SB6780 RHC CLOSURE BILL

CLOSE ALL 5 RHCS?

Senator Freiser, chair of the Washington State Senate Health and Long Term Care committee, has introduced a new bill that would close all 5 of the residential habilitation centers (RHCs) for people with developmental disabilities. The is bill is a travesty; it's passage would be tragic for people who need and thrive in RHCs. Sponsors are Senators Ranker, Kline, Delvin and Fairley. To read it , click on SB6780 in the website list on the left.

What Impact Would The Bill Have?
SB 6780 mandates development by DSHS of a plan for closing 5 RHCs within 5 years, but does not require the legislature to pass legislation for the plan to be implemented. Where are the checks and balances? Where is the oversight over DSHS?

It would require closure of Frances Haddon Morgan Center, first, within one year.

It would require replacement of centralized RHCs with State Operated Living Arrangements (Solas which are group homes operated by the State.)

It would disperse professional services throughout the "community"

It would destroy the RHC safety net for the "community" residents in crisis.
It would try to substitute 2 crisis teams, one on each side of the mountains.

It would repeal Froberg law, the one legal protection that RHC intermediate care residents have that their best interests will be served. Froberg requires that moves from RHCs be in the person's best interests and provides for an adjudicated hearing in the event that the Guardian disagrees that the proposed move qualifies. These protections would be undone.

It would remove from their familiar homes, environments and "families" people whose stability and behavioral adaptations depend on constancy of accustomed environments, routines and relationships.

It would remove from their familiar caregivers and professional teams people whose medical stability depends on those relationships.

Severe transfer trauma would surely be the result for many, as it was in 2003-5 when 6 people died following forced/coerced moves from Fircrest and others lived on in confused misery, some eventually to recover monetary damages from the state and move back to Fircrest.

It would destroy the centralization and economy of scale that combine to make this state's RHCs national models.

It would dismantle professional teams who work most effectively because of their synergistic interactions.

Centralization of professional services, work programs and active treatment allows people with extremely debilitating conditions to have a life. Spread everything out and limit staff in homes spread throughout the community and, suddenly, what was a challenging and delicately choreographed, but do-able schedule in an RHC becomes impossible, or if not impossible, far more expensive to achieve in the "community."

At a cost that far exceeds $161 million dollars, (based on costs of the 2003-5 Fircrest closure attempt,) this ideologically driven legislation would destroy the one excellently functional part of Wa. state's services delivery system to people with developmental disabilities.

If there is a silver lining to the current budget-deficit cloud, it is that legislators will have to ask where the money will come from. Another salient question is, "Exactly how much would fullfilment of the bill's requirements cost?" The $161 million does not begin to cover the list of unknown or undisclosed costs. If the State could spare even the minimum $32 million per year, just think: if it could be used, instead, for unserved, wait-listed people, how many could receive the services they need for that mountain of money! Or what an excellent "community" quality assurance system could be developed and implemented with it!

What have I missed and what do you think?

Let this not be a time of dis-empowerment due to worry. Instead, let it move us to rise up , finding strength, courage and hope, together, each to do our part for the ultimate good of all our loved ones with dd, residents of RHCs and "community" homes alike!
Namaste,
Saskia Davis