Gov. Newsom must invest in disability services now or the consequences will be dire | Opinion
Barring a tragedy, parents are not meant to outlive their children. So when children grow up with autism or other developmental disabilities and must depend on their parents to meet basic needs as adults, their needs become a complicated challenge that have implications throughout the state.
Is California prepared to deal with this looming reality from an economic standpoint?
While disability service providers throughout the state provide critical support, it is an industry that has long been at risk due to inadequate pay — and, consequently, an inability to attract and retain quality staff.
Opinion
Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed to delay the long-anticipated rate increase for disability service providers until January of 2025. This delay will further exacerbate the growing wage gap for service providers.
The state must prioritize the care of disabled adults through adequately funding disability services — or pay the consequences of inaction later, as these adults will face homelessness, unemployment, poverty and institutionalization in the absence of quality long-term and suitable care.
Across California and the nation, rates of autism are increasing; this rising rate of diagnoses intersects with the “Silver Tsunami” Baby Boomer generation and a national staffing shortage.
In 2022-23, there were an average of 16,250 new regional center consumers with autism in California, and the number of people in need of services is increasing. A staggering 99% of new consumers in 2023 had autism. Roughly 65% of adults living with developmental disabilities in California still live with their parents.
It’s simply not feasible for aging parents to handle the care-giving needs of autistic and developmentally disabled adults. But there is a pathway forward that we can build on.
The Newsom Administration, in partnership with the legislature, established a Master Plan for Disability service, including investing in rate increases across the developmental disabilities service field. In 2019, the Department of Developmental Services tasked the health-policy consulting firm Burns & Associates to complete a rate study, resulting in a plan for implementing a rate model for California disability service providers.
The rate refers to the hourly fee-for-service regional centers pay to service providers who provide various types of support to people with disabilities, overseen by the Department of Developmental Services, including day-to-day independent living staffing support, day program activity and behavioral support.
The Burns Study was a step in the right direction as it addressed the unequal system across the state where the rates between service providers will reach the median via periodical rate adjustments over a few years. However, there are many challenges to address.
The next service provider increase based on the Burns study was scheduled to take place this July. The governor’s delay will have devastating effects on disability services, a field already overlooked and underprioritized. The minimum wage in 2019 when the Burns Study was released was $12 per hour in California. Today, the hourly minimum wage in the state has long passed this median.
To attract quality care providers for disabled adults, the state needs to offer compensation that is competitive. Shockingly, the current hourly rate for fast food workers outpaces care providers.
As executive director at Sweetwater Spectrum, an innovative housing solution in Sonoma for adults with autism, finding qualified care providers is a critical issue. The current rate does not enable workers to move up the ladder to promotions, higher pay and professional development.
The current budget deficit and disappointing delays to the final phase of provider rate increases underscores the urgent need to get the most out of limited state funds.
The state can pay now or pay a steep price later. The choice is clear.
Olivia Vain is the executive director of Sweetwater Spectrum, a community based, long-term housing solution for adults with autism or similar intellectual/developmental disabilities, located in Sonoma.
