Direct service professionals that serve individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are receiving a wage boost in the state budget.
This comes after Governor Gina Raimondo signed the budget on Friday which includes $9.6 million in increased Medicaid funding to raise the pay for Direct Service Professionals (DSPs).
“We shouldn't have to live in poverty to do this job. The funding increase we won is a big step forward in ensuring our clients get the care they need and our staff earns a little more, but we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that all Rhode Islanders with developmental disabilities – and those who care for them – can live with dignity,” said Monica Scott, a direct service professional at Blackstone Valley ARC and member of SEIU 1199 New England.
According to the Demanding Dignity campaign, services and funding or programs that support individuals with developmental disabilities have been cut drastically over the years – and the U.S Department of Justice recently found that Rhode Island needs to improve these services.
Program consolidations have led to individuals with different needs being grouped together, making it harder for consumers to receive the appropriate level of attention they deserve.
A 2019 public opinion poll conducted by Fleming and Associates found that 85% of Rhode Islanders support a $15 minimum wage for Direct Service Professionals.
“We’re pleased that both the House and Senate were receptive to our coalition’s efforts to secure a wage increase to the workers who serve this vulnerable population. We appreciate the Assembly adding $3.2 million over the raise initially proposed by the governor to further increase wages. Any and all progress towards a $15 minimum wage for these workers helps, but there is still plenty of work to do and we’ll be back next year to push for further funding for individuals living with developmental disabilities and those who care for them,” said George Nee, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
Related Slideshow: Big Winners and Losers - FY 2020 Budget
In the week leading up to the budget, Governor Gina Raimondo said the legislative leaders should adopt her budget priorities because she had a "mandate" from the voters for her agenda.
Well, her priorities -- Pre-K funding was slashed and expansion of RI Promise was eliminated. All the Democrats -- conservatives and progressives voted, de facto, against her "mandate."
Workers Who Work with the Developmentally Disabled
When the controversial doctor's million dollars was pulled -- others benefitted.
Senator Lou DiPalma Tweeted after the vote, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH @SenatorRuggerio @RISpeaker - Increased wages for DD workers… $ 4.5M General Revenues, representing an increase of $1.5M over that proposed by the Governor. All funds = ~$9.6M. Great work by all involved!!!!! We’re on our way to getting them to $15/hr..."
With the change to allow compassion centers to grow their own product, local legal growers no longer have a market. The industry was crushed in the legislative changes.
Ruggerio stopped waiting for the City of Providence to make a determination on the proposed $300 million Fane Tower. He stripped the oversight from the City in legislation and saw it placed in the budget.
O for the session. Ruggerio's move on Fane and being forced to rescind his legislation to sell Providence Water were both major losses for the Providence Mayor.
He may have the worst State House relationships of any Providence Mayor in modern political history.
The changes in regulations, increasing licensing fees (increased to $500,000), and the ability for compassion centers to grow their own all greatly benefit the large out-of-state corporations looking to dominate in Rhode Island's industry.
Repeated floor amendments seeking to increase staffing and budget to the agency were shot down and legislators seem to be clear -- DCYF's problems are management and leadership -- not funding.
The House Republican Caucus submitted a budget amendment totaling $2.9 million to add 25 full-time equivalents (FTE) employees to the DCYF personnel appropriation to address the shortage of workers licensing and evaluating children in foster care, those being supported in adoption proceedings, and children eligible for kinship placements. These monies would have been moved from appropriations to film tax credits, RI Promise and JCLS. The Amendment was roundly defeated.
President David Dooley ran an end-run around the Governor Gina Raimondo's office and went directly to legislative leaders Speaker Mattiello and Senate President to pass legislation to give the University and independent Board of Trustees. The legislation passed and URI has now much-needed independence.
“URI is our state’s flagship university. We should give it the structures it needs to support its development. A dedicated board of trustees is typical among universities, and provides institutions with flexible, responsive governance. This is a move that would help URI grow and improve, and I’m proud to help bring it about,” said Mattiello.
Senator Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham), whose district includes URI’s Kingston campus, said, “URI is a world-class university, and needs to be positioned to be competitive with its peers. Greater self-governance means it can ensure that all decisions affecting it are made with its specific mission and purposes in mind, and will help ensure that those decisions are effective in moving the university forward.”
