OMRDD

Ensure that the developmentally disabled continue to receive quality public services from the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Clients need legislators who will amend the Executive Budget to:

• Reject the consolidation of the Taconic DDSO

• Increase direct care and clinical staffing levels by 100 positions at OMRDD's DDSOs.

Prevent disruption of staffing and services associated with the consolidation of Taconic DDSO.

FACT: Merger of Taconic DDSO with the Capital District DDSO will potentially allow the transfer of staff hours away from their current job locations.

The Legislature should add $4.5 million for 100 clinical and professional direct care positions to enhance staffing at secure units, multiply-disabled units, and Intermediate Care Facilities.

FACT: OMRDD spent approximately $35.9 million in SFY2000-01 on overtime, nearly 20 percent more than a year ago. Every single day, OMRDD employees work over 4,212 hours of overtime, the equivalent of 526 extra employees.

FACT: There are currently 802 statewide vacancies in OMRDD PEF titles, or nearly 1 in 5 positions. These high vacancy rates exist despite the outright elimination of over 1,000 positions since 1994.

FACT: Short staffing is associated with increased injury rates. The most recent data shows that OMRDD had an accident rate of 28.1 accidents per hundred workers per year, compared to 27.8 accidents per hundred workers per year in OMH in 1999/00. These rates are higher than most any other occupation in the State.

FACT: Additional staffing is needed for more difficult clients. Court sentencing and diversion has resulted in the inclusion of street-smart, often predatory clients (including pedophiles), not only in secure forensic settings but also in non-secure general-population homes and institutional settings.

PROTECT THE QUALITY OF SERVICES FOR THE

MENTALLY RETARDED AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED.