SENATE MEMORIAL 20

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

William Soules

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A SUBCOMMITTEE TO CONDUCT A STUDY AND REPORT ON WAYS TO REDUCE THE TIME THAT ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS WAIT FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SERVICES.

     WHEREAS, people with developmental disabilities are among New Mexico's most vulnerable residents; and

     WHEREAS, people with developmental disabilities and their families benefit greatly from the accommodations and services that enable them to live safely and productively in communities across the state; and

     WHEREAS, without that support, those with developmental disabilities would be less able to live independently and their families would be less able to care for them; and  

     WHEREAS, young adults with developmental disabilities who have recently left the public school system are in particular need of timely access to services; and

     WHEREAS, those services, such as employment support, promote independence and inclusion in community life, help to preserve essential skills and reduce the hardship on caregivers, who, without the services, might have to leave their jobs; and

     WHEREAS, the developmental disabilities supports division of the department of health operates programs for those with developmental disabilities; and

     WHEREAS, the developmental disabilities supports division, through the developmental disabilities waiver program, is funded to serve only about four thousand one hundred individuals each year; and

     WHEREAS, as of December 31, 2012, approximately six thousand individuals are waiting for services offered through those programs; and

     WHEREAS, the average time between placement on the central registry and the receipt of services is eleven years; and

     WHEREAS, there is a great difference in time between placement and services based on where a person lives; and

     WHEREAS, the department of health has begun to reform its programs to improve the timeliness of access to critical services; and

     WHEREAS, the need for developmental disabilities services calls for more funding and greater capacity to reduce the wait of individuals for services; and

     WHEREAS, having additional persons served by the waiver program will create jobs throughout the state, which would benefit New Mexico's economy;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of health be requested to convene a subcommittee of the advisory council on quality supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the subcommittee be composed of, among others, individuals with developmental disabilities, family members and guardians of individuals with developmental disabilities, representatives of the developmental disabilities supports division and representatives of the medical assistance division of the human services department; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the subcommittee also include members of the advisory council who represent service providers and case managers and representatives of disability rights New Mexico, the ARC of New Mexico, parents reaching out, the center for development and disability and the developmental disabilities planning council; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the subcommittee study and identify strategies to reduce the time between placement on the central registry and access to services offered by the developmental disabilities supports division to not more than three years and reexamine the statewide allocation formula to ensure that regional allocations are made equitably and consistent with the decision in Lewis v. New Mexico Department of Health (2001); and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the developmental disabilities supports division provide subject-matter experts to work with the subcommittee; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the subcommittee make formal recommendations to the full advisory council; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the developmental disabilities supports division, within its authority and consistent with funding appropriated by the legislature for this purpose, act on the advisory council's recommendations and prepare a report detailing what would be needed to accomplish by fiscal year 2018 the goal of reducing the wait time of any person needing services to a maximum of three years; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report address the effective use of current programs and resources, describe critical components for success, identify potential obstacles, detail the action needed to address each critical component and potential obstacle and include projections of additional resources needed to reach the goal; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the developmental disabilities supports division provide the report to the secretary of health, the secretary of human services, the legislative health and human services committee and the legislative finance committee by October 1, 2013; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the developmental disabilities supports division of the department of health; the secretary of health; the secretary of human services; and the advisory council on quality supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, for appropriate distribution to interested persons.

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