| Jacksonville's social service
center are getting stiffed by the state for hundreds of thousands of
dollars, making administrators wonder how long they can keep their doors
open if Illinois doesn't start paying its bills.
The state is behind by about $650,000 since January to
Pathway services in Jacksonville, for example. which could have a
detrimental effect on the future of the center, which helps the
developmentally disabled.
"Failing to collect the revenue owed Pathway potentially
could close our doors," said Executive Director James May. "We need action
before the close of this fiscal year."
Pathway's $6 million annual budget also could face a 2.5
percent cut in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, said Mr. May. The
center, which employs about 200 full-time staff, gets about 80 percent of
its funding from the Department of Human services.
"We are looking at all programs, as well as any personnel
moves that we would potentially lighten at this critical time," said Mr.
May. "You can imagine how difficult it is to provide quality services when
you are not being reimbursed for those services."
Across town, agencies like Pathway are concerned that the
recent news of the state's worsening budget crisis will mean more cuts for
state-supported operations, particularly from DHS. As previously reported,
state legislators announced last week that an additional $500 million in
cuts would be added to the already $800 million shortfall fro the state's
$53 billion budget.
Mr. May said spending has been kept tight to the point
that the center has not purchased some budgeted items for the group homes it
supports.
While no Jacksonville social service center has reported
any layoffs or program cutbacks, most are waiting until budget totals for
2003 are final before making any decisions.
"We got a proposed budget with a little over $200,000
shortage," said Tom Frederick, CEO of the Elm City Rehabilitation Center,
"and every social services place in the State of Illinois is going through
the sane process."
Elm City employs about 50 staff and has as many as 150
clients - half of them come from Jacksonville Developmental Center - who
work at the plant. The center has contracts with a variety of companies to
package the firms products.
Despite the difficult budget situation. Mr. Frederick
stressed that the center has no plans to lay off any workers. He said the
Illinois association of Rehabilitation Facilities if working with social
services centers across the state to try to reduce the proposed cuts.
"We a re looking at every option we can," added Mr.
Frederick, saying he would not be surprised if the center's 2003 fiscal year
budget sees more cuts than already suggested.
The center usually receives about $1.8 million in funding
through the Department of Human Services, with other revenues earned through
the centers operations.
We are going out for more contract work, looking at what
programs we can continue and the number of people we can continue to serve,"
said Mr. Frederick.
Mr. Frederick also said that about $100,000 is expected to
be cut from the Clyde York Social Center, located in the Central Park Plaza,
which serves about 110 clients.
"We provide a couple of hot meals, make sure they take
their medications and make sure they have a good place to go," said Mr.
Frederick. "If we close our centers, there's no help from the state to help
then stay independent."
Wells Center Executive Director Bruce Carter said the
alcohol and drug counseling center is backed up to the tune of about
$400,000 of overdue reimbursements. He also expects between a 2- to
4-persent cut in its $4 million budget next year.
While he does not expect any layoffs for the centers 105
employees - 58 percent of them work in Jacksonville - he foresees some
program cutbacks in July. The Wells Center gets about half of its funding
from the Department of Human Resources, with the other half coming through
the state Department of Corrections.
Becky McGinnis, executive director of the Jacksonville
Area Center for Independent Living, said her budget will not reflect the
increased cost of living her clients face, and she said the budget for a
$52,000 program for home care services for about 30 clients will be cut in
half. "The budget has some stuff in it we currently don't like," she said.
The Independent Living Center employs 14 people and serves
about 120 clients per year, but makes referrals for as many as 1,500 people.
To Green, spokesman for the Department of Human Services,
said he could offer no details about the status of the funds for the
Jacksonville Developmental Center, the Illinois School for the Deaf or the
Illinois School for Visually Impaired, but indicated there would be no major
impact on the state run facilities.
For the localized services however, Mr. May said it is as
bad as he has seen.
"If you look at our bottom line, it is one of the most
profitable years Pathway has had, if they pay us," said Mr. May. "It's going
to hit Jacksonville hard, just because it is such a disability-friendly
community.
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Illinois
