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Rockford provider desperately needs state cash that isn’t coming

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Illinois

* Looks like they’re going to have to shut down…

Rockford-area residents treated daily in the triage program at the Rosecrance Mulberry Center suffer from such things as depression, psychotic episodes, extreme paranoia and debilitating anxiety.

Some self-medicate by abusing drugs and alcohol and some are a threat to themselves or someone else.

These are the people who could find themselves without help if the center’s triage program ends next month.

On Tuesday, Rosecrance President and CEO Philip Eaton announced the triage program will be shut down in 30 days if the state continues to renege on what he called a “good-faith promise” to fund community mental health services after closing the Singer Mental Health Center in 2012.

Rosecrance requested $750,000, half of the $1.5 million that was zeroed out in the state’s fiscal year 2017 stopgap budget.

Oy.

* Meanwhile…

Some Ray Graham Association workers in DuPage County are leaving their posts for higher-paying jobs in fast food or big box stores as the clock is ticking on GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign or veto a bill raising pay for caregivers for those with disabilities. Workers statewide average $9.35 an hour.

President and CEO Kim Zoeller recalls an email she got the other day highlighting the placement of a disabled resident in a part-time job. “I’m so excited for this, but check out this wage,” the email read. It was higher than the email’s sender — the employment specialist.

Zoeller says 50 of Ray Graham’s 300 or so caregiver positions are open and the agency is experiencing higher turnover than ever. With those gaps, she says, the agency no longer is able to devote time to take residents into the community for such things as going to church or grocery shopping. Ray Graham serves 2,000 disabled children and adults in the suburbs and operates 23 group residential homes.

Illinois last increased reimbursement for such nonprofits in 2008. Efforts to increase reimbursements have fallen short with some arguing the state, faced with a multibillion-dollar bill backlog, must take care of existing obligations before taking on new ones.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:20 pm

Comments

All for the Turnaround Agenda. Queue former Rep. Sandack tweet in three, two, one….

(psssst OW, you’re on)

Raunerites nee Republicans are solely responsible for the destruction of private social service agencies because of the non payment of legal contracts with the state.

No, Madigan did not cause this.

Rauner did by holding hostage private social services and all manner of business contracts till he gets his Turnaround Agenda.

Rauner and Rauner only.

Republicans are to blame. (OW and Edgar and a few others excluded)

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:31 pm
The Ray Gram workers will get more money eventually. If this large agency collapses, the people with disabilities will be sent to state operated facilities operated by state workers who get paid considerably more. This would be in contradiction to the Supreme Court’s 1999 Olmstead decision and the courts would eventually order the state to increase wages enough to adequately staff Ray Gram and other providers. Remember the Springfield special interests such as unionized state workers get paid first and the most and others have to obtain services by court order and lawsuit.

Comment by Muscular Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:31 pm
Heartbreaking to say the least, especially seeing how much money has been given by Rauner to a political party.

Comment by Cable Line Beer Gardener Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:33 pm
And this governor wants to reduce the prison population by 25%? Safely and with reduced recidivism? “Balderdash”

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:35 pm
- Honeybear -

Indeed.

The tweet from the former representative is apt.

Reforming Illinois is more important than a short term budget stalemate… which turned into squeezing the beast,.. which evolved into Diana Rauner’s “business decision” and helping The Ounce while others continue to flounder…

The shame of if all… The Rauners honestly believe their donating of millions gives them license to sit back and let others fall for Bruce’s agenda.

Heartbreaking, the cold hearts… of the “business decision” plan of Raunerism.

Sad - Honeybear -, cold and sad.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:54 pm
The Ray Graham story exits in virtually every community based residential provider in the state. The very large to the very small are all facing the same issue. The state rate pays less than $10 and does not allow health insurance. Residential is often only a temprary job and staff wait for a higher paying position i a different field like fast food or retail. Staff turn over rate in these program is very high often 70%+

Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:58 pm
Look up Rosecrance Inc in http://openbook.illinoiscomptroller.gov

They are owned a LOT. And, they have many contracts for FY17. If they close, is Rauner counting that as a “savings”???
Or, maybe, that’s just his way of “reforming” the State.

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 2:00 pm
The sad thing is that Rauner will continue hurting agencies like these for many months if not another year.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 2:24 pm
Jim, christine

Explain to me how you are going to get your members reelected, and pick up seats, while imposing human damage like this.

Winning? Starve the beast? Shakeout social services? Sounds like a winning strategy/s

Eventually, the electorate will realize they are being plAyed w term limits, and madigan, madigan, madigan. Voters need something and someone to vote FOR.

Comment by Langhorne Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 2:31 pm
>If they close, is Rauner counting that as a “savings”??? Or, maybe, that’s just his way of “reforming” the State.

He has a clear vision. They’ll be gone. Eventually there will be a budget and it will include money for needed services, the contract for which can go to the type of large corporation Rauner envisions for the Illinois human service system.

Comment by Earnest Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 2:35 pm
On NPR this morning, 1.4% announced his next agenda today to reform politics in Illinois - term limits, maps and property taxes. These are the items that he will demand before passing a budget and income tax increase.

So the hostages are not going to be freed, the demands have changed.

I want a bus.
No bus, I want a plane.

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 2:41 pm
Let’s not forget, in all of this, that a Taco Bell® burrito cares not who assembles it. People with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities need and deserve consistent attention.

