TUESDAY MAY 7, 2013 CONTACT: Morna Murray, President/CEO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Phone: 860.257.7909
Providers, Individuals with Disabilities, Family Members Discuss Impact of FY14-15 Budget Cuts
Nonprofit Community-Based ProvidersPanel Discussion Addresses Severe Threats to Services for the Developmentally Disabled
Click for the full Press Release .
FRIDAY APRIL 19, 2013 CONTACT: Morna Murray, President/CEO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The following statement was issued by the Connecticut Community Providers Association in reaction to the release today of the Appropriations Committee budget recommendations:
We appreciate that the Appropriations Committee has attempted to mitigate the impact of the Governor’s proposed budget cuts to mental health and addiction treatment services in the state. The Committee has restored approximately 75% of the Governor’s proposed cuts to these critical services. While this is a beginning to restoration of funding, the fact remains: a cut is a cut. Services to individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders will be compromised.
Additionally, services to individuals with developmental and physical disabilities remain seriously at risk, as virtually no changes have been made to the Governor’s proposal which amounts to roughly $21 million in embedded cuts which are passed along to providers. These providers are financially fragile and cannot withstand yet another budget cut while maintaining access to high quality services for extremely vulnerable individuals.
We are in a time of tremendous transition in our state. Estimates of up to 100,000 people will move onto Medicaid with the implementation of health care reform, but full enrollment will take years. As our payment structure for health and human services makes necessary adjustments to a greater maximization of federal resources, we must do so in a way that is fiscally responsible and equally importantly, preserves the safety net for our most vulnerable people. Medicaid rates must reflect the actual cost of providing high quality services. We have provided a plan to the Legislature and the Administration that addresses this transition. There is much work to be done, and we look forward to working with the leadership and the Governor’s office in the coming weeks. Our goal must be to ensure that we do not lose one single child or adult in need of behavioral health or developmental disability services at this historical time of change.
All press inquiries should be directed to Morna Murray, President/CEO, CCPA. Please call the CCPA office: (860) 257-7909.
The Connecticut Community Providers Association (CCPA) represents organizations that provide services and supports for people with disabilities including people with addictions, mental illness, developmental, and physical disabilities. CCPA operates three divisions, developmental disabilities, behavioral health, and children's mental health & substance abuse, and is the lead advocate for rehabilitation and behavioral health service providers, supporting services for people with disabilities at the state legislature and with state agencies.
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