The Pathway to Meaningful Work for All Abilities Starts Here!
On behalf of all of us at Challenge Unlimited we want to thank you those who contributed to our advocacy efforts to increase support for our DSP’s.
It takes a collaborative effort to make a difference for individuals with disabilities. As the legislature has been working to pass the budget we called out for help and many organizations and individuals answered that call.
You emailed your policy makers, you made calls to their offices and you helped make our efforts a success. Organizations like ours rely on collaboration and power in numbers to create a more equitable and inclusive policy system for individuals living with disabilities and we are grateful for the support we received from the community. Read the statement below from our partners at The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities. (www.iarf.org)
IARF Statement on New State Budget with Disability, Behavioral Health Investments SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, representing community providers of services for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and serious mental illnesses, today issued the following statement after the final state budget proposal was acted on by the Illinois Legislature: “This new state budget takes an important step forward to improve care for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois and invest in our crisis mental health services and supports. We initially opposed the $2 an hour wage increase for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) proposed earlier this week, as inadequate. The $2.50 an hour increase, reached through intense negotiations and advocacy by our legislative champions, will help address our critical issues:
The extra dollars will help our members address a crisis in staffing that is reducing services available to those with disabilities in Illinois. We have to stay ahead of the growing state minimum wage to recruit and retain workers, and this increase will help do that. Additionally, through partnership and collaboration, community providers will receive additional rate increases for crucial Medicaid mental health crisis services totaling $30 million. As the crisis system continues to expand in Illinois, these increases, on top of the historic $170 million increased investments included in last year’s budget, will continue to ensure these crucial services can be provided to those in need. Again, thank you to the legislators who stepped up to ensure these investments were included in the budget, and to Gov. Pritzker and the legislative leaders for hearing our concerns. We will continue to build on the progress made in recent years to provide support to our social safety net.” Josh Evans President and CEO Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities Springfield |
Below is more detailed information about what these advocacy efforts were able to achieve for individuals with disabilities:
Disability Services:
Behavioral Health Services: