Message from the Executive Director

Funding Cuts for Illinois’ Human Services Budget?  Where’s the Logic?
Governor Quinn has proposed a reduction of more than $400 million to community services for people with developmental disabilities. We don’t know which services will ultimately be cut, whether whole programs will disappear or if cuts will hit everything.  The story for Springfield changes almost daily.  However Illinois is poised to greatly reduce or eliminate community program services that are much more cost effective than anything the state can provide.  

This article urges everyone to recognize the depth of the budget crisis we now face and to become engaged in defending the safety net of services that people with disabilities and their families depend on.  Even if you look beyond the moral issues of helping the needy, a cursory comparison of the cost of prevention and support versus the tremendous impact of not providing these services shows that it’s much more cost effective to provide these necessary supports than to reduce them.  Consider this simple comparison:

Community-Based Providers vs. State Operated Facilities
According to 2009 data, the average annual payment per individual in a state operated developmental center was a whopping $124,090 compared to an individual living in a smaller community residence ($49,500 to $60,303).

Again, according to 2009 data, Illinois appropriated $134.9 million to serve 15,000 individuals with mental illness in state institutions, $247.2 million to serve 10,045 individuals with mental illness in state operated psychiatric hospitals, and $504.7 million to serve 185,158 individuals with mental illness in community‐based settings!

This year Illinois plans to move 150-200 residents with disabilities from state institutions to more cost effective residential settings.  However the Governor simultaneously announced plans to seriously reduce the payment rate to community providers for this service while at the same time increasing funding to state institution employees who will be supporting fewer residents.  Where’s the logic in this?

Nearly all direct services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities are delivered by community-based nonprofit organizations (such as Countryside Association), not by state offices or developmental centers. In many cases, these nonprofit organizations were founded by parents and local community members who created alternatives to the state-operated institutions since the 1970’s.

Illinois recognized the vast improvement in the quality of life offered by local community services and the enormous savings to taxpayers offered by a service system utilizing nonprofit organizations.  As in many states during the 1960’s and 1970’s Illinois began to convert the majority of its publicly funded service delivery system to a model based on contracting with local nonprofit organizations.   Thanks to community providers, Illinois has saved billions of tax dollars, while providing extraordinary services to its individuals with developmental disabilities and persons with mental illness.

But Illinois failed to develop a system for regularly adjusting its rates of reimbursement to nonprofit partners. Over time, these rates have fallen below the actual costs of providing services people need. Nonprofits have worked to raise additional funds to supplement state payments, and have stretched their operations as thin as possible to survive. Nonprofits have been hurt badly by the recession. Private fundraising has suffered.  This state’s response inexplicably has been further funding cuts rather than supporting more cost effective community services.

The proposed reduction of millions in Illinois’ funding to the developmental disabilities community, on top of the previous years of rate cuts and freezes will lead to the collapse of the nonprofit organizations the state relies on to deliver services. There is simply nothing left to cut. These organizations are made up of large numbers of direct service staff supervised by a small group of managers who work for far less than their public or private sector counterparts. Given the undeniable needs of people with disabilities, there is simply nothing left to take away. Community based organizations are left to determine how they can continue to spend money they don’t have to meet Illinois’ legal and ethical obligations.  And lengthy payment delays only aggravate the matter.

Think about it Illinois—when community providers begin to go out of business, where will this state’s thousands of individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness go?  State institutions where the costs are 2-3 times greater?  Back home to live with their families?  Many individuals do not have families and for those that do, which parent is going to have to quit their job to provide the daily support necessary?  

The cost of letting community providers of these needed services die is simply too great.  The state can fund these services appropriately or it can pay the much higher costs of institutionalization, hospitalization, incarceration or family member job loss due to increased caregiver responsibilities,.   Rather than cutting community services the Governor should be expanding them if he truly wants to save the state funds during these lean economic times.

Persons with disabilities, family members, friends, policymakers: The organizations that you depend upon now depend upon you.  Contact the Governor and your state legislators.  The message is simple: Where is the logic in cutting Human Services funding in favor of the more costly alternatives when community providers no longer exist?  The budget reductions are too extreme and the risks to people’s lives are too great.  Eliminate the cuts.  Fund community providers adequately. 

The Countryside Difference

Countryside Association's core belief is that people with developmental disabilities are people first. We know that you have your own hopes, desires and individual preferences that are as varied as anyone else's. From that one central belief we develop and offer support services that are individually and collaboratively designed to focus on your hopes, dreams and abilities, not your disabilities. We support you by offering real choices to work, live, learn and have fun the way you want to. You can choose to receive services from much larger organizations but it's our highly personal and effective services that individuals and families comment on again and again. That's the Countryside Difference.

See Our Vision: Living , Working, Learning, Having Fun!

We believe that a disability should not be a barrier to choosing a job, deciding where to live , what skills to learn or how to have fun. That's why Countryside support staff focus on learning about what you want first even before we begin helping you develop your plan to achieve your goals. Of course to do so Countryside must have many types of employment and other community resources. Want a job? Let us tell you about our various work programs designed just for you. Want to learn a new skill? Let us share our training ideas. Want to live more independently? We have ways to assist you. Want to participate in recreational activities that you will enjoy? We can help.

Become Part of the Countryside Family

The next move is yours. Call or visit us anytime. We would be glad to show you our various programs and introduce you to others who have found Countryside to be more than just another service provider. We want to be your biggest advocate and supporter.

Ideas and Feedback are Always Welcome

Have a suggestion about our services or want to offer input about your experience at Countryside? We would be glad to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Wayne A. Kulick
Executive Director
Countryside Association
For People with Disabilities
(847) 540-3701
waynek@countrysideassn.org

Countryside Association for People With Disabilities is an accredited non-profit, community organization that has provided critical support services to people with disabilities and their families in the Palatine area for more than 56 years.  Today Countryside offers employment, personal skill training, in-home respite and a variety of other support services to more than 600 children and adults living throughout northern Cook and Lake County.