One of the least talked about casualties during this recession is the non-profits; whether it be local public radio, the arts, or especially, agencies that provide services to the elderly, the homeless, the drug addicted and disabled. The developmental disability community seems to get the least amount of press with the exception of cases of abuse or neglect, which are frequently horrifying. Whether it was the man with Cerebral Palsy left in a bus overnight in sub-zero temperatures in New York, overt psychological abuse reported in Texas, or last year’s horrid report–among many–of severe neglect in Chicago, these occurrences are not unusual. One could argue that they are a symptom as well…
Across the United States, agencies that provide such services are historically underfunded. Given the current economic crisis, their budgets are the first to get slashed as well. From Massachusetts, Minnesota, to Rhode Island (among bucket loads of others). The budget cuts are widespread and will continue to affect the most vulnerable. Just about two weeks ago, there was a protest in Portland, Oregon, where over two thousand people marched over these types of budget cuts. California has organized under the guise of The Lanterman Coalition, led by The Arc of California to protest further cuts.
So, as funding for services gets cut, so goes the quality of care and supervision. If one looks at websites for nationwide developmental disabilities organizations, one sees them scrambling to find ways to retain direct care staff people, to increase their sense of investment and value, as well as increase their pay. ANCOR, The Arc, and UCP, among others, are seeking ways to find good staff people to care for individuals. The problem, as we all know, is this: would you be willing to live nearly at poverty level to do this type of work? To typically work long shifts with behaviorally intensive or medically involved clientele doing personal hygiene, physical interventions, teaching daily livings skills, providing supervision and transportation–all for about $9-$13 an hour depending on what state you are in (and whether you work for a private provider or a state provider–another discussion altogether)? My guess is probably not given that one could work at Starbucks for about the same amount of money.
Given that people are paid barely enough to survive, in settings that are understaffed, with less resources to provide both staff training and staff assistance, it is no wonder that people are stressed out. Also, if a profession is clearly undervalued, it makes sense that one might take that personally and not always provide the highest level of care or take out their personal financial stresses on the individuals with whom they work. It also makes sense that staff people who are overworked and under-assisted–especially in medically and behaviorally involved settings–simply get too tired to do as well as they could. Does that justify it or make it better? Absolutely not.
Allowing these cuts to continue will only hurt those most vulnerable and dependent. There will be fewer and fewer staff members who will be able to provide a high quality of care or provide the necessary level of supervision because they cannot afford to stay in their chosen career. This is why agencies are on a perpetual hunt for ways to retain dedicated and talented staff because the best ones are becoming truly irreplaceable.
Allison
PS :: As I was writing this, I got an alert over further budget cuts going on in California: “The 10 members of the Legislature’s budget conference committee late today accepted, without discussion, Governor Schwarzenegger’s devastatingly destructive cuts in the support system for people with developmental disabilities and their families.”
