Senate Hearing in Erie Focuses on Faltering Human Services Safety Net
Erie December 13, 2012 — Erie area human services providers today told a state Senate panel that the availability, quality and reliability of crucial services to disabled people are diminishing in the face of dwindling state financial support and questionable bureaucratic decisions in Harrisburg.
Bureaucratic decisions arbitrarily issued by the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) in Harrisburg have needlessly made disabled peoples lives more difficult, Wiley said. Rectifying these cuts in state support to Erie County cannot wait until next year. This needs to be addressed immediately.
The informal Senate committee roundtable discussion was held in Erie at the request of Senator-elect Sean Wiley (D-Erie).
Several panelists were critical of the Corbett Administration and DPW for shortchanging regional human services providers and implementing controversial new policies that will curtail county services that disabled and vulnerable people rely on.
Specifically, providers charged that DPWs new reimbursement rate formula will cut support for Eries regional providers by up to 17 percent. Pointing to how the departments formula now bundles Erie County wage data in with numerous rural counties across the state, Wiley noted that those who provide the very same services in other parts of Pennsylvania now receive a 13 percent higher reimbursement rate than their Erie counterparts.
The Erie lawmaker said he will work to obtain additional state financial support; require DPW to publicly disclose its new formula and data it used to determine the new rates; and press the department to include providers in talks on how the formula can be rectified.
Panelists also discussed the devastating impact of the states 10 percent budget cuts to county human service programs that serve disabled people and vulnerable children.
Bill Grove, who serves as chief executive officer for the Mental Health Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania, said DPWs policies have been fiscally irresponsible and will have dire consequences on disabled people. He noted how the Corbett Administration has cut support to programs that help disabled people live independent lives, even though hospitalization and institutionalization is three times more costly.
In northwestern Pennsylvania, If youre poor, youre going to get poorer, Grove said. If youre sick, youre going to get sicker.
Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton/Lehigh/Monroe), who chairs the Policy Committee, said many counties have struggled to maintain human service programs such as mental health, intellectual disabilities, child welfare, behavioral health, and home assistance following the 10 percent funding cut this year. Gov. Tom Corbett originally proposed a 20 percent cut.
The discussion also touched on DPWs controversial decision to replace the states 37 financial management service vendors with one firm, Public Consulting Groups Public Partnerships, LLC (PPL), based in Massachusetts. Boscola said she was concerned with how dedicated this out-of-state firm would be to the states disabled community.
I have never received a complaint from a human services provider about one of these 37 vendors, Boscola said. At a time when we are struggling to keep jobs in Pennsylvania and help our businesses survive, why is DPW ousting in-state businesses in favor of this cookie cutter approach?
Welfare Secretary Gary D. Alexander was invited to take part in the discussion, but refused.
Boscola, who also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said it is imperative that this years budget discussions focus on protecting limited resources for disabled people, their families and the community.
Senators in attendance included Wiley, Boscola, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), and LeAnna Washington (D-Phila.). Others who took part in the informal roundtable discussion included:
- Shari Gross, Erie County Director of Human Services;
- Attorney Charles R. Barber, chief administrative officer, Erie County Care Management;
- John Barber, CEO, Barber National Institute;
- Bill Harriger, CFO, Erie Homes for Children & Adults;
- Bill Grove, Mental Health Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania;
- Tim Finegan, executive director, Community Resources for Independence;
- Jeanne Bender, guardian for disabled individual; and
- Tanya Teglo, who has cerebral palsy.
# # #