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85-OmSO ,UT ON A RESOLUTION OF T~E CITY GOUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING THE STATE OF FLORIDA NOT TO CLOSE THE ~ LEARNING CENTER AT 20,000 NW 47th AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA 33055 WHEREAS, a proposal has been set forth to close the landmark Learning Center for the Developmentally Disabled; and WHEREAS, the Landmark Learning Center has shown itself to provide quality care to its almost 400 residents the vast majority or approximately 95% of who are severely/profoundly retarded and multiply handicapped; and WHEREAS, safe, secure and high quality services to these clients in group home settings has not been provided; and WHEREAS, this is a sociological problem that is not going to go away; and WHEREAS, the mentally retarded will continue to be born, and will require their own specialized services and facilities. NOW, THEREFORE, BE AND IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY O0UNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA: Section 1. That the City Council of the City of Boynton Beach requests Governor Graham, David Pingree, Secretary of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, and the members of the Florida Legislature consider keeping open this essential comaunity center for all of the developmentally disabled. PASSED and ADOPTED this 1985. day of ~~ , CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA M~yor ~ ~/ Vice Mayor ATTEST: ~ - (C°~o~ate Seal) ]EVELnpMEFITAL HANDICAPS 1[)85 I.EGISLATIVI'; POSITION PAt>ER ADMINISTRATOR HELENE J. GOOD, M.S.W. BOARD OF DIRECTORS KEVlN SMITH President JOAN L. BORNSTEIN, Ph.D. First Vice. President HENRY C. STERNER, D.P.A. Second Vice-President MARK CHERNY, A.C.S.W. Secretary MARGARET HARTIG Treasurer WILLIAM C. FERRIS A.C.S.W. Immediate Past President ADVISORY BOARD AMELIA E. BATURA, R.N., B.S.N., M.Ed. MICHAEL P. CONNOLLY, Ph.D., L.C.S.W. HERBERT M. DANDES, Ph.D. SENATOR ROBERTA FOX B.L, SCOTTIE McGREGOR PETER PARASKEVA, Ed.D. HOWA~RD ROSENBERG, Ed.D. JAY A. STEINBERG BRADLEY S. WEISS This year, as every year, the.Florida legislature Wiil be asked to address an array of serious issues pertain- ing to the State's developmentally disabled citizens. Two issues in particular are of such paramount concern this year, that we have chosen to limit our.position paper to these critical areas..' .:' ' PROPOSAL TO CLOSE LANDmaRK LEARNING CENTER Two years ago, the Florida Legislature mandated the closing of another developmental services institution. During the 1984 legislative session, .it requested that a study be conducted to produce recommendations on which of the existing institutions to close during the 1985 - 1987 biennium. The recommendation of the outside con- suiting firm hired to perform this study was that Dad~ County's Landmark Learning Center be closed within the next two years. The Community Committee for Developmen- tal Handicaps, Inc. (CCDIIR) strongly opposes this rec- ommendation. The Florida Legislature has shown great concern and leadership by passing legislation calling for the con- tinued deinstitutionalization of this state,s develop- mentally disabled citizens. The continuum of care phil- osophy, shared by us all, recognizes the need to plact: clients in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment possible ranging from one offering the ty[es of services offered by Landmark, to independent liviag within the community. It is the opinion of many pro- fessionals, as well as families, that a certain portion of developmentally disabled persons will always need co reside in an intensely structured Setting, and'that these individuals would not benefit from less structured sur- roundings. ~hile some believe that ideally these in- dividuals could be served in a number of smaller facil- ities better integrated into the community, rather than a single large one relatively isolated from the comm-~- nity in which it is located, the consideration of such un option-would have to be linked to addr%ssing current wait- ing lists and insuring that appropriate alternativet were in.place prior to the closing of any facility. There are over 250 clients on the Department of llealtn and Rehabilitative Services's (ltRS) waiting Ii. st in need of community residential placements in Dade County today, and thc m~mber increases daily. Without adequate finan- 2600 S, W. Second Avenue · Miami, Florida 33129 · Phone (305} 285-9050 cial resources to implement community based programs, calling for continued dcinstitutionalizat]on is doomed to failure. The legislature has not been forthco.ting wilh sufficient f,mds, and in light of its current composition ami climate, a sig,~ificant dclmrture from ~hat l,olicy this year does not seem likely. It should also be noted that the numbers captured by HRS's Client Information System (CIS) do not begin to reflect the true number of individuals in need of services. The tis figures reflect only those people who have successfully negotiated the extremely long and complex process of ~eing determined eligible for HR$ services. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of others are unaware of services, unable to negotiate the system, discour- aged by long waiting lists from applying, etc. For some, no appropriate community resources exist. And still yet others, whose parents have ~ept them at home over the years but are now'too old or too sick to care for them any longer, find themselves denied access to the system. Money, however, is not the only factor which makes the recommendation to close .tile Landmark Learning Center within two years an unrealistic one. Histori- cally, communities around the state, including in South Florida, have been vehemently opposed to allowing zoning, for small group homes. There is no pen- 'alty for these municipalities' which continually act in defiance of a state 'law requiring them to p=ovide zoning for such homes. Further, there are few, -,if any, community facilities geared to address the very specific and complex needs of many of Landmark's residents. Ninety percent of Landmark's 400 res- idents are severely profoundly retarded with multiple handicaps including severe