My professional and personal experience when I talk about front line workers, has to do with people who provide direct support to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We call them Direct Support Professionals because they provide direct support and they are professionals in the way they do it. These are the people who work everyday, helping people living in various community settings to dress, to bathe, to toilet, to prepare and eat meals and to live as independently as possible. Much of my career was spent as an administrator of programs like this, although early on I had my own experience providing direct support in these and other settings. The Covid-19 crises, lock down and isolation orders have been especially difficult for people working and living in these settings.
There has been a lot said about front line workers over the past few weeks and we've all been forced to really think about who these people are - doctors, nurses, janitors, bus drivers, sanitation workers, grocery store stockers, clerks and so many more. Few though think about the people I mentioned above. With the impact of this virus they've continued their work, their mission of supporting people with disabilities and their independence wherever possible. Everyone loves these workers right now, families, administrators, legislators and governors. They are the saints and heroes who come in to work now every day and night as essential workers. Interestingly they were essential before this virus appeared. They're essential everyday. We can all agree on that.
Essential but.....yes there's always a but. The but here is that we don't pay them a decent wage, at least not in most cases. Most of these people work for under $15 per hour. Most are women. Most have families to support. Administrators say they don't get adequate funding to pay a decent wage. Funders including legislators, governors and taxpayers may say they love these folks in one breath but quickly point out that money just goes so far and decisions have to be made based on priorities. Hogwash, baloney, and a double crapola. If we learn anything from what we're all going through with this pandemic, it's that we have to recognize the value of all of the heroes that have been identified. We have to come up with long term solutions to pay these front line workers decent salaries or living wages. We have to stop ignoring their value. There is and will continue to be pressure on every level of government relative to funding and this current crises will make the economics worse, but all of us can help set priorities. Let's not forget the people we said were so great when Covid-19 struck. Banging pots is a nice gesture but a real paycheck is so much better.
Showing posts with label Non Profits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Non Profits. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Friday, November 9, 2018
Transforming People's Lives
Last night (11/09/18) I had the opportunity to be a part of a kick-off event for The Arc of Schuyler's first ever Capital Campaign for what they've identified as a 'transformation' of their supports for people with disabilities, their families and the entire community of Schuyler County. It was an informative and fun event with lots of information and stories about the importance of the organization to people in general. The Capital Campaign is for a total of $1.75 million but the organization has been working behind the scenes and has raised a substantial amount of money through grants and donations from Board members and supporters that has left a balance of $280,000 to be raised.
The 'transformation' is the development of integrated employment opportunities for people with and without disabilities, and integrated employment training program and a community center that will include people and organizations from throughout the community.
Now I need to disclose that I was the executive director of The Arc for 32 years, so the organization is close to my heart. But I've been retired for 7 years and the agency has continued to meet the needs of people and families very successfully. One of the things they did last night was to share a short video that tells the story of how The Arc has impacted one family. Take a look at it here.
So that's one family's story and a great on at that. So.....if you want to support The Arc in its efforts, here's a link to a page where you can become a part of the Transformation 2020 Campaign:
The Arc Transformation 2020 Donor Page
The 'transformation' is the development of integrated employment opportunities for people with and without disabilities, and integrated employment training program and a community center that will include people and organizations from throughout the community.
Now I need to disclose that I was the executive director of The Arc for 32 years, so the organization is close to my heart. But I've been retired for 7 years and the agency has continued to meet the needs of people and families very successfully. One of the things they did last night was to share a short video that tells the story of how The Arc has impacted one family. Take a look at it here.
