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Thursday, March 8, 2012

Jacksonville Developmental Center supporters testify at COGFA hearing | March 7, 2012

By JASON NEVEL | The State Journal-Register

JACKSONVILLE, IL -- Donald Pannier says he has been told that he should trust the people in charge of getting his son ready to move out of the Jacksonville Developmental Center to a community-based home.

Pannier, a Washburn resident, says he's not taking that leap of faith. He believes he, not the state of Illinois, knows what's best for his 36-year-old son, Benjamin.

"Why don't they trust us?" said Pannier, who said Benjamin has the mental capability of an 8-year old.

For the second time in the past six months, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability held a public hearing in Jacksonville Wednesday. About 200 people attended the hearing at Illinois College.

During a state budget crunch last fall, COGFA recommended that the developmental center remain open, and lawmakers eventually found funding to continue operations at JDC through June 30.

However, in his budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, Gov. Pat Quinn has again called for JDC to shut down. The Quinn administration and some advocates say developmentally disabled people can be cared for better and at less cost in small, community-based facilities.

Lawmakers on the commission questioned administration officials for more than an hour Wednesday night.

Kevin Casey, director of the Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities, said the agency will work with each of JDC’s 185 residents to create an appropriate transition plan.

Other states across the country have successfully moved people to community-based care, he said.

"It's the best and only way to do it," Casey said. "If the person runs away, we'll work it into the plan. If the person needs to be fed through a special tube, we can work it into the plan. There will be a step-by-step process to determine the level of support."

Making preparations to move 185 people by Oct. 31, the state’s timetable, will be difficult, but a lot of the legwork has been done, he said.

"I'm worried about it, but I think we can make it," Casey said.

Quinn did not attend the hearing, and Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard said he is mad that Quinn has never met with any of the affected families.

"I've made tough cuts, but I made sure I looked at that person in the eye," Ezard said. "That's unacceptable to me."

Before Wednesday's hearing, Tony Paulauski, the director of The ARC of Illinois, an advocacy group that supports community treatment, said at a news conference that the state has a good plan for transferring JDC residents to community facilities. People with severe disabilities should receive the same level of quality care, he said.

"This could be the best transition plan in the U.S.," Paulauski said.

Jason Nevel can be reached at 788-1521.

# http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1957360076/JDC-community-care-supporters-testify-at-COGFA-hearing

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