Community Living Alternatives (CLA)  is thankful for the opportunity to provide input towards the potential use of enhanced Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) funding that is available to states through Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act.  While there have been many good suggestions about the use of these funds and how they can best improve the services and supports that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities receive, none of these enhancements are viable without a workforce.  We are experiencing a critical deficit of direct support professionals. 

Even before COVID, our workforce was waning due to aging staff, increased regulations, and the lack of a livable wage.  We are asking more and more of our private providers which in turn gets handed down to the Direct Support Professionals who provide valuable, compassionate, life enhancing, and often, life saving supports to the individuals who so truly need and deserve them. 

Residential providers saw our workload and the risk of covid to the individuals and staff soar over the past year.  Shuttered day programs meant we needed to find more staff meet the need.  Our staff have taken on so much this year and it is clear that the expectations are continuing to rise, but the benefits associated with this work are steadily decreasing.  Providers simply cannot compete with industries that have remote work options, greater benefits, higher pay, and lower risk associated with them.  We must use this increase in funds to bridge the gap of the current reimbursement rate until a system can be put in to place to sustain a living wage for this critical workforce.  As minimum wage, operating costs, and compliance regulations increase, so too must the rates with which providers can attract and retain skilled and compassionate staff to provide these  crucial supports to a population who desperately needs them.   

Thank you for your consideration.

Susan Keenan

Executive Director

Community Living Alternatives