastern Connecticut
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