Lawmakers and advocates are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to increase funding for workers in the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) sector, as reported by MahattanTimes. State Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, who is the Chair of the Assembly Committee for People with Disabilities, is asking for a Cost of Living Adjustment, increase. Advocates are pushing for an 8.5 percent increase. Seawright is also seeking to establish a Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) which would increase wages for hourly workers who care for the I/DD population.
“New Yorkers serving people with I/DD are, quite simply, being driven out of the field because they aren’t paid enough to keep up with the rising cost of living. I/DD providers are hemorrhaging jobs,” said Seawright. “There’s a 20% vacancy rate and 30% turnover in agencies serving New Yorkers with I/DD. This endangers the people they serve, and deprives them of their autonomy.”
Direct support positions have a nearly 20 percent vacancy rate across the state. That is the equivalent of roughly 19,788 vacancies in the not-for-profit sector. Additionally, the annual turnover rate for provider agencies statewide is 30 percent, which costs agencies about $100.5 million annually. Advocates say agencies cannot recruit and retain staff for a sustainable I/DD service system without adequate funding and competitive pay.
“I’m afraid for him,” said Mary Krasner, a mother whose son, Daniel has had numerous health problems throughout his life. “I’m beginning to start thinking again it would be better if Daniel pre-deceases us. That New York State doesn’t realize how lucky we are – that the staff chooses to do this job that requires skill and fortitude. They chose this field – despite not being valued by our society. I will tell you how much parents value them. They are the services.”
