Rep. Aaron Kaufer speaks about funding to mental health programs at a legislative breakfast Friday. Also attending were Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski and Rep. Mike Carroll.
                                 Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Rep. Aaron Kaufer speaks about funding to mental health programs at a legislative breakfast Friday. Also attending were Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski and Rep. Mike Carroll.

Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

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<p>Richard Edley, President/CEO of Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association in Harrisburg, speaks about funding to mental health programs ata legislative breakfast Friday morning.</p>
                                 <p>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader</p>

Richard Edley, President/CEO of Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association in Harrisburg, speaks about funding to mental health programs ata legislative breakfast Friday morning.

Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

<p>George Gwilliam speaks about funding to mental health programs at a legislative breakfast Friday morning.</p>
                                 <p>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader</p>

George Gwilliam speaks about funding to mental health programs at a legislative breakfast Friday morning.

Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

WILKES-BARRE — At a time when the Wolf Administration is moving to close two state centers that serve people with physical and intellectual disabilities, representatives of several agencies and state legislators gathered Friday to discuss issues affecting those individuals and funding cuts to critical programs.

George Gwilliam, co-founder of Cori’s Place, his daughter Tara, CEO of the agency, and his other daughter, Cori, 39, for whom it is named, sponsored a Legislative Breakfast to discuss the issues and seek ways to improve the situation.

The forum was held at Genetti’s Best Western Plus in Wilkes-Barre.

Richard Edley, president/CEO of Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association in Harrisburg, offered comments. He was joined by state Reps. Mike Carroll, D-Avoca; Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston; and Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre. Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, was represented by her administrative assistant Carol Sweeney.

Gwilliam said Cori’s Place was initially created in 2002 and has since expanded and is continuously being assessed and improved upon by all staff members who work with people with varying disabilities.

Gwilliam and Edley were most concerned about funding cuts that have made it difficult to provide services for a growing client flow and also for the governor’s persistence in raising the state’s minimum wage.

“At a time when group homes and other agencies are seeing a reduction in funding, how can the state consider shutting down two more state centers?” Edley asked.

Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed closing the White Haven Center in Luzerne County and Polk State Center in Venango County. State legislators have fought to place a moratorium on closing the centers.

Edley was also concerned about mandates from state government that are not funded.

Edley said RCPA and its members support increasing staff wages. However, he noted that for years the state has not adequately increased Medicaid reimbursement rates to community providers who care for the most vulnerable individuals throughout the state.

“Because of the low reimbursement rates, providers are already struggling to fill positions and retain qualified individuals,” Edley said. “Unilaterally raising wages without a corresponding provider rate increase to cover these wages only addresses one side of the equation.”

Edley went on to say that the funding cuts and reallocation of county mental health funds have destabilized people’s chances of recovery.

“Pennsylvania cannot afford to wait for a tragedy or crisis to occur,” Edley said. “The Commonwealth must sufficiently fund mental health services for its citizens. Our children, families, and communities deserve quality mental health services so they can maintain their mental health and work towards wellness, in every way.”

Edley said Community Participation Supports rules require a 1:3 staffing ratio when going into the community. However, he said with staffing shortages pervasive throughout agencies serving these populations, it is virtually impossible to achieve a 1:3 ratio for community supervision, with one staff support for every three individuals served in the community. HE said the ratio should be 2:6.

“This policy might work well for individuals who work independently and navigate through the community with minimal assistance, but that’s not who we’re talking about,” Edley said. “Those who are most in need and who have the most serious and complex conditions and need and/or prefer to stay at one location during the day, are being forced to leave the program they enjoy. Further, the time spent by those who participate in programs or workshops and/or have outside employment is not considered by the state as counting toward their time in the community.

Kaufer said he has proposed three pieces of legislation to benefit people with disabilities:

• HB1438 requires insurers to certify that they are in compliance with the Federal Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act through certification by an officer of the plan.

• HB1440 requires health plans to notify subscribers of the addiction treatment coverage available to them in the plan and how to access it.

• HB1439 provides for standardized reporting by insurers on the provision of alcohol and other drug addiction treatment with copies of the report submitted to the General Assembly and made available to the public.

Kaufer, Carroll and Pashinski each vowed to take the concerns to the Legislature and push for changes in state directives.

Pashinski proposed adding the state’s 6% sales tax to currently untaxed items like amusements. He said such a move would result in some $400 million in new revenue for the state.

“All of you do wonderful work and we need to support you by provide the necessary funding,” Carroll said.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.