So that's one family's story and a great on at that. So.....if you want to support The Arc in its efforts, here's a link to a page where you can become a part of the Transformation 2020 Campaign:
The Arc Transformation 2020 Donor Page
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Redesigning Healthcare In NYS - Unintended Consequences
I recently realized that healthcare for pets is easier to access in NYS then healthcare for people. For some reason I was surprised. Back in July I was informed that my primary care physician was retiring. He deserves it so good for him. I was provided with a list of physicians within his system of care and he made a recommendation or two. Before I left his office, an appointment was made for January with one of the providers he recommended. So far, so good. But I have a number of health issues where things can come up. I did have some symptoms that needed some follow up in August. Naturally in my mind, I thought I could just call the new provider, get an appointment and go from there. No such luck and that's when I realized things weren't going to go well.
It turns out the new provider wasn't prepared for new referrals coming into his office even though a January appointment was already made/accepted. I called numerous times and couldn't get calls returned. When I finally was able to speak to a human, I got the distinct impression that the new guy was upset about the new referrals.
Next steps - after realizing I was on my own, I began shopping around. Should I stay in the same system or move on? This requires thinking through health records, distance, insurance coverage, etc. It also requires trying to find out how good a provider and their system is - a chore in itself. I began talking to other friends and acquaintances. Results were all over the place.
After three months, I've finally got an appointment for early November with a provider I've chosen but still don't really know. We'll see how that goes. I hope well.
The reason I've gone into detail on this is because NYS is involved in a major redesign of healthcare for the medicaid population. This is happening across the nation but New York is undertaking its largest effort yet to transform the state's Medicaid health care delivery and payment system through the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program.
It turns out the new provider wasn't prepared for new referrals coming into his office even though a January appointment was already made/accepted. I called numerous times and couldn't get calls returned. When I finally was able to speak to a human, I got the distinct impression that the new guy was upset about the new referrals.
Next steps - after realizing I was on my own, I began shopping around. Should I stay in the same system or move on? This requires thinking through health records, distance, insurance coverage, etc. It also requires trying to find out how good a provider and their system is - a chore in itself. I began talking to other friends and acquaintances. Results were all over the place.
After three months, I've finally got an appointment for early November with a provider I've chosen but still don't really know. We'll see how that goes. I hope well.
The reason I've gone into detail on this is because NYS is involved in a major redesign of healthcare for the medicaid population. This is happening across the nation but New York is undertaking its largest effort yet to transform the state's Medicaid health care delivery and payment system through the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program.
New York is one of six states that has a program designed to move its delivery system from a place that’s fragmented and overly focused on inpatient care in hospitals toward an integrated system that proactively focuses on patients and the community. Organizations and agencies are working together to address the same goals and to care for the same patients.
Sounds easy. It's been talked about for years but now, how people and health systems will be paid is tied to the reforms and redesign so hospital administrators and providers are taking it very seriously. Remember though, this is for Medicaid health care delivery. What about everyone else?
Having gone through what I have recently, here's my read. NYS has over reached again and I'm not sure if they even realize the impact of this.They've forced this down to the provider level. Hospital administrators, project managers and providers as well as community agencies are spending much of their time redesigning a massive system for the Medicaid population. All of their resources are going into this effort and few, if any, are home watching the store or how the rest of the system is operating. Medicare and private pay patients are being impacted by the redesign without any real thought as to why or how this is happening.
While I wait for my appointment, I'm told to use urgent care or the emergency room if anything comes up. These are the more expensive options that are part of the target of the redesign effort for the Medicaid population. Interesting.
So back to animal healthcare. Turns out I can call the vet and get an appointment for my dog with ease (within 48-72 hours), even though my regular vet is out on paternity leave. I think we all hope for positive results from NYS's latest effort at Medicaid redesign but there are unintended consequences that need to be watched and acted on.
While I wait for my appointment, I'm told to use urgent care or the emergency room if anything comes up. These are the more expensive options that are part of the target of the redesign effort for the Medicaid population. Interesting.
So back to animal healthcare. Turns out I can call the vet and get an appointment for my dog with ease (within 48-72 hours), even though my regular vet is out on paternity leave. I think we all hope for positive results from NYS's latest effort at Medicaid redesign but there are unintended consequences that need to be watched and acted on.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Supporting People Who Support People With Disabilities!
