Legislator Toolkit

This site aims to provide State and Federal Legislators, Officials and their staff with the information needed to make informed law and policy decisions on behalf of citizens with mental retardation and developomental disabilities. Resources which relating to lack of quality in some community settings, information about community versus facility costs, Olmstead and more are available through links within this summary, as well as in the articles to follow.

 

Given the diversity of persons within the developmental disability community, VOR strongly supports community expansion AND strongly objects to deinstitutionalization. We do not believe expanding desperately needed quality community options must or should come at the expense of individuals whose profound cognitive disabilities, medical needs, and behavioral challenges are best served in facility based settings (a/kl/a Intermediate Care Facilities for Persons with Mental Retardation; ICFs/MR; "institutions").

 

As the resources here will illustrate, often State's close facilities serving people with profound developmental disabilities believing money will be saved and care will be improved. As the resources here will show, rarely is money saved - the individuals leaving facilities have expensive needs no matter where they reside. If not adequately funded, community placements often fail, with tragic results.

Thank you for visiting VOR's website and its Toolkit for Legislators. Please come again.