The 2010 legislative session is almost half over, and I wanted to give you an update on some happenings and the issues that AADD is following. I am at the Capitol on most days, and this year feels especially intense.
The budget continues to be the main topic at the Capitol. Hearings and rallies for a cigarette tax and against a hospital tax have made the Capitol a place of desperation in the last two weeks because everyone is looking for ideas on how to generate new revenue. And if you have seen the AJC these days, there is reason to be concerned with cuts proposed to key state agencies.
With Medicaid deficits alone reaching close to $600M and agencies looking at deep cuts, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is the only department that has not seen suggested cuts in the budget for fiscal year 2011. The department is under investigation with the both the Department of Justice and the Office of Civil Rights and has been given the charge of fixing the hospital system especially for individuals with mental health issues. The federal authorities are watching the activities of the legislature and the appropriations decisions that are being made. Today, we think that most of the money in the BHDD budget that will be used to satisfy the agreement with Department of Justice will go to fix our state hospital system, although, we are continuing to hear that it will be used for a “continuum of care” that will bridge hospitals care to community care. Currently, 700 people with DD live in our state hospitals.
All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) is Atlanta's preeminent resource on developmental disabilities, providing support services to families for more than 55 years. We are often the one place where people with developmental disabilities can go to achieve personal empowerment, family stability and community participation. AADD provides family support; public policy and advocacy; and community engagement.
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