Last week was a nationally designated week to recognize some really important and committed people. These people are called Direct Support Professionals and they do just that. They are the people who exist in every community providing necessary and real supports to people with developmental disabilities. Some of the people they support are very independent and need limited assistance. Others are in much greater need of supports for very basic needs relative to bathing, communications and all levels of personal care. Some of these Direct Support Professionals are in the state workforce and others work as employees of non-profit organizations who provide these services to the state as contract agencies. These folks deserve the recognition and our respect for the great job they do.
There is widespread recognition by the public, by government and very importantly by the courts, that people with all kinds of disabilities can and should be able to live as independently as possible in the community. This recognition has come through struggles by individuals and families over many years and even though those struggles aren't completely over, supporting people in communities in an inclusive manner is the norm. It couldn't happen without people willing to be part of this important support infrastructure.
A recognition week is nice and is generally accompanied by things like proclamations, special events, donuts, lunches and dinners. Thanks and awards are given sincerely by administrators and families and in some cases by the people receiving the supports. But there is plenty more that can be done relative to respect and recognition.
The reality is that many of these employees are on the lowest rung on the salary schedule. They work long hours with changing schedules, changing environments and rules. They become the lifeline for people they support. They become family and friends. It is no secret that there is substantial disparity between the pay for the same job of the state workforce and the private non profit providers and that needs to be rectified. But the really terrible truth is that many in the private sector are paid just above $10 or $11 per hour. This is because these services and supports are paid for by NYS through Medicaid rates that they send to the non profits. These rates don't allow for the $15/hr that the Governor of NYS is currently promoting in his call for economic justice.
If the Governor truly believes in economic justice, he should be the first to advocate for and provide the funding that would allow Direct Support Professionals to be paid a minimum of $15/hr with all of the necessary benefits. It will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars but economic justice demands it. The people supported and the people supporting them deserve it.
A final thought on respect. The words Direct Support Professional say something and mean something. They are very clear. People who hire and support these people have to stop using lazy and disrespectful acronyms to define them. DSPs doesn't cut it and in fact helps to dilute the importance of the discussion about the importance of these employees. They are Direct Support Professionals and it isn't hard to use or type the words. Using the words educates and allows people to envision who these people are and what they do. Using the acronym allows and encourages politicians and the public to use the acronym and to understand less.
Finally, for whatever it's worth, I just want to add my thanks to all of those people who are out there, everyday, helping people to be as independent as possible and to be included in their communities with dignity and respect.
There is widespread recognition by the public, by government and very importantly by the courts, that people with all kinds of disabilities can and should be able to live as independently as possible in the community. This recognition has come through struggles by individuals and families over many years and even though those struggles aren't completely over, supporting people in communities in an inclusive manner is the norm. It couldn't happen without people willing to be part of this important support infrastructure.
A recognition week is nice and is generally accompanied by things like proclamations, special events, donuts, lunches and dinners. Thanks and awards are given sincerely by administrators and families and in some cases by the people receiving the supports. But there is plenty more that can be done relative to respect and recognition.
The reality is that many of these employees are on the lowest rung on the salary schedule. They work long hours with changing schedules, changing environments and rules. They become the lifeline for people they support. They become family and friends. It is no secret that there is substantial disparity between the pay for the same job of the state workforce and the private non profit providers and that needs to be rectified. But the really terrible truth is that many in the private sector are paid just above $10 or $11 per hour. This is because these services and supports are paid for by NYS through Medicaid rates that they send to the non profits. These rates don't allow for the $15/hr that the Governor of NYS is currently promoting in his call for economic justice.
If the Governor truly believes in economic justice, he should be the first to advocate for and provide the funding that would allow Direct Support Professionals to be paid a minimum of $15/hr with all of the necessary benefits. It will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars but economic justice demands it. The people supported and the people supporting them deserve it.
