The Battle Continues: We Write At Dawn!
Words have been a reliable weapon for me. Until now.
When Leah was still in school, I got the occasional call from one of her key staff members, telling me, “I need you to do that thing you do …”
I had a pretty good track record of bringing administrators to heel with pointed emails, whether I was trying to challenge a questionable decision or, in a couple of cases, force my district’s transportation division to follow federal law. I admit, recognition for a talent is good for the ego, even if the talent is writing things for a minuscule, target audience.
I decided to follow up my Senate Health and Human Services Subcommittee testimony via email, making some points I had to edit from my two-minute presentation. The more input the better, I thought. If there’s anything families involved with DDA know how to do, it’s raise their voices. We’ve done it for the duration of our loved ones’ lives.
I compared messaging the Developmental Disabilities Administration to screaming into a void. It turns out contacting state representatives isn’t much better. One or two sent form letters in response. Most didn’t respond at all. Any ego I still had has fallen back to earth.
Data, or lack thereof
I knew appealing to their better nature wouldn’t be enough, so my first message focused on data. Or the lack of available data to justify the cuts proposed by DDA administrators.
“There were several requests for data that the representatives from the Department of Health could not provide.
Deputy Secretary Hutchinson had none on the effects of last year’s cuts. Delegate Shetty correctly pointed out the disconnect between the legislative intent of the budget restorations during the 2025 session and the execution by DDA in the ensuing months.
In response to questions about equitable access to services among communities of color, Deputy Secretary Hutchinson claimed DDA has data for FY2026, but was unable to provide it at the meeting.
Not only did Deputy Secretary Hutchinson not have data available regarding response times for Person-Centered Plan approval, she was unable to commit to a timeline for when data might be available. I can only hope that in addition to analyzing the performance of the Coordinators of Community Services (CCS), DDA’s data collection will also capture the number of plans delayed by repeated clarification requests from DDA reviewers, and how many of the clarification requests pertain to previously approved services. The true scope of the issues impacting timely PCP approval involve DDA administrators as well as CCS providers.
And perhaps most alarmingly, Deputy Secretary Hutchinson also could not provide any data about the per-participant cost of self-direction, despite the Department of Health proposing a budget that targets self-directed services with significant salary reductions. An administrator who is proposing a 30-40% wage cut for Direct Support Professionals employed by self-directed participants should be able to provide numbers to justify it.”
My conclusion was a bit passive-agressive:
“I know that challenging decisions are ahead, and I also believe that as dedicated public servants, you’ll want the most current and most accurate information available as you work on the budget.”
Unmoved?
I have no idea if any of it resonated. Or if anyone read it. A lot of people made a lot of arguments, and I hoped that sheer numbers of messages would help. I expected replies from aides or form letters. It was disheartening to hear nothing.
My solution is to keep writing. The Shawshank Redemption is a favorite in our household. Persistence eventually got Andy Dufresne his prison library. (It would help if Stephen King were writing our story.) If you can’t beat ‘em, fill their inboxes.