HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/15/2011 05 Audience ParticipationI ;-A
Yakima Valley School Information February 15, 2011
Prepared by Becky Scholl from parent group Friends of YVS information.
1. Personnel: Sue Elliott and secretary Susan Dreyfus of DSHS Department of Developmental
Disabilities both have as their agenda the closing of YVS. Dreyfus was hired for four years to come
from Wisconsin to Washington to close the five residential habilitation centers (RHCs).
Dreyfus has stated to a mixed gathering, "I would close RHCs even if there were no cost savings."
State DSHS major tasks are public safety, education, and taking care of those unable to take care of
themselves. Sue Elliott has stated, "They can work."
Gary Robinson, their CFO, was asked, "Is this going to save money ?" He answered, "No." He was
also asked, "Have you factored in the increased cost (to the state) to disperse RHC residents ?" He
would not answer that question. He next asked, "How many Washington State children are we
paying for to be cared for in other states ?" His answer was, "None." Five weeks later he was
pressed again, and he said, "Oh, sorry; I made a mistake: 26." (Note: Our building of three new
ferries for our ferry system stipulated that all construction must be in Washington State. Yet when
parents die without leaving guardianship, the state assumes guardianship and the state's children can
be shipped out of state.
In meetings, Dreyfus has not come up with
• a plan for placement and care for current clients;
• figures for the savings to the state that she purports, and parents have proven do not exist;
• cannot refute that it is the cheapest, most effective model;
• cannot explain how the loss of $12 million in salaries times the factor for how much the
economy loses in buying, totaling $40 million, will be off set;
• staff are told they will be moved to other service areas.
2. Yakima Valley School: The average residency of YVS's 80+ dwellers is over 30 years. Yakima
Valley School
• is most accessible to people around the state (only Yakima and Lakeland (Spokane) are
positioned in eastern Washington);
• is run more economically by any measure than any other state RHC;
• provides best service (only state RHC that year after year has NO findings against it in its service
to its clients;
• has been documented year after year to be cheaper and provide better service than attempting to
place these children in community placements;
3. State's Experience: Downsizing at Fircrest of 60 residents cost $10 million outright and resulted
in six deaths within six months.
4. We have an example for comparison here in Yakima.
Shannon Leigh Dunn and parents Becky and Larry
Scholl on Mother's Day.
Shannon is 42 years old, cannot balance, which means she cannot
stand and must be balanced and belted in a wheel chair. She has
8 -9 random naming words, none of which deal with her ability to
manage her life, such as hungry or thirsty might.
Other parents: Bob and Betty Dunn
ActionDD -- Advocates for People with Developmental Disabilities
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"Our lives begin to end
the day we become silent
about things that matter.'
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
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DSHS Secretary Susan Dreyfus Invites RHC families back y Y
for another round of closure talk s ec I' (�0 �` O
By Paul Strand, February 10, 2011
Action DD 4e 112 r
Olympia -- DSHS Secretary Susan Dreyfus has invited families of the Frances 1. eKk.9
Haddon Morgan Center in Bremerton, to hear more about closing the Center. f
She will be at the Center, Tuesday February 15th, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. A w 7�
similar invitation was sent to families of the Yakima Valley School for Thursday py
the 17th 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm in the 4th floor conference room.
Dreyfus is continuing to move ahead with
RHC closures with or without the consent of our
legislature. The question is, what makes her so i Wpu�d IC1050
sure that she can close the RHCs? Not all families `. CS even t{ \f
agree that the Morgan Center or Yakima Valley RH I}
School will close, and many are refusing to therQ Were n
cooperate without legislative authority. cosy saving5
In her latest letter to families, Dreyfus said
us
that DSHS will design ways to meet people's — SusenprpSN 1.
needs and that transitions will be smooth. g�k to Me$2otB.
Transitions to where? No promised SOLAs are
ready and no community homes are ready. `
Dreyfus said she would have half of the residents
out by March 31st this year and the rest would be out by the end of June.
At last look, no residents have moved from the Morgan Center due to
Dreyfus' efforts. Three left who were already on waiting lists, and four more
will go to the Fircrest School in Shoreline, but these residents planned to move
before Dreyfus told families they would have to move.
Read Secretarv__pjeyfus' letter
Morgan Center employees and parents head to the streets
in protest
February 10, 2011
Action DD
Bremerton -- A rally will be held Saturday, February 12th from 9:00 am to
3:00 pm. Protestors will be on the Corners of Kitsap way and Marine Drive, and
the corner of Kitsap Way and National Avenue.
New bill would try to get DSHS off the hook for some
lawsuits
By Paul Strand, February 10, 2011
ActionDD
Olympia -- Senate BJll_5.60.5. would protect DSHS from some kinds of litigation.
It says in part. "...the legislature finds that the citizens of this state should not
be liable when the state worker exercises reasonable care." This looks like an
anemic attempt to get the state of the hook for some of DSHS's many lawsuits.
With DSHS Secretary Susan Dreyfus illegally directing the closure of our RHC
system, one can see some reason to try and avoid lawsuits.
Read 58 -5695
Families being threatened by RHC closure speak out
through their testimonies
February 10, 2011
Action DD
Olympia -- Rhonda's daughter Natasha, a chronic wanderer, was hit by a car
and nearly killed. After a long recovery she was returned to community care.
DSHS said it was Natasha's right to walk into traffic. Now at Rainier School she
is safe and happy, but DSHS wants her returned to the same environment that
nearly took her life.
Read Rhonda's testimony.
Ross says he knows that there is a decades old movement to close all
RHCs. "I know it is orchestrated in part by a coalition of groups who receive up
to 100 0,'u of their operating budget from our government with no legislative
oversight. I am frustrated. I am angry. But, most of all I am disappointed that
these organizations drive state policy, not the people of Washington State."
Read Ross'testimonv
Bill says, "In spite of increased community supports in recent years,
residents are still being admitted to the Frances Haddon Morgan Center. Many
of these families have tried other placements, but these places lacked the
supervision, programming, medical supports and oversight essential for even
the basics of safety and health for their loved ones."
Read Bill's testimony
Power moves at play in Frances Haddon Morgan Center's
future
By Steven Gardner, February 8, 2011
Kitsap Sun
2/12/2011