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West County Times (Richmond, CA), February 22, 2003
Pressed by a grim state budget outlook, those with a vested interest
in providing health services for the disabled and mentally ill met
at UC Berkeley on Friday for a conference that some called a meeting
between traditionally opposing parties to establish common ground.
Health care providers, advocates, union representatives and consumers
of mental health and disabled services - who often clash over policy
and implementation issues - gathered to discuss how to deal with staffing
shortages, inadequate training and high turnover rates in the social
services field.
The hope was to begin discussions that could lead to a united front
for overhauling the current system, something that appears especially
urgent given the current economic climate.
But state budget woes are not the only concern facing social services
officials in California.
Ken Jacobs, of the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education,
said that one of the main problems facing the social services fields
is that California doesn’t get its fair share of federal money.
The state ranks 47th in the nation in terms of the amount of federal
money it receives per recipient for people with developmental disabilities.
"Our community services are in crisis," Jacobs said. "What
brings people here together today is a recognition that they have
to work together to get more money into the (social services) system."
Keynote speaker Elizabeth Hill, state legislative analyst, said there
is an untapped gold mine of federal resources that California is not
receiving.
She noted that establishing a medical disease management program to
monitor patients with chronic diseases and keep them away from emergency
rooms and long hospital stays could bring in $250 million per year
in federal money.
Another $250 million could come from making sure that those qualified
for Veterans Affairs benefits are not enrolled in state programs,
Hill said.
But for these and other options to work, everyone would have to leave
behind their traditional animosity and work together, Hill said. "I
think that it’s time to be creative in terms of looking for
opportunities to partner," she said.
Former Assemblywoman Dion Aroner said the conference was a chance
for participants to consider cooperating to reorganize how services
are provided and to come up with a long-term strategy.
"If these folks coalesce, with all of the political clout they
have, they would be able to bring in the money that is being left
behind in Washington," Aroner said, and added: Cooperation is
the only way California’s disabled population would be able
to receive the care they deserve.
"If we don’t advance toward a more progressive response
we are never going to get out of this trouble," Aroner said.
"We will always be behind the eight ball."
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