The Lanterman Coalition Proposes 3 Year Budget Investment

In response to decades of underfunding, the Lanterman Coalition – a coalition of statewide and regional organizations representing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families – has proposed a multi-year strategic investment plan which ensures that the I/DD community and the promise of the Lanterman Act moves from a time of crisis and into a time of opportunity, innovation, and measurable outcomes. With that plan in place, the state of California will enter a new era of community inclusion, including employment opportunities, robust early intervention, legally-required case- load ratios for service coordination, access to housing, and individual health and wellbeing. In addition, the 150,000 direct support professionals in California will finally have job stability and a livable wage.

The plan would do the following:

1. Phase-in the recently published CA Department of Developmental Services (DDS) rate models over three years (the DDS rate models identified a $1.8 Billion shortage in funding for I/DD services and supports);
2. Make immediate actions to increase funding for early intervention services and other services committed from recent budget increases, and take immediate actions to reduce regional center caseload ratios;
3. Ensure all DDS funded services & supports receive adjustments for state minimum wage increases;
4. Secure a foundation for long-term planning by removing the recently enacted suspension date for all budget increases of January 1, 2022.

The full plan and letter can be viewed here.