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Ray GrahamAssociation2801 Finley RoadDowners Grove, IL60515(630) 620-2222
Impact of State of Illinois FY 2010 Budget Cuts on Families receivingservices from Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities
On June 12, 2009 Ray Graham Association was notified that funds for the following RGAprograms are completely eliminated beginning July 1, 2009. The following programs no longer exist at Ray Graham Association beginning July 1, 2009
•
Respite and DuPage Work Group
–
586 families
no longer receive financial assistance for the provisionof care for children and adults with disabilities. Respite allows families to remain employed and staytogether. Without this support, family members may need to resign from their employment to provide carefor their child with a disability.
•
Group Respite
– this respite program was offered at three RGA Community Learning Centers for adultswith disabilities to remain at the Community Learning Center and participate in recreational and learningactivities.
18 families
can no longer utilize the program. This respite program allowed families to remainemployed by extending care until the end of the work day.
•
Bednorz Residential Respite
– the Bednorz Respite home is closed and no longer offers residentialcare to
98
families
for their children with disabilities. Without this program, families will not have a safeplace with trained staff to leave their child with a disability when there is an emergency need.
•
Regular Work
– this funding source provided
41 adults
with disabilities that live in the community theopportunity to attend RGA Community Learning Centers for day programming. For many of thesefamilies this was the only program available to their child. Now families must find affordable care in order to maintain employment and their family member with a disability may have to stay at home with littleaccess to their community.
•
DHS-funded Supported Employment
– this program assisted
35 individuals
with disabilities to findemployment and provided job coaching and other assistance to promote their successful employment.Without a job coach, many of these individuals will lose their jobs.
•
Supported Living Arrangements
(SLA) – Ray Graham staff intermittently assisted
24 adults
withdisabilities in their apartments to improve daily living skills as well as focus on problem solving and accessto community resources. Without funding, there will be no staff support for the individuals that live there.Without staff support it is doubtful that these people with disabilities will be able to continue livingindependently in the community. Many will have nowhere to live.
•
With these cuts, currently
900 people with disabilities
that participate in Ray Graham Associationprograms are no longer receiving services. These program cuts not only affect the individualsparticipating in the programs but also their families, Ray Graham Association staff, and the community atlarge.
•
Ray Graham Association has frozen 28 staff positions that were open prior to the cuts. We have offered10 of these positions to employees that were working in the programs that were cut.In addition, RGA received a letter from the State of Illinois, reducing our “Extended Services” contract by 50%from $91,336 to $45,668 for fiscal year 2010. With this cut in funding,
57 adults with disabilities
no longer receive job coaching and employment support. Without this assistance, many will not have the support they needto find employment and many will lose their jobs.
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