Comment by Dome Gnome Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:06 pm
=== On NPR this morning, 1.4% announced his next agenda today to reform politics in Illinois - term limits, maps and property taxes. These are the items that he will demand before passing a budget and income tax increase. ===

Not so fast. From today’s Trib:

“My personal focus, let’s change, let’s fix the political system first,” Rauner said. “How about we start with that. How about we do term limits, fair maps and pensions. That’s simple. People get it. Politically popular. Doable.”

Comment by Louis Capricious Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:25 pm
The Rosecrance situation is beyond upsetting. When Singer was closed, Rosecrance and other community providers were promised more money. That was overlooked in the Administration change because low and behold that money was zeroed out of the budget by Rauner, not just for FY 16, but FY 17, too.

During one of the appropriation hearings, the Senators put DHS’s feet to the fire and demanded answers for this, and DHS promised they were working on a solution and that Rosecrance would be very happy with the situation.

Well there is no one happy with this situation. And that money was in the stop gap budget, so somebody gave that reporter bad information.

Comment by Miss Marie Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:25 pm
“Simple”? Sweet loving Jesus, did he really say those are “simple”?

We are lost. How care even be dialogue with one such as this? Governing is NEVER simple!

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:31 pm
Be realistic:. This is more than a Trainer issue. Yes he would sacrifice these agencies and those they serve for the sake of business interests. But the Dems are every bit as willing to sell them out to protect big labor and the steady flow of money into the DEM’s campaign chest. The state is so far in the hole as a result of this political war that the not for profit social service agencies can never again expect meaningful state assistance. In this respect the war is over and Rainer has won.

Comment by Skirmisher Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:39 pm
My mistake, I remembered property taxes when it should have been pensions.

The point still remains, 1.4% has switched his hostage demands.

As far as the pensions being “doable”, have your lawyer call mine to make an appointment at the IL Supreme Court. The only “doable” that ought to be considered is how to pay the State’s share of the pension payment that was shorted during the pension holidays.

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:39 pm
It was supposed to say Rauner issue, not trainer issue. I hate smart phones.

Comment by Skirmisher Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:41 pm
Skirmisher, if you’re so worried about money coming from thousands and thousands of middle class workers to Dem campaigns and in a prior post we see that so few financially own the IL GOP perhaps we should go to public financing. Every candidate gets the same pot of money.

Equal $ playing field for both.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 3:45 pm
I don’t understand why these reporters continue to cover these stories. It should be plainly obvious by now that the people who use these services most likely do not vote, and if they do, they certainly do not vote republican. In situations such as these, Bruce DOES NOT CARE. The editorial boards of these papers are going to endorse Bruce because the owners want them to, regardless of how many stories they write how poorly these folks are treated. For Christs sake, half the commenters here are too busy whining about “derp, overpaid state worker union members, derp!” to care about the harm Bruce is causing to these people. As Rich constantly reminds us, Bruce has a billion dollars, his reelection is fait accompli, this is the new normal for Illinois - why don’t these reporters realize this and go back to updating everyone on the terror that is MJM and how term limits will magically fix all of our problems?

Comment by Lester Holt's Mustache Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 4:11 pm
–“derp, overpaid state worker union members, derp!”–

I love that. DERP!!!!

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 4:16 pm
–his reelection is fait accompli–

I think we’re going to see the failure of Brownback in Kansas, Jindal in Louisiana, and Walker in Wisconsin haunt Rauner. You just can’t hide the devastation and not link it back to the same disastrous policy decisions. But you never know these days.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 4:54 pm
The sad thing is that Madigan and his union cronies don’t really care.

Comment by Ron Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 5:44 pm
How about the state push all teacher pension obligations onto the school districts that created them?

And of course allow municipal BK?

Comment by Ron Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 5:48 pm
Just heard on the radio that the ILSC split along patty lines to keep the maps off the ballot.

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 6:10 pm
- Ron -

Cite the legality of your wants, take your time.

Ugh.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 6:40 pm
I’m having a difficult time sympathizing with Rosecrance and the mental health situation in Rockford. Rosecrance moved in and took over Janet Wattles MH clinic. They moved into the community hospitals behavioral health unit. Then, they set their sights on taking Singer Mental Health Center out. Phillip Eaton used his influence to have the Rockford Register Star write slanted pieces touting how much better Rockford’s Mental health services would be without Singer Center. Then he lobbied members of the General Assembly to support him. The community barely raised a peep when Singer Center closed.

Rosecrance took over services in McHenry County and are currently taking over services from Community Elements in Champaign. So what is Rosecrance doing with all the State contracts it has managed to secure? Living high on the hog of course. According to their 990 filings, Phillip Eaton earned himself a 42k raise last year, bringing his total compensation to 440k. The next 5 executives earn between 193k to 227k. 600k for cosultants in Indiana, 300k for attorney retainer. Not your typical grass roots community operation. Meanwhile he pays his therapists in peanuts. This is the effect of privatization.

Well, Big Fish Eaton, meet Bigger Fish Rauner.

The piece about direct support staffing describes a shameful situation that has been allowed to endure and has now reached critical mass. Agencies are running short-staffed and bringing in temps to work with people they are not at all familiar with. Imagine working with eight disabled people by yourself. These are group homes scattered around the community. They are isolated from their headquarters office and any back-up. You have to bathe people, prepare meals, clean, provide treatment and your’re making 10 bucks an hour. No breaks for you. Oh, and then one of the guys decides to bolt out the door and take off down the street.

Comment by Six Stringer Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 7:44 pm