A final thought on respect. The words Direct Support Professional say something and mean something. They are very clear. People who hire and support these people have to stop using lazy and disrespectful acronyms to define them. DSPs doesn't cut it and in fact helps to dilute the importance of the discussion about the importance of these employees. They are Direct Support Professionals and it isn't hard to use or type the words. Using the words educates and allows people to envision who these people are and what they do. Using the acronym allows and encourages politicians and the public to use the acronym and to understand less.
Finally, for whatever it's worth, I just want to add my thanks to all of those people who are out there, everyday, helping people to be as independent as possible and to be included in their communities with dignity and respect.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Hey Governor, It Takes Money!
How do we or the 'state' value work supporting vulnerable people - people with disabilities, the elderly, infants and children? Most of these groups of vulnerable people are supported by either the state itself or by private, nonprofit organizations who are paid by the state to take on that responsibility.
The people who take on this mission are hard working people, mostly young, mostly women, many people of color. They go by different titles, Nurses Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants, Teacher Aides, Instructors, Direct Support Professionals, etc. They perform tasks that range from personal care like bathing, toileting and feeding to more complex support around behavioral issues, employment training, community inclusion and independent living. The work is hard both physically and mentally. Sometimes care and support is total and other times the work entails helping someone learning to do things on their own, or teaching new skills. Then there's the paperwork, every 15 minutes to an hour - documentation, documentation, documentation. The people paying the bills want to be sure of course that the money is being spent correctly and wisely. In addition, due to issues of the potential for abuse or neglect, there is monitoring and reporting that might result in lengthy investigations, loss of pay or even in the loss of employment.
So back to the original question, how do we value this work? We tend to talk a good game. We make sure these people are talked about as wonderful, committed and special people, doing God's work, etc., etc. None of it pays the bills however. In the nonprofit sector, these employees make anywhere from $9 to $12 an hour on average. Their benefits vary based on the organization they work for. The state of NY, like other states, also continues to have employees who perform some of these tasks. Salaries tend to be higher in the government sector, sometimes close to twice as much as the employees of the organizations that the state contracts with. What a way to show value!
So now we have Governor Andrew Cuomo identifying one sector, the food service industry, as needing a review relative to a minimum wage increase. He has painted the industry as piggish with CEO's income in some cases exceeding $20M. No one on his staff has seemed to remind him, that people who he is responsible for funding, through contracts and reimbursement rates to nonprofit entities, are making barely more than current fast food industry employees. As a matter of fact, these agencies have in some cases fallen behind the food industry. Right or wrong, that is the reality.
So again, how do we value these hard working people in NYS who are supporting vulnerable people? It seems not much or to put it more crassly, obviously not as much as the value of a burger or southwest salad. How would you feel if you were treated this way? How would you feel if your economic stress was ignored while expectations kept increasing? The answer seems pretty obvious wouldn't you say?
A number of years ago and as a result of news articles about excessive salaries of CEO's at a few nonprofit agencies, Governor Cuomo tried to blame low salaries of direct support professionals on the high salaries of executives and administrators. As a result, he and the legislature capped CEO salaries in the nonprofit sector. That card has been played. It can't be played again Governor. The real issue is and always has been money and the direct level of reimbursement to agencies that government hires to do it's work. Priorities need to reflect that. Representatives of human service organizations and those advocating for them need to begin speaking up quickly and firmly, letting the Governor and the legislature know that these workforce issues need to be dealt with head on and that we all need to truly value the work of supporting vulnerable people. This has become an issue of economic justice for a sector of the workforce that needs more then just a good word.
