Notes from the West Wing: Prevocational Services Now at Risk
Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by Garey Bies in News
Current DHS proposal threatens to eliminate 10,000 jobs for the handicapped.
Greetings once again to everyone in the First Assembly District! For today’s edition of Notes from the West Wing, I want to talk about another consequence of the Democrats’ 2009-2011 state budget that is generating a lot of discussion now here in the capitol and around the state: prevocational services.
Prevocational services are jobs at work centers for physically and mentally handicapped workers throughout Wisconsin. Because of recommendations at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), 10,000 jobs for the handicapped will end. This is not right.
According to Rehabilitation for Wisconsin, an advocacy organization for Wisconsin’s disabled workers, more than 65,000 disabled persons are served by Wisconsin’s 66 work centers and more than 10,000 of these people are at risk of losing their jobs if DHS is successful. The DHS proposal calls into question prevocational services, which help disabled participants learn and acquire work experiences where they can develop general, non-job-task-specific strengths and skills that contribute to paid employment in integrated, community settings.
I am a strong supporter of Prevocational Services. I have been a part of The Sunshine House, Door County’s work center, since the early 1970s. For the last 20 year I have been the legal guardian of Harold, a mentally handicapped man who has utilized prevocational services. Harold’s job at the work center is very important to him. For Harold and thousands of other individuals, these programs instill an invaluable sense of pride and accomplishment.
I cannot idly allow DHS to close off this option to so many of our most vulnerable citizens. Last week I made a speech on the floor of the State Assembly about the importance of prevocational services. I and 45 of my colleagues have written a letter to Governor Doyle formally requesting that he and DHS reconsider eliminating these opportunities. Prevocational services are not about a paycheck. It is so much more than that.
It is unfortunate that DHS did not communicate with the disabled workers, their families, advocates, or legislators before making this decision. I sincerely hope that Governor Doyle will listen to legislators and families and stop the DHS proposal that will affect so many people.
As always, I can be reached by e-mail at Rep.Bies@legis.wisconsin.gov or by telephone, toll-free at 1-888-482-0001. You can also visit my website at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm01/news/.
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