Forwarded Action Alert - Ask HHS Committee to address waitlists and workforce

Maine Disability Alerts - Forwarded Action Alert:

Dear Friends of Mainers with Disabilities,
 
The legislature's HHS committee is meeting this Tuesday and Wednesday to "work" the supplemental budget bill (to decide what they're going to recommend to the Appropriations Committee). Please contact members to ask them to address these critical issues:

1. Wait lists. The supplemental budget would not reduce wait lists for adult adult developmental services. It would let the Section 21 wait list continue growing at about 160 people per year from its current level of about 2000 people, would let the Section 29 wait list continue at it's current level of about 265 people, and would let the Section 18 (brain injury) wait list continue growing past its current level of 148 people. At its current rate of growth (56 people per year), the Section 18 wait list will be about as big as the Section 29 wait list by June 2023. (The *only* money in the supplemental budget for adult developmental wait lists would "backfill" Section 21 priority 1 so that people who would otherwise need adult protective services could get Section 21--that's just 50 people per year, and wouldn't even reduce the rate of growth of any of the wait lists below current rates of growth)
2. Workforce. The legislature required last year that direct care workers receive at least 125% of minimum wage in order to address the workforce crisis. But group homes are still closing, and people still have hours per week of unmet needs. 125% was not enough. Please ask the HHS committee to recommend further increase to direct care worker wages

There is money available (a large and growing surplus) to address these critical needs. Please ask HHS members to use it. Email them now, before they meet.
 
Contact info:
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