The Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities
683 South Prospect Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
cathyfickerterrill@yahoo.com
Testimony Submitted to the Budgeting for Results Commission
October 14, 2011
The Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities represents providers from across Illinois who provide leadership, direction and technical assistance that drives public policy and promotes best practice for individuals with disabilities.
Non profits in Illinois are the foundation of community services provided to people with needs in this state through an amazing collaboration of public and private funding. Non profits partner with government for results. The Institute supports Illinois’ leadership as it moves forward with a process to Budget for Results, as long as the process focuses on outcomes and transparency. As you move forward, the state would need to invest in the technology needed to streamline the defining and reporting of outcomes across multiple state agencies.
The Institute takes issue with Result 4 and 5. In result 4, Illinois assures that all residents, but particularly children, the elderly and disabled, are able to experience at least a minimal quality of life, yet in result 5 Illinois provides a high quality of life to residents. A society is judged based upon how it treats those most vulnerable, yet B4R suggests that children, the elderly and disabled should only be afforded a minimal quality of life. Please remove the word minimal from the document and the intent of the language. As the state moves forward with this process you will discover that many state agencies already hold providers accountable for outcomes. You might want to review some of the states’ current outcome requirements as you move forward. Some of them include:
• Individuals are supported to make choices about goals for their future success.
• Individual are supported to be an active participant in planning their future services.
• Individuals are supported to work on their goals in their person centered plan.
• Individuals are supported to access necessary services.
• Personal supports are provided in frequency, duration and scope as defined in their individual plan.
• Individuals are supported to make informal choices and to understand risk.
• Least restrictive options and or positive interventions are used prior to any restrictive measures.
• Individuals are supported to exercise their basic human rights.
• Individuals are supported to be free from abuse and neglect.
• Individuals are supported to have the best possible health.
As you move forward with this system’s change, please remember that nonprofit community providers have been doing the work of government for years. Nonprofits have been seriously impacted by the state’s ongoing delayed payments. In fact, the nonprofits are serving as the bank for services rendered but not yet reimbursed. Providers in Illinois are not paid fairly, equitable nor timely. Please keep this in mind as you move toward a system of budgeting for results. Illinois is ranked very poorly in terms of timely payment s as well as paying full cost of services.
In summary the Institute asks that you do the following as you move forward:
• Look to other states when developing outcome measures;
• Create a process that is transparent;
• Launch the initiative with adequate resources to manage data and to be able to conduct trend analysis; and
• Engage stakeholders up front in discussions as you move forward, not after the fact or just in the beginning.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input.
Cathy Ficker Terrill
Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities
###
For the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities visit:
http://www.instituteonline.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment