ATLANTA (December 14, 2022) | The Senate Study Committee on People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Waiver Plan Access, co-chaired by Senator Sally Harrell (D – Atlanta) and Senator John Albers (R – Roswell), concluded its work today by approving the Committee’s final report and recommendations for the 2023 Legislative Session and beyond. The recommendations were a direct result of information and testimony gathered from individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, caregivers, service providers, and advocacy groups through a series of public meetings around the state and feedback submitted through from the Committee’s website. The testimony highlighted the significant challenges that adults with disabilities face, including lack of resources for in-home and group care, difficulties navigating the system for IDD services, and inadequate funding for service providers.
“We are so grateful to everyone who came forward and told their stories. Each story helped to highlight a different piece of the puzzle. Once we put that puzzle together, it was clear that this community is in crisis with tremendous unmet needs. That’s why we recommended both short and long-term planning solutions to better serve these Georgians,” said Sen. Harrell.
The Committee unanimously approved the final report and recommendations that address long-term strategic planning, waivers, workforce planning, and administration. Key recommendations include:
- Creating an “Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Home & Community Based Services (HCBS) Commission on Reform and Innovation,” modeled after the successful Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission created by HB 515 in 2019 that resulted in significant legislation in 2022 to improve access to mental healthcare in Georgia. The proposed IDD Commission would have working sub-committees on a variety of issues such as Managed Care, Workforce Wages/Incentives & Direct Service Provider Career Paths, Transportation, Housing, Employment, System Management, Innovation & Technology Processes, Service Delivery Innovations & Technology, Planning List Management & Funds Utilization/Evaluation, and others as needed. Commission members would include, but not be limited to, families, providers, subject experts, self advocates, and relevant state staff.
- Funding 2,400 Waiver Slots in the FY 2024 budget, a number that represents a third of the current NOW/COMP Medicaid Waiver waiting list. The Committee aims to eliminate the list in three years. NOW and COMP Medicaid waivers offer services and support to Georgians with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities In 2022, the Georgia General Assembly began to increase waiver funding by including an additional 513 waiver slots in the FY 2023 budget.
- Increasing Direct Service Professionals (DSPs) wages by consulting current and future rate studies, service providers, and other members of the IDD community.
- Working with members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation to create a Bureau of Labor Statistics “Standard Occupation Classification” for IDD DSPs to ensure proper classification in future rate studies.
- Creating a mechanism for paying wages to family caregivers.
- Ensuring waiver recipients who have the ability to work have a clear and supportive pathway to employment by working with the Employment First Georgia Council as created by 2018 Georgia’ Employment First Act, as well as the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, to ensure that “competitive, integrated employment is the first and preferred option in the provision of publicly funded services for all working age citizens with disabilities.” (HB 831, 2018).
- Providing more data and transparency to the Waiver Planning List to support objective decision making and future projections for planning. The data should include categories such as acuity/level of care, current supports, current needs, age, region, and projected date of service needs (i.e., immediate vs. future needs) in a format that allows for easy access and sorting/searching by the public.
The full Study Committee report and recommendations can be found here.
The Senate Study Committee on People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Waiver Plan Access was established as a result of Senate Resolution 770, sponsored by Sen. Harrell during the 2022 Legislative Session. The purpose of the Committee is to assess the impact of the growing demand for state services for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Medicaid waiver access, shortfalls in the direct service provider workforce, and capital investment needs for worker training and housing facilities.
The recorded livestream of this week’s meeting can be found here.
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Sen. Sally Harrell represents the 40th Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties. She may be reached by phone at (404) 463-2260 or via email at sally.harrell@senate.ga.gov.