The InVisionary
WEXFORD, PENNSYLVANIA (July 12, 2024) – InVision Human Services is grateful to Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly for acknowledging the needs of intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) programs in the Pennsylvania budget. Poised to sign this budget last night, Governor Josh Shapiro stated during his budget address that “the ID/A community was finally heard in these halls of power.”
While details of the budget have not been fully released, we believe this bipartisan effort includes an increase in funds to support the ID/A system, including increasing rates for direct support professional (DSP) wages, and funds to start a five-year plan to eliminate the state’s Waiting List.
This marks a major milestone for the ID/A community in PA, and it seems clear that it will be transformative for families on the state’s Emergency Waiting List, many of whom have waited decades for crucial services.
The Commonwealth’s 2024-25 budget reflects years of advocacy and persistence from families and supporters of the ID/A community. Many of PA’s leaders demonstrated incredible compassion, openness, and responsiveness by welcoming families and advocates into their offices to discuss the ID/A community's needs. Many legislators on both sides of the aisle worked hard to address the crisis in order to serve this vulnerable group of Pennsylvania’s population.
We look forward to working with the Shapiro administration and the PA legislature to ensure this funding directly reduces DSP turnover rates – hovering near 40%, and also to work with policymakers in subsequent budget years to address inflation, adequacy of state-set rates, and ongoing emergency needs.
Since its founding in 1992, InVision Human Services has been dedicated to supporting people with intellectual disabilities, autism, and mental health issues. It provides a customized approach to residential services, employment, and community supports that helps unlock opportunities for the people they serve to build lives filled with meaning, purpose, and self-determination. InVision honors the strengths, hopes, and dreams of every person they support, and their unique needs drive everything the organization does. InVision employs about 700 people and supports several hundred people throughout Pennsylvania.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Gary Blumenthal
Government Relations and Advocacy
InVision Human Services
gblumenthal@invisionhs.org
724-933-5100 x 239
While details of the budget have not been fully released, we believe this bipartisan effort includes an increase in funds to support the ID/A system, including increasing rates for direct support professional (DSP) wages, and funds to start a five-year plan to eliminate the state’s Waiting List.
This marks a major milestone for the ID/A community in PA, and it seems clear that it will be transformative for families on the state’s Emergency Waiting List, many of whom have waited decades for crucial services.
The Commonwealth’s 2024-25 budget reflects years of advocacy and persistence from families and supporters of the ID/A community. Many of PA’s leaders demonstrated incredible compassion, openness, and responsiveness by welcoming families and advocates into their offices to discuss the ID/A community's needs. Many legislators on both sides of the aisle worked hard to address the crisis in order to serve this vulnerable group of Pennsylvania’s population.We look forward to working with the Shapiro administration and the PA legislature to ensure this funding directly reduces DSP turnover rates – hovering near 40%, and also to work with policymakers in subsequent budget years to address inflation, adequacy of state-set rates, and ongoing emergency needs.
Since its founding in 1992, InVision Human Services has been dedicated to supporting people with intellectual disabilities, autism, and mental health issues. It provides a customized approach to residential services, employment, and community supports that helps unlock opportunities for the people they serve to build lives filled with meaning, purpose, and self-determination. InVision honors the strengths, hopes, and dreams of every person they support, and their unique needs drive everything the organization does. InVision employs about 700 people and supports several hundred people throughout Pennsylvania.
###
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Gary Blumenthal
Government Relations and Advocacy
InVision Human Services
gblumenthal@invisionhs.org
724-933-5100 x 239
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