Statement from the Statewide CCO Family & Member Advisory Collaborative on the New York State FY 2022-2023 Budget

The Statewide CCO Family and Member Advisory Collaborative stated,

We thank Governor Hochul, her administration, and the  State Legislature for the inclusion of the 5.4% Cost of Living Adjustment Increase and the bonus payments to service workers in the final NY FY 2022 – 2023 budget. We would not be here today without Senator John Mannion and Assemblyman Tom Abinanti and their dedicated and tireless leadership advocating for the betterment of our community. We also want to thank the thousands of individuals with IDD, their families and supporters who sent letters to the Governor and legislators on the importance of this issue, and who continue to advocate on behalf of the community every single day.  

However, we are disappointed to not see further investment in offsetting over a decade of neglect that the nonprofit human services sector has experienced from the State coupled with a direct support professional (DSP) workforce emergency. This is especially troubling since the State has just recognized its own DSP workforce emergency and rightfully raised its starting wages by 13%.

The care, support, and services that DSPs provide the IDD community are invaluable, yet nonprofit agencies have been forced to cut critical programs and contend with a severe staffing shortage that is now at an emergency level and negatively impacting the lives of tens of thousands of individuals with IDD and their families. Additionally, the rising operational costs that nonprofit agencies are facing due to inflation, not only directly hampers the wages for critical DSP workers but continues to erode the entire foundation of New York’s nonprofit human services support infrastructure.

The nonprofit human services and care sector needs long-term, sustainable solutions to address the systemic DSP workforce crisis. We implore that our leaders in the Executive and Legislature hear the voices of the tens of thousands of New Yorkers in our community asking for help in this time of need. In the coming months and year, we are eager to come together, possibly through a taskforce, to work with New York’s leaders and the nonprofit agencies to enact solutions that will help us overcome this crisis and ensure that the nonprofit human services and care community has the sustainable support we need to ensure that we are never in this dire situation again.

About the Statewide CCO Family and Member Advisory Collaborative  

The Statewide CCO Family and Member Advisory Collaborative represents 110,000 individuals with IDD and their families across New York State. They are active and passionate advocates, many with loved ones with IDD.  They speak in one unified voice for high-quality, inclusive, and person-centered supports, and services for every person with IDD.