Left Behind in Florida
8693 Meadowbrook Drive Pensacola FL 32514
(850) 377-1960 mikecoonan@cox.net
About US
Left Behind in Florida is an organization of parents who have a child with a developmental disability (Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Autism etc) on the State of Florida’s Agency for Person with Disabilities (APD) Wait List. We represent 20,000 families in Florida waiting for help. We make up 40% of all families who have a child with a developmental disability who have been determined to be eligible for APD’s assistance. Many of our families are struggling alone, while dealing with life threatening conditions at home. We are committed to full funding for the DD System in the State of Florida. We are committed to be strong advocates for our children with disabilities!
The Problem
In Florida, 20,000 people with a developmental disability (diagnosis of Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Epilepsy, Spina Bifida, and similar conditions) are on the Agency for People with Disabilities, (APD) Wait List for services. Many of people with disabilities have been on this wait list since 2003 or longer and they are being told that they cannot expect to get any help from APD until 2012, if then. Currently, Florida provides APD services for 30,000 people with a developmental disability, and the state is threatening to cut back these services. Two out of five or 40% of all people with a developmental disability are waiting for life prolonging/saving help.
What do we need?
Our families on APD’s Wait List have almost nothing. Some of our families need help with 24 hour care. Our children are forced to sit home (at times alone), everyday. Our children do not have opportunities for social interactions. Our children are not able to live independently. Even our families who want to be their guardian are charged exorbitant court related fees just to stay involved with their adult child. Our children do not have access to work training or day program experiences. Our children do not have transportation to get to these activities. Our children need help from physical therapists and behaviorists and other professionals to allow them to function at their maximum potential. In many cases, our children have been cared for by our families alone for 40 years or more with no help. Our families get no respite. Yet living next door to our families on the Wait List, are the lucky few, who are getting all the help listed above from the Agency for Person with Disabilities.
How to get help from APD
The current criteria getting off APD’s Wait List and getting help is for a parent to abused their child and to then throw them into the street i.e. “abandoned” them. (In a statement (words to this effect) by David Robinson Administrator for APD Area 1, at the Family Care Council meeting, in Pensacola Fl, in August 2008)
Decision Makers
Governor Charlie Crist and 160 state legislators (40 State Senators and 120 State Representatives) control the Florida State budget. It is necessary to get at least a majority vote in each house to pass a budget. Therefore, we need 21 State Senators and 61 State Representatives to vote for full funding for the DD system in Florida.
The Costs
The Florida State budget in 2009, for the Agency for People with Disabilities is $1.2 billion dollars. APD is serving about 30,000 people with a developmental disability. It will cost another $500 million dollars to add the 20,000 people with a developmental disability people waiting for services. APD’s services are provide via a program called the Medicaid Waiver, in which the State of Florida pays 55% of the costs, which is matched by the Federal Government which pays 65% of the costs. Therefore, when the State of Florida pays $175 million dollars for our children, it is matched by the Federal government which pays $325 million dollars.
How will the State of Florida pay for full funding of the DD System?
The first question that must be asked is:
Do our State Legislators want to pay for full funding for the DD System?
The answer is NO!
If the state legislators wanted to fully fund the DD System it would be funded. Our job as advocates is to change their minds. We must be prepared to encourage them, educate them, nurture them, support them, give them options and when all of this fails (which it will) we must ADVOCATE. Everybody and their brother have been doing the above in a politically correct fashion. We need to hold these state legislators accountable. For example before the legislature funds illegal aliens’ health care or criminals in prison recreation, they must fully fund the DD system.
Left Behind in Florida’s Proposal for Fully Funding for the State DD System
Each State Legislator (Senators and Representatives) will commit additional $1,090,000 from the state budget for DD services for their district. This totals about $175,000,000 which will be matched by the Federal government contribution of $325,000,000. This will provide a total of about $500,000,000 new money to fully fund the DD System.
This is just one suggestion. Please add your ideas.
Contact Person: Mike Coonan 850 277 1960 mikecoonan@cox.net
Friday, January 9, 2009
Some Questions To Ponder - Understanding the Problem
Imagine that you are an organization that serves 100 people with developmental disabilities. Imagine that your budget allows you to serve only 60 of them.
How do you deal with the problem that 40 of the people you serve never receive your services?
Do you simply tell them "maybe next year, when we have more money in the budget?"
Do you tell them "we will put you on a waiting list,and someday, maybe, we will provide you with services?"
Do you identify clients with needs that are more easily served,and give them priority,or identify clients who have greater, more complex, more expensive needs, and give them priority?
Do you provide services for a certain period of time to the 60, and then cut off or diminish their services, and begin to serve the 40? Or do the 40 risk waiting forever?
No good answers, admittedly. But aren't the questions important, and isn't the discussion essential?
If the 40, and their allies, are not at the table to have the discussion, what are the chances that their needs will be addressed?
Consider the following:
In Florida, as of May 2008:
31,028 persons with developmental disabilities received services from APD.
40% of people with developmental disabilities who are eligible for APD's services are on the waiting list.
The number of persons with developmental disabilities who are on the Medicaid waiver wait list was 23,171.
There were 10,244 persons age 6 to age 22 waiting for services.
Over the age of 22, there were 6,147 persons waiting, and waiting.
Of those receiving services in Florida, 20,000 out of the 31,028 who are receiving services live in the family home.
Of those who are on the wait list, 14,503 clients live in the family home compared to 1,254 living either independently, in group homes or institutions.
Who is advocating for those who are forced to wait?
Is the discussion even occurring? Do those responsible for serving clients with developmental disabilities advocate for those on the waiting list?
We want to hear from you. What is your experience like? What are your thoughts?
How do you deal with the problem that 40 of the people you serve never receive your services?
Do you simply tell them "maybe next year, when we have more money in the budget?"
Do you tell them "we will put you on a waiting list,and someday, maybe, we will provide you with services?"
Do you identify clients with needs that are more easily served,and give them priority,or identify clients who have greater, more complex, more expensive needs, and give them priority?
Do you provide services for a certain period of time to the 60, and then cut off or diminish their services, and begin to serve the 40? Or do the 40 risk waiting forever?
No good answers, admittedly. But aren't the questions important, and isn't the discussion essential?
If the 40, and their allies, are not at the table to have the discussion, what are the chances that their needs will be addressed?
Consider the following:
In Florida, as of May 2008:
31,028 persons with developmental disabilities received services from APD.
40% of people with developmental disabilities who are eligible for APD's services are on the waiting list.
The number of persons with developmental disabilities who are on the Medicaid waiver wait list was 23,171.
There were 10,244 persons age 6 to age 22 waiting for services.
Over the age of 22, there were 6,147 persons waiting, and waiting.
Of those receiving services in Florida, 20,000 out of the 31,028 who are receiving services live in the family home.
Of those who are on the wait list, 14,503 clients live in the family home compared to 1,254 living either independently, in group homes or institutions.
Who is advocating for those who are forced to wait?
Is the discussion even occurring? Do those responsible for serving clients with developmental disabilities advocate for those on the waiting list?
We want to hear from you. What is your experience like? What are your thoughts?
Welcome to Our Blog
In Florida, over 20,000 people with developmental disabilities are languishing on a waiting list for services. Every day, these individuals, acknowledged by the state of Florida as in need of services, wait, and wait, and wait.
This Blog is designed to help them, to give them a voice, to identify solutions to the problem.
we welcome your stories, guidance, support, and insights. Please contact us at mdubin@pobox.com.
This Blog is designed to help them, to give them a voice, to identify solutions to the problem.
we welcome your stories, guidance, support, and insights. Please contact us at mdubin@pobox.com.
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