DSPAM Testimony in the Minnesota House of Representatives

Bridget Siljander

Testimony on 4/10/13

Chair:  Rep. Huntley

Omnibus HHS Finance Bill

Good morning, Mr. Chair and Committee Members.  Thank you for the privilege to offer my testimony on the Omnibus Health and Human Services Finance Bill.   My name is Bridget Siljander.  I have been a Personal Care Attendant, PCA, since 1997, and am the president of the Direct Support Professional Association of MN (DSPAM).

DSPAM seeks to improve the quality of human services provided to persons with disabilities and older persons by strengthening the direct support professional workforce.

I am the face and voice of one of 120,000 direct support professionals, which includes PCAs, in Minnesota.  You probably won’t see many of our faces or hear many of our voices because we are a marginalized and underrepresented workforce. I am one of the very few empowered PCAs.  So, just because you don’t currently hear much from our labor population, doesn’t mean that ALL of the proposed cuts to PCA Services won’t be devastating to PCAs and the Minnesotans who rely on their low-cost services to age in place and participate with dignity in community life. 

Cuts to PCA Services will undercut the sustainability of the PCA workforce, which is an unacceptable and short-sighted way to balance the budget and address concerns about the program.  DSPAM members believe that the PCA program can’t afford cuts and PCAs can’t afford reductions to wages.

We oppose cutting reimbursement rates, which trickles down to wage cuts. We must protect the integrity of the PCA Program, which will become the Community First Services and Supports (or CFSS). We must protect workers, that is, PCAs. We must protect Minnesota families, especially our most vulnerable, who are impacted by disability and aging. Our people are our priority.

DSPAM supports the changes to the PCA Program, in the development of the Community First Services and Supports (or CFSS). We urge decision makers to provide training to families and PCAs, so they know how to use CFSS. We recommend making sure that there is peer mentoring available to PCAs and families.  

During the 2013 session, DSPAM urges you to:

Take specific steps to protect the interests of over 120,000 direct support professionals serving Minnesota citizens and families. Specifically, we urge you to do the following:

Support a Cost of Living Allocation, or COLA, for providers of support services to people with disabilities. The only time most DSPs get raises is when the legislature authorizes a rate increase for their employers. The current economic crisis impacts DSPs tremendously. For those of us with little or no discretionary income, the only places we can cut are food, child care, housing, and transportation. We have no cushion!

Eliminate the projected 1.67% cut to the already drastically reduced reimbursement rate for DSPs. We need to increase the hourly reimbursement rate for DSPs, not reduce it. Consumers are forced to work with DSPs who are under-qualified and unprofessional in order to get their needs met, while those who are qualified and passionate about providing services are forced to pursue careers that will supply a living wage.

Support the addition of on-site training hours for DSPs. Currently, when a consumer is receiving PCA services, their DSPs are not allowed to have any overlap in hours even if they are brand-new and going through training. By not allowing a new DSP to learn from an experienced DSP and watch them provide cares to their consumer, the consumer and the DSP are both placed at a disadvantage.

Oppose any proposals to cut rates for programs serving people with disabilities. Many of these agencies do not have the ability to absorb further cuts. Imposing cuts will likely result in layoffs of direct support professionals and a diminished quality of life for people who have disabilities. Some agencies may not survive additional budget cuts, thus affecting the community-based infrastructure that is so important to people with disabilities.

Oppose efforts to limit access to community-based services for people with disabilities. People with disabilities already sit on waiting lists for years for many types of critical support services. Families who have children with disabilities need these services now to stay together. Adults with disabilities need these services now to live, work, and play in their local communities.

Support efforts to make health insurance affordable and accessible to direct support professionals. Lack of health insurance causes dedicated people to leave the field out of necessity to care for their family and personal health needs.

Thank you for the privilege of offering my testimony.