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Reimagine DSHS
Kris shared the Reimagine work and asked for feedback.
Summary: The DSHS secretary has decided to move DDA, BHA, and ALTSA into 2 new administrations. We now have Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration (BHHA) led by Kevin Bovenkamp and Home and Community Living Administration (HCLA) led by Bea Rector. Information will be sent to the community eventually.
- DDA is now under the Home and Community and Living Administration.
- State-operated services have moved under BHHA. The RHCS, Lake Burien, and our state-operated community residential programs.
- Under HCLA our (former) DDA services and programs will be a division led by Kris Pederson.
- We are so new into this reorganization that we have only changed supervisors and identified that we’re a division.
- Starting in July we will bring community members, advocates, and staff into different groups to discuss what’s needed to make the system better.
- Kris said there should not be any disruptions to services.
- So, what’s going to change? You’ll contact the same people you always have. You’ll go to the same contacts for services as always. That’s not changing. We want to reassure folks that even though DSHS is going through a reorganization, we will spend a long time meeting with folks to determine what’s not working well and what is working well. We will change the things that keep people from accessing the supports they need.
- Community information should come out every two weeks.
Questions:
- Kieran asked about who was in charge.
- Tonik Joseph is serving as the Special Assistant to Bea Rector. Her role is to make sure there aren’t barriers and to ensure continuity in the work we do.
- Kieran asked if it will be easier or harder to get services.
- Kris said the goal is to make access to services easier and create new efficiencies.
- Krista said the “Nothing About Us Without Us” bill came about because people were reimagining change without including people with lived experience. Is this pattern of behavior going to change? How is this going to be any different? How is it not the same old thing?
- The secretary has decided to move us to 2 administrations (among other changes). The first step is the internal movements and the 2nd part of that is the engagement with community. We need those voices at the table to be able to inform the system change. They’re working on a project plan and from that will come the plan to connect with our communities. And the Community Collaborator position (Ivanova) will help us internally to ensure we are hearing the voices of people with lived experience.
- Michelle noted that it’s May and Kris is here now, in front of everyone, even with no formal structure to this. She wants to be as forthcoming as possible. Kris constantly reminds folks that “Nothing About Us Without Us” is the law.
- Kris said we have lists of barriers we want to address with this work. Some may be corrected and some may not.
- Example: We know our caseloads are too high. Will Reimagine change that? Most likely not because that’s a legislated mandate. But we can change the process so that there is no wrong door. We can streamline current work to address system barriers.
- Krista asserted that all the things Kris just laid out are not the goals of folks with lived experience. They are concerned about things like transportation, housing, health and safety, reducing isolation, etc.
- Kris reiterated that this is a high-level review and all the pieces Krista mentioned are a part of the body of work.
- Noah asked about how Lake Burien is a facility under BHHA and the children’s out-of-home services are under the community. How will self-advocates and others contact who they need to, now that we’ve split?
- Kris said we do need to decide how we’ll centralize information but reminded Noah that the people you’d contact for facilities things before will be the same people you contact now.
Feedback: Kris asked the group what are we doing well that you want to continue? Do you have concerns that she can bring to leadership?
- Kieran talked about being worried that services will be harder to access.
- Krista worries that this is just another shift and we’ll lose the Nothing About Us Without Us that we fought so hard for.
- Noah is worried that the bridge between community and facilities won’t be there any longer.
- Richard thinks the changes will be good, but he doesn’t know how the changes will work with the company he’s with.
- Resa asked, “Are you really listening to us?”
- Kris is listening, taking notes, meeting with groups constantly. Yes. We are listening.
- Resa asked, “Do you have self-advocates on these committees?”
- As the committees are created, self-advocates will be included.
- Resa also asked, “Will Nothing About Us Without Us be funded so we can get paid?”
- Kris said DSHS has a process for stipends and that should not be impacted by this work.
- Notetaker missed who asked the question: “Whose idea was this?”
- Cheryl Strange directed this new work.
- Steven expressed frustration saying DSHS and Social Security don’t help. Worried the feds will take everything away. Housing sucks. How do you report that a care giver was abusive and actually get something done?
- Michelle said something we’re looking at is that when folks have concerns because they followed all the rules, they did what they’ve been told, and it’s not helping them. She wants to talk to Steven after the meeting about this.
- Kieran said some people are living on the streets and work 2 jobs. How is DDA going to help people who are homeless?
- Kris said that’s an area where we can grow and the aging and long-term support administration can help now that our administrations are combined. Housing is a priority, and we want to look at how we can use subsidies to help people keep and maintain their home. Washington state budget does not look good, the federal government is making decision about Medicaid that impacts lives. She agrees: Why are we taking from the most vulnerable when they are the ones who need the support?
- Michelle noted that DDA does not get to decide how much money DDA receives.
- Resa asked if we can start having meetings in person rather than in Zoom.
- Michelle said there is a state-wide travel freeze. In-person would be so much better, but it’s better to cut funding for travel than for services.
Question for the group: Michelle said starting in July there will be community groups and soon there will be info coming to the community every 2 weeks. She asked: If HCLA starts sending info every 2 weeks, they typically use gov delivery. What would be the best way for DSHS to communicate with you?
- Lucas said first consider who doesn’t have email. If DSHS sends updates to people, we need to ensure the addresses are correct.
- Kieran prefers email and contacting the organizations/advocacy groups. Also calling people on the phone.
- Krista said reading and writing is challenging, we know someone else is checking their mail, we know they have barriers to accessing technology. If we have an entire department dedicated to communications, she would think there would be a way within our system to track people’s opinion. A mass email isn’t useful. We have a department that is supposed to be collecting data. That whole department should be focused on this. We have a process to communicate with care givers, so they can communicate with folks since they are in their homes. And we need a budget for it.
- Noah said in his experience, the providers also don’t know information. Some things should be visible to the public. He suggested ad campaigns, bus ads, bus stops, flyers in community centers, pamphlets were people with I/DD hang out, special Olympics.
- Resa said maybe we have to stand on the street corner selling lemonade and selling cupcakes. “We have to get money to pay money.” It would help if everybody could have something on their computer or device that can read out loud.
- Tracy said we should have folks go to community centers and libraries and share their stories about how they’re impacted.
- Robert would like a postcard detailing what’s going on, what’s coming up, programs, the budget.
- Richard suggested we communicate with the house managers at everyone’s houses and they can convey the message to clients and ensure they understand it.
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