What a week! With several DD-related issues circling the dome, legislative committees, InterHab members and staff were all busy addressing a variety of topics.
The week kicked off with a hearing on KNI in the House Social Services Budget Committee. Among other points, InterHab staff provided the committee with policies that “must” be considered in contemplating closure of KNI; that State law require sufficient funding be made available from institutional budgets to meet the needs of persons moving from institutions to community-based settings; and that persons on the waiting list should benefit from any remaining dollars which are not used for services for persons moving out of the institution.
Later in the week, in one jam-packed day Thursday, InterHab staff presented testimony to the House Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care regarding the potential implications of moving Adult Protective Services to the Attorney General’s office. Staff also submitted written testimony to the House Committee on Children and Families on the subject of seclusion and restraints used in school settings. This testimony provided support to the recommendations put forth by Families Together and DRC to implement and enforce standards to protect children from inappropriate seclusions and restraints.
In the afternoon, InterHab provided an overview of a ‘system under stress’ to the Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS. Here, staff pointed out the ‘anemic funding history’ of community DD services during the past years, and urged legislators not to allow funding for DD services to be cut during deliberations on the FY 2012 budget.
Last, but not least, InterHab offered testimony to the House Social Services Budget Committee on the importance of the Tiny-K network in Kansas. InterHab also echoed testimony by Pat Terrick on the importance of CPRF’s posture seating program.
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