medical problems, behavioral problems, and mental illnesses. While there are numerous questions to answer before the recommendation to close the Landmark Learning Center can be considered, certain things are clear. The proposal to close 'Landmark within two years is ~otally unreal- istic. Given the restraints outlined above, the alternate recommendation to extend the deadline to four years may also be an improbable one. The study must be reexamined in light of both client interests and cost. There must be a thoughtful, coordinated and well-financed plan which provides adequate time for transition and the development of appropriate alternatives 'for those who can benefit from them. WORKLOAD AND PRICE LEVEL INCREASES Tile state of Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the country, and Dade Count7 one Of. the fastest growing counties in the State. Our populafion of developmentally disabled citizens in need of services is increasing proportionately. Hnlike most other types of clients who enter the system, receive services .or treatment, and exit the system "better", a developmentally disabled person is in need of services throughout his or her lifetime. Exiting the system usually occurs only through death or moving from the~area. Unconscionably long wai~iBg lists exist fOr residential placements, day treatment programs, and support services. The number of citizens in actual need of services far exceeds even those designated on HRS's Client Infor- mation SYstem (CIS). The CIS figures reflect only those people who have- succe:;s£ully negotiated the extremely lo,g and con,t~lex process of being determined eligible for IIRS services. Ihmdreds, l,,,rhaps thousands, o£ others are unaware of services, unable to negot iai,- the system,and dis- court, ged by long waiting lists from applying. In addition to the need for additional dollars to provide more slots for conununity services, there is also a serious need to fund additional tlRS positions. In Dade County, an ItRS social worker may carry a load of 130 to 180 cases despite budget requests that would reduce them to the still too high figure of 10S. The cost of providing quality services continues to rise at a much higher rate than annual price level 'increases. ~uring the current 1984-1985 fiscal year, agencies in District XI received an average price level in- crease of 3.5%. Quality services are contingent upon adequate funding, and as allocations for social programs have become tighter each year, competition for private sector contributions has become intense, with such donations never being received in amounts sufficient to make up the difference. To the extent that the State of Florida is committed to providing quality services to its developmentally disabled citizens, it must provide ade- quate financial resources both to address waiting lists (workload increases) and the ever increasing cost of providing them (price level increases). Saturday, February 9. 1985 The Miami News ® 15A ~ · The/V~iarnt News - JEFF WIDENER Parents of L~ndmark Learning Center residents stuff envelopes es part of a campaign ..' to keep the ce~nter.., *.. open,~ ..... · ,.. ...... -~,*,.-'~,' ...... -'; · .Parents'ifight against closing' Landmark center'for, re arded ELLEN HAMPTON ' MIami Nel~t Re~Nl~' .~ ,,'~ - _'. . .. Nearly 400 severely retarded c'hildren and adults who live at the Landmark Learning Center in Opa-locka would be transferred to smaller group homes under a plan mandated by the state Legisla- ture and hotly contested by parents of the center's clientele. ,, A group of some 20 parents met yesterday at'the center at 20000 N.W. 47th Ave. to draw up peti- tions and address lefters, the first salvo in a fierce campaign they plan to wage to keep the 20-yeaz-. old center open. The Legislature mandated in the 1984 Appropri- ations Act that one of four state.run institutions for the retarded be closed by 1987. An accounting firm was contracted to analyze which of the centers, in Gatnesvilte. Fort Myers. Martanna or Opa-locka. should go. The Landmark Center was tagged. Llnda Berkowitz, district director for state Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS), said the Legislature Is following t belief that better care can :'There is none better." "' · "' ~ , Berkowitz agreed. She said Landniark Center has evolved into one of the most progressive, Inno- vative centers in the state. · Some of the clients might I~e better ~erved ~n a large institution such as Landmark. Berkowitz said, .but others would be fine in a group home. But the Legislature's mandate of closing Land- mark within two years is not enough time to set up the group homes needed to handle Landmark's cig- ents, she said. HRS is pushing for a four-year time frame and would like to phase out all four state-run centers instead of just Landmark, she said. . Thefts said they are worried about supervl- sion/suality'~of care and availability oi medical set- Vtce~JW'ff/'~p' homes. They also worried that their children would be just p!ain bored. "Everythirig they need is here. It's a community for the developmentally disabled, where (in group homes) they can't even meet with their own peers · except In one house," said parent'Stella Alfa.ssa. "To me, that's stagnating." "They are not accepted in the outside communi- be provided In small settings than in large lnstitu, ty," said June Stevens, who organized the Sunglow* tions. - er Society to raise {unds for the Lan_~Lmark Ce~ The Landmark Center, on 244 acres in North- f-~¥ney are maoe t6 ieelqltl'd'd'~T~table and ridl- west Dade, has a staff of 800 tending to 379 clients. I culed.' The clients live In 10-person cottages, supervised The state estimated it would cost $12 miillon to by "cottage parents." "This facility has developed tra'nsfer the 379 Landmark clients to group homes. into one of the finest quality-care facilities in the Landmark's 1984-85 budget was $16 million, partly state of Florida," said Mayer Finkel, ~ member of in federal and partly.In state funds. Berkowltz said the governor-appointed l-iuman Rights Advocacy the group homes also would be supported by state Committee, and father of a Down's syndrome child, funds, but the amount needed was not known.