The people who take on this mission are hard working people, mostly young, mostly women, many people of color. They go by different titles, Nurses Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants, Teacher Aides, Instructors, Direct Support Professionals, etc. They perform tasks that range from personal care like bathing, toileting and feeding to more complex support around behavioral issues, employment training, community inclusion and independent living. The work is hard both physically and mentally. Sometimes care and support is total and other times the work entails helping someone learning to do things on their own, or teaching new skills. Then there's the paperwork, every 15 minutes to an hour - documentation, documentation, documentation. The people paying the bills want to be sure of course that the money is being spent correctly and wisely. In addition, due to issues of the potential for abuse or neglect, there is monitoring and reporting that might result in lengthy investigations, loss of pay or even in the loss of employment.
So back to the original question, how do we value this work? We tend to talk a good game. We make sure these people are talked about as wonderful, committed and special people, doing God's work, etc., etc. None of it pays the bills however. In the nonprofit sector, these employees make anywhere from $9 to $12 an hour on average. Their benefits vary based on the organization they work for. The state of NY, like other states, also continues to have employees who perform some of these tasks. Salaries tend to be higher in the government sector, sometimes close to twice as much as the employees of the organizations that the state contracts with. What a way to show value!
So now we have Governor Andrew Cuomo identifying one sector, the food service industry, as needing a review relative to a minimum wage increase. He has painted the industry as piggish with CEO's income in some cases exceeding $20M. No one on his staff has seemed to remind him, that people who he is responsible for funding, through contracts and reimbursement rates to nonprofit entities, are making barely more than current fast food industry employees. As a matter of fact, these agencies have in some cases fallen behind the food industry. Right or wrong, that is the reality.
So again, how do we value these hard working people in NYS who are supporting vulnerable people? It seems not much or to put it more crassly, obviously not as much as the value of a burger or southwest salad. How would you feel if you were treated this way? How would you feel if your economic stress was ignored while expectations kept increasing? The answer seems pretty obvious wouldn't you say?
A number of years ago and as a result of news articles about excessive salaries of CEO's at a few nonprofit agencies, Governor Cuomo tried to blame low salaries of direct support professionals on the high salaries of executives and administrators. As a result, he and the legislature capped CEO salaries in the nonprofit sector. That card has been played. It can't be played again Governor. The real issue is and always has been money and the direct level of reimbursement to agencies that government hires to do it's work. Priorities need to reflect that. Representatives of human service organizations and those advocating for them need to begin speaking up quickly and firmly, letting the Governor and the legislature know that these workforce issues need to be dealt with head on and that we all need to truly value the work of supporting vulnerable people. This has become an issue of economic justice for a sector of the workforce that needs more then just a good word.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Gov. Cuomo Makes A Joke of Wage Issue
Governor Andrew Cuomo loves to be the first out of the gate. He seems to think speed equals being correct on progressive issues. Being first seems to be more important then being correct or truly leading.
Today he tried to get out front on the issue of a living wage. This is a huge issue and one that has to be addressed by political leaders on every level. He stood in NYC in front of unions and union members wagging his finger and belittling and shaming the fast food and restaurant industry about the paltry wages they offer to their employees in comparison to company CEO's. And of course he's right. There are CEO's at some of those companies making up to $23million a year. And yes, the average fast food employee may make about $16K per year. One of the Governor's arguments and where he showed real anger was when he discussed the fact that many of these employees had to take advantage of state and federal programs like Medicaid, food subsidies, etc. He was outraged that the state, yes government, was subsidizing these businesses by providing these benefits. So far he sounds pretty progressive, right? Standing up for the little guy. Beating up on those corporate scoundrels who are always taking advantage.
Cuomo has tried to get the NYS Legislature to act on increasing the minimum wage to a meaningful level but they've resisted. So he's trying to find a new way to accomplish it or to create the atmosphere for negotiations with the other branch of government. He announced that he's creating a wage board to review the issue of a wage increase for employees in the food industry. It will report, recommend and potentially act on a new wage structure for those employees in three months.
First, let's be clear. Those employees that the Governor identified and was talking about today do deserve better - much better - from all of us. But so do a lot of other people and the last thing we need, especially from a supposed progressive, is to create classes of employees. Those who get a living wage and those don't, etc., etc. Who'll referee that scenario.
