Hochul allocates $1.5B in funding for orgs working
with developmentally disabled New Yorkers
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 fight staffing 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 office
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 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
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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 qualifications
and credentials to build
increase the skilled workforce.
The funding bump comes
after years of brutal budget cuts
and austerity measures toward
nonprofits that work with
the developmentally disabled,
which have left most workers
doing the difficult work of the
industry making little more
than minimum wage.
Low wages make it hard for
agencies to fill staffing gaps,
leading to dangerous staffing
levels and grueling shifts for
workers.
“Our staffing 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 nonprofit that
offers schooling and other services
to children and adults with
developmental disabilities.
The pandemic has seen a
significant 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.
A direct support professional works with a student. Heart-
Share Human Services
“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.”