| Dear Senator Demuzio/Rep. Watson,
As you know, the Elm City Center has provided services to persons with
mental illness and developmental disabilities in the Jacksonville area for
over 40 years. The proposed Department of Human Services 2003 budget is
going to have significant impact on our ability to provide our services to
the number of people in our program.
- $97,000 to fund our 10 year old Clyde York Social Center and
outpatient programs was eliminated. These programs help 110 people live
independently in Jacksonville and use 3 staff. Two consumers returning to
McFarland will cost more than this program.
- Our day programs serve over 150 people. $130,000 was cut from our
Developmental Training programs. If any consumers do not meet the DD
Medicaid conversion criteria, they will simply be dropped from DHS
funding. DHS has no idea what will happen to these people.
- We provide long-term employment for 26 people. Funding has now been
cut to 18 slots. This means 8 current consumers and 1 staff will not be
funded.
Altogether Elm City Center is facing a financial impact of up to
$620,000. The potential $220,000 payment cut is 7.5% of our total budget and
12% of our DHS budget. The result will be 110+ people without structured
social community activity, 15-20 people being dropped from the vocational
program and potentially 4-5 staff positions being cut. For a small
organization this is a huge impact. The DHS operations budget decreases are
far below what community agencies are receiving. The DHS budget includes
salary raises and program expansions. Where is the parity?
There are no easy answers when there is limited money. I urge you to
support the efforts to increase the Medicaid match to 55% and increasing the
gambling tax. I further urge you to support cutting all non-community based
DHS budget lines by 10% and return that money to community agencies being
cut above 10%. |
Illinois
