Services at their Peak?

by Melissa Soria
Pharos-Tribune staff writer

May 30, 2008 11:13 pm

— Betty Lewis’ son, Doug, who has Down Syndrome, uses Peak Community Service’s workshop five days a week for six hours a day.
Betty says the work has countless benefits for the 41-year-old.
“That’s his life,” she said. “He enjoys getting up everyday, going to work and being useful.”
Doug is one of more than 100 individuals from Cass County and Winamac who use the workshop at Peak Community, a non-for-profit organization that provides training and support for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
The organization offers day services including workshops, adult education, employment services, life skills and programs for individuals with multiple disabilities, and a total of 200 people are served throughout Logansport and Winamac.
But the state of Indiana will begin implementing two programs in January 2009 that could have a negative effect on organizations like Peak Community.
The first program, OASIS, is a model for consumers in Cass County to receive the same budgets as those with similar needs around the state.
According to Kathi Thompson, Peak Community’s director of development and communications, case managers representing the state are meeting with consumers from Peak Community throughout the year to determine those budgets that will be available to each consumer to buy services.
John Dickerson, executive director of the Arc of Indiana, a state-wide advocacy group for people with disabilities and their families, said the state wants to allocate resources based on needs and not based on factors such as what county an individual lives in.
Age, family and living situations, as well as medical and behavioral needs will be assessed among consumers.
“The idea is to have an objective way of looking at people’s needs,” Dickerson said.
The second program, titled Uniform Rates for Services, was designed by the federal government. Services available from Peak Community will be assigned new rates, which will be uniform throughout Indiana. Those rates have yet to be set, but original rates the state had proposed reduced the income of day services by 68 percent. However, the state is redoing the rates because it had left out important figures, Thompson said.
Thompson said Peak Community isn’t certain how both programs being implemented at the same time will affect consumers. But Thompson does know that day services could be reduced. Residential rates have already been established and will work for the organization, she said.
Don Weikle, Peak Community Services executive director, said the organization will have to look at the total amount of people being served and calculate budgets to determine how services will be affected.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to continue to provide the full range of services,” he said.
The best case scenario of the new programs would be that the state increases the day service rates so Peak Community is able to continue providing them.
Phasing out the day services would be the worst case scenario for the organization if the uniform rates jeopardize Peak Community’s ability to provide services.
If the programs are phased out, for those consumers living with family members, they will have to provide their own supervision during the day. For those people living in group homes or support homes, the agency will have to provide some type of day service.
And consumers living in their own homes without 24-hour support will be on their own most of the time, whereas before there was at least the prospect of a daytime position in work services.
“Our services are interdependent, and each depends upon the other to remain operational,” Thompson explained. “For example, if the number of consumers in work services drops dramatically, then we would not be able to meet the production demands of our customers. If we cannot meet the production demands of our customers, then they will have the work done elsewhere. If the work goes elsewhere, then every consumer will feel the loss of work and income regardless of the source of funding for his or her day service.
“We will examine every alternative to reconfigure day services in an effort to keep them operational in some form. If we move in that direction, then remember that the services may look considerably different in the future than they do today.”
Though Peak Community administrators are unsure how the organization will be affected by the new programs, they are certain of one thing.
“We aren’t going to close down,” Thompson said, putting a rest to the rumors.
Right now, providers and consumers are waiting to see how District 4 is affected by the new programs. The district covers White and Carroll Counties, and has been chosen as the pilot program to implement the new state programs.
Individuals in Cass County recently attended meetings in Logansport and Winamac hosted by Peak Community Services. Many expressed concerns over the new programs.
“People are very concerned,” Dickerson said. “Providers don’t know how all of this is going to work. There are a lot of uncertainties.”
Betty said she was fortunate to have her son enrolled in the workshop since 1986. She doesn’t want to see Peak Community’s services cut.
“It would be just devastating,” she said. “He wouldn’t have a reason to get up everyday.”
The workshop has benefited Doug mentally, physically and spiritually. It also has many social aspects. He’s met many friends through a bowling league sponsored by the organization.
Betty said she wouldn’t know where her son would go without the day services. He also takes training programs at Peak Community.
“That’s an outlet for him,” she said. “He likes the challenges. I hope that it continues for the sake of my son and all of the others down there.”
Dickerson said all the agencies in the state will pay close attention to District 4 in the next couple of months to see how they are affected.
While Thompson encourages advocates and consumers to be aware of the issues, she remains optimistic.
“We’re hoping to turn the tide on this,” she said.
Melissa Soria may be reached at (574) 732-5143 or via e-mail at melissa.soria@pharostribune.com

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