Hochul fi nds $1.5B for orgs working
with developmentally disabled NYers
BY BEN VERDE
Gov. Kathy Hochul on
Thursday announced that
New York State will provide
over a billion dollars in funding
for organizations that assist
people with developmental
disabilities, in an effort to
attract new recruits and fi ght
staffi ng shortages at those organizations.
The governor will earmark
$1.5 billion from the American
Rescue Plan to fund recruitment,
retention and vaccine
incentive programs for direct
support professionals working
with people with developmental
disabilities, her offi ce
announced on Nov. 18.
“Direct Support Professionals
provided essential support
to people with developmental
disabilities throughout the
pandemic when we needed
them most, in spite of the risk
to themselves and their own
families,” Hochul said. “We
owe these workers a debt of
gratitude and the American
Rescue Plan funding paves
the way for bonuses, incentives
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and one time pay raises
to help keep these hardworking,
loyal and devoted workers
doing what they love most,
supporting people with developmental
disabilities.”
The added funding aims
to increase retention in three
ways: by setting up a “heroes
fund” for direct support professionals
working during
the pandemic with additional
incentives for those who get
vaccinated, by adding the possibility
of longevity bonuses
for staff who remain in the
workforce, and by incentivizing
workers to earn further
qualifi cations and credentials
to build increase the skilled
workforce.
The funding bump comes
after years of brutal budget
cuts and austerity measures toward
nonprofi ts that work with
the developmentally disabled,
which have left most workers
doing the diffi cult work of the
industry making little more
than minimum wage.
Low wages make it hard
for agencies to fi ll staffi ng
gaps, leading to dangerous
staffi ng levels and grueling
shifts for workers.
“Our staffi ng levels are at
such critical lows that it’s really
at a tipping point now,”
said Joe Riley, the director
of the Guild for Exceptional
Children, a Brooklyn-based
nonprofi t that offers schooling
and other services to children
and adults with developmental
disabilities.
The pandemic has seen a
signifi cant portion of Riley’s
staff take medical leave or
seek better paying work elsewhere,
leaving his staff depleted.
A low pay-rate makes
it hard to attract new hires,
especially given the challenging
nature of the job, made
more dangerous during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“You’re up close and personal,
you’re taking care of
all the needs of these individuals,”
Riley said. “It’s a complex
job that requires specialized
training.”
Riley believes the government
should permanently increase
funding for nonprofits to allow for
better pay for their workers.
“They should be making
more than $15 an hour,” Riley
said. “Then we’re not competing
with fast-food restaurants
and other industries for the
same staff.”
A support professional works with a student. HeartShare Human Services
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