Today, the Department of Social and Health Services? Chief Financial Officer Rich Pannkuk announced on behalf of Secretary Jilma Meneses announced the submission of the DSHS proposed 2024 supplemental budget to the Office of Financial Management. This submission included the DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration?s budget proposals, also known as decision packages. This is an important step in the budget process that makes DSHS DDA?s priorities clear to the Governor?s office, the Legislature and each of you.

Supplemental budgets are primarily used to correct errors in the current biennial budget or account for unanticipated workload increases. There are several key policy initiatives that we have submitted for 2024; we are pleased to highlight:

Community Residential Rates: DDA requests $83,714,000 ($42,612,000 GF-State) for an 8% increase to create more equitable funding for DDA community residential service business providers to recruit and retain their workforce and allow them to keep up with inflation and the cost of goods and services to meet the demand for community placements, particularly those individuals with higher acuity needs transitioning to the community from Residential Habilitation Centers, state psychiatric hospitals and acute care hospitals.

Supported Employment and Community Inclusion Rates: DDA requests $47,642,000 ($23,821,000 GF-State) to fund rate increases to continue to support individual supported employment, group supported employment and community inclusion services to maintain a viable statewide provider network for these services that are entitlements for Medicaid waiver clients.

Caseload Ratio Reduction: DDA requests $12,496,000 ($7,060,000 GF-State) and 44.1 FTEs to reduce caseload sizes. Most of DDA?s case resource manager oversee 75 clients. The national caseload average is 1-to-32. This request is the first step of a five-year plan to reduce DDA caseload sizes to 1-to-35?and to increase case resource manager collaboration with individuals and families. It will allow case resource managers to better help clients and families access critical resources and better monitor for changes to health and safety needs.

This is just the first step in the budget process. DSHS DDA will continue to work with the Secretary and the Governor as the Governor develops his statewide budget proposal, which is expected to be finalized in mid-December. For additional details on DSHS DDA?s budget request, please visit Office of Financial Management - Public Repository (wa.gov).

Sincerely,

Tonik Joseph. Ph.D.

Interim Assistant Secretary

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Developmental Disabilities Administration