Local RHC isn't targeted for cuts, but future reductions can't be ruled out
By RYAN LANCASTER
Staff Reporter
When Gov. Christine Gregoire revealed her cuts-heavy 2010 supplemental budget last week, it seemed at first to spare Lakeland Village. Even so, officials say Medical Lake's Residential Habilitation Center (RHC) could still be in line for reductions.
A report commissioned by state legislators was released in November with recommendations on consolidating state institutions. It calls for Lakeland to be cut down over eight years from 238 beds to 26 beds for the most severely disabled clients. Under the plan, a “Placement Transition Team” would start examining housing options for most current Lakeland residents as soon as October 2010, and those residents would be relocated to community-based state and private programs starting in July 2012.
But Gregoire's budget makes no mention of Lakeland. Instead, it calls for Frances Haddon Morgan Center in Bremerton to be closed by 2011 and Rainier School in Buckley to begin downsizing that same year with a closure target of 2014. “Residents will be transferred to appropriate community settings or another RHC,” the budget says, adding that the governor would also fund 60 new community-based residential slots in fiscal year 2011.
Glenn Kuper, a spokesman for the Governor's Office, said Lakeland will see no closures, although there could be as yet undefined budget reductions. “We felt we could get the savings we needed elsewhere,” he said. “The Governor suggests closing the other RHCs.”
Her plan is more assertive than called for by the legislative-mandated study, which suggests reducing the state's beds for the disabled by 250 and closing the same two facilities in phases over a longer period.
Last Wednesday Gregoire said she was pushing closure of the institutions to save money, but also to provide better care. In a policy briefing paper released that same day, she promoted the belief that those with developmental disabilities are better served in community-based settings than in state institutions.
Washington Federation of State Employees spokesman Tim Welch said her stance is telling for the future of Lakeland. “This budget just sets in motion future reductions,” he said. “It sets up a domino effect which eventually folds into what was recommended (in the commissioned report). We don't believe we're out of the woods by any means.”
John Wiley, spokesman for the state Department of Social and Health Services, said that while he doesn't see anything singling out Lakeland in the governor's budget, he can't be sure future reductions aren't implicit. Until Gregoire releases her planned secondary budget in January including revenue sources for less drastic cuts, Wiley said it's too soon to tell.
“This is sort of an exercise, the final budget might be completely different,” he said. “Nothing is set in stone.”
In any case, family members of those in residence at Lakeland are concerned they'll be forced to make some tough decisions. Charles Simchuk's sister has been at Lakeland Village since the early ‘60s. He said the environment there, with its rural setting and experienced staff, has always seemed like the best option for her.
“Some of the caregivers in her cottage have been with her for 20, 25 years,” he said. “You're never going to get that level of care in a community setting. Community placement would jeopardize her safety and the level of care would be diluted.”
Rick Lee, whose son has been at Lakeland Village for around 30 years, agrees. “I've visited public and private homes all over the state and you will never find a place like this,” he said. Lakeland staff care for extremely high needs individuals, many of whom are elderly and would be in mortal danger if moved to an unfamiliar community setting, Lee said. “It would be very disruptive for a person functioning at a normal level, so to do it to these clients, who are at a 3- to 5-year-old IQ level, is highly immoral,” he said, adding that he plans to vocally oppose any reductions to lawmakers in Olympia.
Ninth District Rep. Joe Schmick said he's listening. “The parents of kids are 70 to 80 percent against this move. The biggest concern I've heard is that there's no place to go in the community.” Schmick said he's heard community care supporters say placements will be found for anyone moved out of institutional care, but he isn't convinced. “The national trend is for states to get out of the business (of institutional care) but there's just nowhere to go.”
“I've never had a complaint from the parent of a child at Lakeland in the past 17 years,” said 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler. “It seems to me that if there have been no complaints, it's probably something the government should be doing.”
Legislators will convene Jan. 11 and both lawmakers said changes to RHCs will be high on the agenda. “This is a pretty big shift, they'll be talking about it from day one,” Schmick said. “I still think there's a place for respite care… There will be lots of ideas about where the money can come from, but this should be a higher priority.”
Ryan Lancaster can be reached at [email protected].
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