In addition, the Governor should think and get some facts before he wags his finger at other people. There's a whole other group of employees that are possibly in worse shape than employees in the food industry and they are in that situation because of policies and funding issues developed and supported by the Governor and his administrative and executive staff. These people also, sometimes have to depend on benefits provided by the government and taxpayers. There are many, but let me identify some specifically. They're called Direct Support Professionals. They support some of the state's most vulnerable and important citizens - some of the people they support are pretty independent but some need total support. They support people with many different types of disabilities, some physical, some developmental and some behavioral. These support staff are hired by nonprofit agencies who are paid by NYS (the Governor) to provide these services. In most cases the rates the agencies receive are inadequate to cover the costs of care and support. In most cases these agencies and the supports they provide have been routinely reduced, transformed and cut. These are good people, the employees and the agencies, who deserve better from their corporate leader.
To add insult to injury, the Governor created a well intentioned investigative unit called the Justice Center that can force an agency and one of their employees to be out of work, unpaid for days or months while they try to figure out how to investigate charges of abuse and neglect. The bureaucracy that was created does less to control abuse it seems, but certainly helps people decide about their career choice.
Good intentions are nice. They help us align values. But more is needed then good intentions. If Governor Cuomo wants CEO's of private companies to step up, if he wants the Legislature to step up, if he wants non profits to step up, he needs to look in the mirror and step up himself. He needs to put his money where his mouth is. He needs to recognize that the state of NY has to provide resources to pay people a decent and living wage especially when they are supporting people and doing work that the state has a responsibility to provide.
Today he tried to get out front on the issue of a living wage. This is a huge issue and one that has to be addressed by political leaders on every level. He stood in NYC in front of unions and union members wagging his finger and belittling and shaming the fast food and restaurant industry about the paltry wages they offer to their employees in comparison to company CEO's. And of course he's right. There are CEO's at some of those companies making up to $23million a year. And yes, the average fast food employee may make about $16K per year. One of the Governor's arguments and where he showed real anger was when he discussed the fact that many of these employees had to take advantage of state and federal programs like Medicaid, food subsidies, etc. He was outraged that the state, yes government, was subsidizing these businesses by providing these benefits. So far he sounds pretty progressive, right? Standing up for the little guy. Beating up on those corporate scoundrels who are always taking advantage.
Cuomo has tried to get the NYS Legislature to act on increasing the minimum wage to a meaningful level but they've resisted. So he's trying to find a new way to accomplish it or to create the atmosphere for negotiations with the other branch of government. He announced that he's creating a wage board to review the issue of a wage increase for employees in the food industry. It will report, recommend and potentially act on a new wage structure for those employees in three months.
First, let's be clear. Those employees that the Governor identified and was talking about today do deserve better - much better - from all of us. But so do a lot of other people and the last thing we need, especially from a supposed progressive, is to create classes of employees. Those who get a living wage and those don't, etc., etc. Who'll referee that scenario.
In addition, the Governor should think and get some facts before he wags his finger at other people. There's a whole other group of employees that are possibly in worse shape than employees in the food industry and they are in that situation because of policies and funding issues developed and supported by the Governor and his administrative and executive staff. These people also, sometimes have to depend on benefits provided by the government and taxpayers. There are many, but let me identify some specifically. They're called Direct Support Professionals. They support some of the state's most vulnerable and important citizens - some of the people they support are pretty independent but some need total support. They support people with many different types of disabilities, some physical, some developmental and some behavioral. These support staff are hired by nonprofit agencies who are paid by NYS (the Governor) to provide these services. In most cases the rates the agencies receive are inadequate to cover the costs of care and support. In most cases these agencies and the supports they provide have been routinely reduced, transformed and cut. These are good people, the employees and the agencies, who deserve better from their corporate leader.
