Posted on 04/02/2004 4:04:00 AM PST by phenn
Gov. Jeb Bush Proposes Creating New Agency For Disabled
POSTED: 5:33 am EST April 1, 2004
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush is proposing the creation of a separate agency to handle the $1.1 billion developmental disabilities program, which is now managed by the Department of Children & Families.
The Agency for Persons With Disabilities would begin operating Oct. 1 in a move supporters say will provide greater attention for 30,000 developmentally disabled residents being served by the state while allowing DCF to focus more on child welfare.
"Prior to the current administration, this program had suffered from many years of neglect," Shelly Brantley, DCF's developmental disabilities director, told The Associated Press late Wednesday. "This will significantly heighten the visibility of this program, not only during this administration but hopefully for many years to come."
Sen. Durell Peaden and Rep. Sandra Murman will place the proposal into bills after the Legislature returns April 12 from a weeklong break. There will only be three weeks remaining before the session's scheduled April 30 end date, meaning the bills will have to be moved quickly.
"There's always enough time," said Peaden, R-Crestview. "We're trying to make it more efficient to take care of more folks and trying to make sure there's more accountability."
Alia Faraj, a spokeswoman for Bush, said "It's such an important priority that it deserves its own agency. Elevating the program to agency status will allow a single agency and its hard working people to devote all of its time and attention to persons with developmental disabilities."
The developmentally disabled program at DCF has run millions of dollars over budget in recent years and has had a growing waiting list despite substantial budget increases.
DCF Secretary Jerry Regier is conducting several audits to address the problems and has said the program will stay within budget this year after adjusting the rate paid for client services.
He is also working to change the billing system, which until now didn't catch errors before claims were paid, making it difficult to detect fraud or recoup overpayments.
"The program is now on much more solid ground than it was two years ago," said department spokesman Bill Spann. "Secretary Regier, to his credit, has got the program to a point where it's ready to stand alone."
Murman said the agency, as it exists now, is too large.
"These people are so vulnerable in our society and somehow they've gotten lost," said Murman, R-Tampa. "I just feel like the department had gotten so big. I just felt like the services themselves could do better if they were broken down into smaller pieces ... Our children will be safer and our people who are disabled will get a lot more attention."
All of the current program staff would move to the new agency and the transition would not cost the state more money, according to DCF.
"We would like to establish an agency that's totally devoted to individuals with disabilities and heighten attention to their needs," said Brantley. "This is an opportunity that we have never had before and has been long desired by many of the advocates in the developmentally disabled community."
In addition to child welfare, DCF would continue to provide services in areas such as mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence and adult protection.
(Excerpt) Read more at local6.com ...
| Rank | Location | Receipts | Donors/Avg | Freepers/Avg | Monthlies | |||
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| 32 | Nebraska | 50.00 |
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This is a DISABLED AMERICAN VETERAN who is UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR CANCER and who lives with a friend he took in and HER HANDICAPPED SON!!!!!
If Jeb Bush doesn't care about these people, he doesn't care about anybody.
The seizure of this man's home is a violation of justice and everything the United States stands for. The injustice is worse than the affront to the handicapped.
Every American should be outraged at the injustice and frightened by the precident.
WHERE IS JEB BUSH???
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