Contact Your PA Senator to Support the Proposed Budget for Intellectual Disability and Autism Services

By Charles J. Hooker III, President and CEO of Keystone Human Services

In the coming weeks, the Pennsylvania Senate will begin discussing the proposed budget bill passed by the PA House of Representatives. It’s time to start engaging with your PA Senator to encourage them to support a budget that includes increased funding for intellectual disability and autism services.

The House budget bill includes the first across the board rate increases that we have seen in a decade. It also calls for increased community-based services and waiting list initiatives.

These increases are critical to the people we serve and the people who support them. If the intellectual disability and autism portion of the budget remains intact, the budget will increase our ability to address direct support professional compensation, and decrease vacancies and turnover, as well as improve the services we provide to the people we support.

PAR (Pennsylvania Advocacy Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disability) has developed an advocacy tool so you can easily contact your PA Senator about the importance of increased funding for intellectual disability and autism services. Select the category below that best describes you to send a customizable letter to your PA Senator:

• Direct Support Professional
• Keystone Human Services Employee (not a DSP)
• Person with Intellectual Disability or Autism
• Family Member of a Person with Intellectual Disability or Autism
• Community Stakeholder

This is an important time to make our voices heard. The work we do every day is critical to the lives of the many people we support.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our mission and the people we serve.