To add insult to injury, the Governor created a well intentioned investigative unit called the Justice Center that can force an agency and one of their employees to be out of work, unpaid for days or months while they try to figure out how to investigate charges of abuse and neglect. The bureaucracy that was created does less to control abuse it seems, but certainly helps people decide about their career choice.
Good intentions are nice. They help us align values. But more is needed then good intentions. If Governor Cuomo wants CEO's of private companies to step up, if he wants the Legislature to step up, if he wants non profits to step up, he needs to look in the mirror and step up himself. He needs to put his money where his mouth is. He needs to recognize that the state of NY has to provide resources to pay people a decent and living wage especially when they are supporting people and doing work that the state has a responsibility to provide.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Non Profits Need Ethics & Transparency Too
I've posted before about transparency in government, or sometimes the lack of it. Some of this got me thinking recently about how all of this impacts the non profit world. I've worked and sat on numerous boards of non profit organizations over the years and some are certainly better than others when it comes to transparency or sharing information.
I'm aware of one large non profit that insists on an executive session at just about every meeting, shooing people from their presence to conduct major discussions and big business behind closed doors. If anyone is critical, the answer is always the same. It goes something like, "We're not covered by the Open Meetings Law, or Freedom of Information Laws." There's also usually a variation about the inability to "trust" those in the audience with information. In this particular organization, there is not even an attempt to be transparent to donors, members or other related parties. There are other organizations who try to be transparent but many times they fall back on "executive sessions" at a moments notice if some threat, real or imagined, seems afoot.
Now technically these organizations are right. They usually aren't subject to Open Meetings legislation, at least not yet. Of course probably the best way to change that is to show constituents and then government that you need to be forced to be open and therefore subject to new or existing legislation. I suspect that will happen over time. They are also technically right about FOIL requests. On the other hand most documents, financial reports, etc. that non profits provide to government agencies are accessible through a FOIL request to the particular state agency so why make it so difficult.
Now really good non profits tend to try to model their meetings and their openness on state Open Meetings Laws even though they may not be subject to them. It's easy enough to do. Create rules and practices that most everyone understands and agrees with. Executive sessions can and should be held around personnel issues, real estate transactions, litigation and a few other confidential areas. Conflicts will arise but at least there is and can be an attempt at openness and transparency. In addition, an organization that operates like this will be much better prepared for the day when these practices are mandated by government.
I mentioned trust early on. Many organizations are quick to point out that they can't trust people with information or discussions that go on in their meetings. It's my opinion that this just continues a vicious cycle of mistrust among all of the players. When people hear that people think they can't be trusted, they tend to mistrust the parties even more and so on and so forth. Trust is something that needs to be built over periods of time. When people in power use their power to control and withhold information from other people, especially stakeholders, relationships fail. It's just natural. So openness, supportive relationships and sharing of ideas, although sometimes difficult, can work miracles relative to building partnerships and trust.
The bottom line is that we can't just always point our fingers at government for not being open. The private sector of non profits has big responsibilities in this area too. A great resource for good governance practices can be found at the Independent Sector's Website. Non profits and their board members would be well served by reviewing these materials and discussing open business practices.
I'm aware of one large non profit that insists on an executive session at just about every meeting, shooing people from their presence to conduct major discussions and big business behind closed doors. If anyone is critical, the answer is always the same. It goes something like, "We're not covered by the Open Meetings Law, or Freedom of Information Laws." There's also usually a variation about the inability to "trust" those in the audience with information. In this particular organization, there is not even an attempt to be transparent to donors, members or other related parties. There are other organizations who try to be transparent but many times they fall back on "executive sessions" at a moments notice if some threat, real or imagined, seems afoot.
