TAKE ACTION ON THE WORKFORCE CRISIS

URGENT NEED TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR!

The Workforce shortage crisis in human services has taken an enormous toll on people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Please join Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts (AFAM) and The Arc in an URGENT ADVOCACY ALERT to the Massachusetts Senate!

  • Five to seven thousand adults with autism or IDD have had no or limited day services since 2019 and are still waiting! Imagine if your child had to wait 1-2 years to participate in a school program. This is exactly what is happening NOW to these adults.
  • Programs are closing. Agencies are in danger of closing.
  • Staff vacancies of up to 50% or more means transition services are virtually non-existent.
  • COVID has changed our world and our system of supports must change with it. Appropriate funding is key!
  • This valued workforce should be compensated so that they don’t have to choose between working with our loved ones for $16/hr or working at Dunkin Donuts for $18/hr.

As the budget process moves to the Senate, we request significant funding for a wage increase for Human Services Workers, including the Direct Support Workforce for people with autism and IDD. This funding for Chapter 257 (the rate reserve account) will help service providers with recruiting, hiring, and retaining direct support staff.

Chapter 257 (1599-6903) requires an additional $350 Million this year to accomplish the goal of getting these essential staff into the $20/per hour range and above to deal with this crisis.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Please contact your Senator and ask them to support this critical workforce wage increase to stop the closures of programs and to allow individuals with autism and other disabilities to return to services. The crisis is causing increased isolation, regression, and mental health emergencies.

Not sure what to say? You can copy and paste the example below.

Dear Senator __,

[If possible, add a personal sentence or two explaining why this issue matters to you, such as: I am the parent/sibling of a 23-year-old young man who has autism. The workforce shortage has impacted me by (explain increase in caregiving responsibilities & stress, any loss of income by being unable to work etc.)]

I am writing alongside Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts and The Arc of Mass to ask for your urgent action on the FY23 budget. The workforce shortage for our community has become catastrophic. It has taken an enormous toll on people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

• Five to seven thousand adults with autism or IDD have had no or limited day services and are still waiting!
• Program closures are happening, and others are imminent!
• The direct support workforce shortage has stopped many transitions to adult services and across such services!
• COVID has changed our world and our system of supports must change with it. Appropriate funding is key!

Please support significant funding for a wage increase for Human Services Workers, including the Direct Support Workforce for people with autism and IDD. This funding for Chapter 257 (the rate reserve account) will help service providers with recruiting, hiring, and retaining direct support staff.

Chapter 257 (1599-6903) requires an additional $350 Million this year to accomplish the goal of getting these essential staff into the $20/per hour range and above to deal with this crisis.

Please let me know if you will support my request and if you have any questions on the budget request, please reach out to Maura Sullivan at sullivan@arcmass.org.

Thank you,

Your constituent
Name
Address
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