There have been enormous cuts to the Department of Developmental Services, this year being the most profound and far reaching. For the first time, day program funding for 2016-2017 grads has been totally eliminated, VSP has been cut 60% and residential/home supports have also been drastically cut. There will be no hope of any residential services until the death of both parents or other profound crisis.

Petition Update 9/18:

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Ben Barnes from The Office of Policy & Managment announced today that DDS will receive more than $7.5 million in rescission cuts.

Last Sunday the Hartford Courant released an article identifying $48 million in massive overspending on overtime at DDS. Despite this, once again, the administration has chosen to target cuts in a way that disproportionately affects families in need, while barely addressing waste, mismanagement and overtime at DDS.

Here is the article:

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-state-overtime-costs-soar-0913-20150913-story.html

Contact Governor Malloy at 1-800-406-1527 today and every day until these cuts are restored. This is not negotiable.

Breakdown of DDS Cuts:

Employment Opportunities and Day Services - $3,000,000

Community Residential Services - $1,800,000

Voluntary Service - $297,312

Personal Services - $1,500,000

Other Expenses - $206,194

Cooperative Placements Program - $613,621

Supplemental Payments for Medical Services - $150,000

More information to follow.

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My name is Michelle Rivelli and I am the mother of Jessica, who has autism and intellectual disabilities. I am also a pediatrician in Shelton. I ask you to sign this petition about the current state of the DDS budget cuts. I know many of you have written letters and been up to the legislature, but for those of you who have not had the opportunity to do so, I wanted to provide you with the current state of the budget cuts and what your options are at this time.

There have been enormous cuts to DDS, this year being the most profound and far reaching. For the first time, day program funding for 2016-2017 grads is totally eliminated, VSP is cut 60% and residential/home supports are drastically cut. The only funding preserved is for personal services (i.e. for DDS employees, which in reality over 90% of this will go to state employees at Southbury Training School and the other DDS regional centers).

Unless the three line items highlighted above get added back into the budget, our children will have to stay home after they graduate at age 21 years! Additionally, any other supports families have been receiving will be significantly cut. There will be no hope of any residential services until the death of both parents or other profound crisis. The only hope we have is to contact the legislators on the health subcommittee of appropriations to let them know how this will affect our families before April 30th when they make their recommendations.

In addition to this petition, contacting the leadership of appropriations will be helpful once the budget gets to the main appropriations committee in May. Unfortunately the only thing that seems to have influence in this process is the number of individuals who contact legislators about specific issues.

I am listing the names and contact information for the subcommittee and leadership in Hartford. Your first contact should be your own state senator and representative. You can find them on the www.cga.ct.gov website. There is additional information on the cga website and on the ARC of CT website about how to contact legislators. Then if you have time, contact the individuals below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Some of the legislators have to be contacted through their specific websites rather than via regular e-mail. I totally understand that none of us have time to do this when we are trying to keep things together with our kids at home. However, after meeting with numerous legislators and advocacy groups, these contacts are the only way to ensure our children have a safety net going forward. We do have strength in numbers. Sign this petition to have a voice to protect our special needs children!

Feel free to send a letter/call/Email:

CO-CHAIRPERSONS of health subcommittee of appropriations (note **=members of ID/DD caucus),

**Sen. Terry Gerratana (D-S6) Room 3002, LOB

(860)240-0584 terry.gerratana@cga.ct.gov

Rep. Patricia Dillon (D-92) Room 4019, LOB (860) 240-8585 patricia.Dillon@cga.ct.gov

MEMBERS: for all of the Republicans you need to go on their websites to e-mail, for the democrats use the formula--- firstname.lastname@cga.ct.gov

**Sen. Paul Formica (R-S20) Room 3901, LOB (860) 240-0574

**Rep. Whit Betts (R-78) Room 4200, LOB (860) 240-8700

**Rep. Catherine Abercrombie (D-83) Room 2002, LOB (860) 240-0492

**Rep. Kevin Ryan (D-139) Room 4108, LOB (860) 240-8585

Rep. Andre Baker, Jr. (D-124) Room 5008, LOB (860) 240-8585

**Rep. Peter Tercyak (D-26) Room 3804, LOB (860) 240-8585

Rep. Juan Candelaria (D-95) Room 1804, LOB (860) 240-8585

**Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) Room 4053, LOB (860) 240-8700

**Rep. Susan Johnson (D-49) Room 5007, LOB (860) 240-8585

**Rep. Jay Case (R-63) Room 2004, LOB (860) 240-8700

Rep. Robyn Porter (D-94) Room 2704, LOB (860) 240-8585

**Rep. Kathleen McCarty (R-38) Room 4046, LOB (860) 240-8700



LEADERSHIP OF APPROPRIATIONS-Co-chairs:

**Senator Beth Bye, Deputy Majority Leader(D5)1-800-842-1420, need to e-mail via link on her website

Representative Toni Walker, (D-93) , 1-800-842-8267

Toni.Walker@cga.ct.gov



LEADERSHIP OF LEGISLATURE:

Senate President Martin Looney, (D-11), (800)-842-1420, must go on website to e-mail

Senator Bob Duff, Senate Majority Leader (D-25), (800)-842-1420, Bob.Duff@cga.ct.gov

Rep. Joe Aresimowic, House Majority Leader (D-30), (860) 240-8489 Joe.Aresimowicz@cga.ct.gov

Rep. Brendan Sharkey, Speaker of the House (D-88),1-800-842-1902, Brendan.Sharkey@cga.ct.gov



DR. RIVELLI'S LETTER TO STATE LEGISLATORS:

The developmental disability community is currently experiencing a crisis due to unprecedented cuts to essential DDS services and slashing of funds to all other critical services. I know this because as a pediatrician I am seeing my patients affected. Closer to home, as the parent of a 20 year old with autism and intellectual...