About CCPA’s Community Provider Initiative:
The Community Provider Initiative (CPI) is a focused and visible grassroots effort to enhance services and supports for people with disabilities and significant needs served by community provider organizations. Through this media and public relations campaign, CCPA has worked to build public and policy maker support for Connecticut’s community providers.
The initial goal was to create an environment in which community providers were allocated more funds from state government. The long-term goal is to develop support for significant structural changes in the way in which government funds and contracts with private providers.
The Initiative has given private providers a great amount of visibility. This year we anticipate the need to support structural change to the funding system and advocate for community providers regarding rate-based enhancements.
The initiative is funded through voluntary contributions by community provider organizations and has sponsored activities included television advertisements, postcard campaigns, press conferences, Capitol rallies and newspaper advertisements. Last year the Community Provider Initiative efforts funded through CCPA member contributions, was key to garnering the $39 M in COLA funding for the entire industry, as well as influencing many other fiscal and policy successes.
The 2008 legislative session is fast approaching and we are doing everything we can right now to impact the budget debate concerning community providers. The Governor and the Legislature’s decision to provide a zero percent increase in funding for next year sends an unfortunate message. It is up to us to make sure this policy decision does not stand. Our clients’ well-being is at stake.
CCPA’s Community Provider Initiative Steering Committee has been working hard on a plan for action.Executive Directors of CCPA member agencies who are interested in government relations/public policy are welcome to join the committee. Please contact Alyssa Goduti, Public Policy Manager, CCPA at agoduti@ccpa-inc.org for more information. |
