Priorities
- Workforce Shortage:
Individual providers and other
professional; there are not enough workforce willing to be individual
providers. Parents and individuals
cannot find or retain providers, particularly part-time respite providers who
are faced with unreasonable, time-consuming training requirements. This leads
to crisis and emergency room use. The recent Department of Labor ruling on eliminating
overtime will exacerbate the workforce problem.
Recruitment and incentives to increase the provider workforce is needed,
to prevent more people from going into crisis.
Efficiencies
- 0-3 Administrative Hold-Back for School Districts:
School districts throughout the
state receive state money for 0-3 early intervention services. Districts
decides how much they will take for administrative cost, ranging from
10%-50%. High admin hold-backs deprive
children of the early intervention services they need to succeed in
school. Department of Early Learning
estimates that 29% of children who receive early intervention services do not
need Special Education in school. Saving
the state and school districts $6.8 million per year on going.
- Residential Provider Wages / Minimum Wage increases:
In spite of a wage increase in
2015, DDA residential providers are going out of business and unable to take
new clients because of the already low wages and minimum wage increases ahead
for King Co. Lack of residential
supports creates crisis and risk of homelessness. When DDA cannot place people
in community residential, more emergency placements in DDA institutions occur at
a much higher rate and cost. Currently
WA institutions are facing federal audits and stop placement orders.
- Consistent Statewide Positive Behavioral Supports
Schoolwide training in social
emotional learning, positive behavior supports and trauma informed practices
are needed for everyone that works with children in schools. Establishing
a positive school climate sets a strong foundation and proactively addresses
challenges around behavior, reduces removal from the classroom, isolation,
restraints, and improves students’ readiness to learn.
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The Parent Coalitions represent thousands of families in Washington
State. We strive to identify the needs of people with intellectual/developmental
disabilities and their families and work toward solutions to meet those needs.
