Union says state employees key to state-operated community services
Assembly president testifies on MR funding

April 12, 2007 - OCSEA's MH/MR/OVH Assembly President Monty Blanton today offered testimony before members of the House Finance Subcommittee on Human Service.

Blanton, who has seen a lot in his 21 years of service, expressed OCSEA’s support for the Line Item called “Martin Settlement” that appropriates funds to settle the Martin lawsuit.

"The $37 million appropriated to settle the Martin dispute will finally put a long-standing lawsuit to rest by creating 1,500 new waiver slots funded by the state. 280 of these slots are earmarked for individuals living in Developmental Centers, ICF/MRs or Nursing Homes. OCSEA believes it is a fair settlement because it not only creates new waivers for individuals on waiting lists, but it also allows for the continued choice of Developmental Centers (DCs) as an option, which we believe is a vital choice in the residential continuum," Blanton told legislators on Thursday.

The veteran union leader also offered the union's recommendation on how to successfully implement the waiver program it will create.

"More importantly, we believe the settlement creates a historic and unique opportunity to develop a stable, high-quality and accountable community waiver system that is state-funded as well as state-operated," Blanton suggested.

But he didn't stop there. Blanton said that state employees are key to a successful program.

"Even though the settlement creates 1,500 new waiver slots, money alone cannot ensure quality or success of the settlement. For this reason, we would like to propose that a number of these 1,500 waiver slots not only be funded by the State, but be operated by the State using state employees."

Development of state-operated community services would:

• Require no additional county board revenues;

• Will expand poorer counties’ ability to reduce waiting lists and allow for a statewide system;

• Would help to develop a statewide system of long-term, qualified community direct caregivers; and

• Would allow the hardest to serve individuals to have real choice.

The MH/MR/OVH Assembly represents 2,600 employees statewide who work in the 10 state-operated Developmental Centers and ODMR/DD Central Office.

See Related

Testimony of Monty Blanton on MR Budget, Martin Settlement

Letter of testimony from Ohio League For the Mentally Retarded (PDF)

AFSCME Health Care Resource - Publicly Operated Community Services