Now technically these organizations are right. They usually aren't subject to Open Meetings legislation, at least not yet. Of course probably the best way to change that is to show constituents and then government that you need to be forced to be open and therefore subject to new or existing legislation. I suspect that will happen over time. They are also technically right about FOIL requests. On the other hand most documents, financial reports, etc. that non profits provide to government agencies are accessible through a FOIL request to the particular state agency so why make it so difficult.
Now really good non profits tend to try to model their meetings and their openness on state Open Meetings Laws even though they may not be subject to them. It's easy enough to do. Create rules and practices that most everyone understands and agrees with. Executive sessions can and should be held around personnel issues, real estate transactions, litigation and a few other confidential areas. Conflicts will arise but at least there is and can be an attempt at openness and transparency. In addition, an organization that operates like this will be much better prepared for the day when these practices are mandated by government.
I mentioned trust early on. Many organizations are quick to point out that they can't trust people with information or discussions that go on in their meetings. It's my opinion that this just continues a vicious cycle of mistrust among all of the players. When people hear that people think they can't be trusted, they tend to mistrust the parties even more and so on and so forth. Trust is something that needs to be built over periods of time. When people in power use their power to control and withhold information from other people, especially stakeholders, relationships fail. It's just natural. So openness, supportive relationships and sharing of ideas, although sometimes difficult, can work miracles relative to building partnerships and trust.
The bottom line is that we can't just always point our fingers at government for not being open. The private sector of non profits has big responsibilities in this area too. A great resource for good governance practices can be found at the Independent Sector's Website. Non profits and their board members would be well served by reviewing these materials and discussing open business practices.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Caregivers Deserve A Living Wage and More
I like many others have watched the NYS Budget process and at the same time followed the national debate on raising the Federal minimum wage. I've also read about the rumblings from liberals and progressives in NYS relative to their disappointment with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on economic issues. All of these things make me think about policy decisions that have kept people and organizations from experiencing the economic growth that everyone touts as critical.
It's always interesting after budget negotiations to see announcements by both the Gov. and the Legislature dribble out about new money for this or that new project. No one seems to be aware of these items as negotiations are being held behind closed doors but when the budget is announced the news and at least promises of money start flowing. That's what happens in a non transparent process. Deals are made and certain constituencies' requests are met. But the worst part is that others' aren't.
The specific constituency I'm talking about are the caregivers and direct support workers who provide, care, support, relationships and so much more to NYS's vulnerable populations. Again, specifically, I'm talking about those employees in the non profit, private sector. Vulnerable people are the elderly and people with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities. They live throughout NYS. Sometimes but not often enough, these people live in their own homes. They also live in approved residential settings or larger facilities like nursing homes and sometimes at home with family members. There are in fact a lot of options. The one consistent issue though is people who support them.
I and others have written about the employees who provide support to these people before. The reason is simple. Their dilemma is great and ongoing. In many cases these hard working folks are paid $7.50 to $8.00/hour based on the kind of reimbursement that organizations who hire them get paid. The high end of starting wages for these workers is $12 to $15/hr.
The other day I saw information from an advocacy agency saying something like "good news for direct support workers". This was referencing a 2% increase for these employees in this year's NYS budget. To put things in context, there haven't been increases for these positions in four or more years. Given inflation, these organizations and employees should have received somewhere around an 8% increase. How can organizations who are advocating for these people and the people they support be celebrating this good news? I also saw an article where a NYS Assemblyman was indicating that this 2% increase would help stop abuse as well as help control turnover. Really! I'd like to understand how that will work.
In the late 70's when institutions were still the places where the majority of people with intellectual and development disabilities resided, NYS made a deal with the public employee unions to not equalize the pay of those employees and non profit, private sector employees. That deal has driven the pay inequality for decades. A system was built on that inequality and continues to exist today. To fix it would cost millions. Yes, the millions that are spent on pet projects every year. The millions to revitlize athletic stadiums or to bring movies and TV shows to NY. There are so many millions it's hard to fathom and yet it becomes a battle to get a 2% increase for hard working people over four years. So high turnover, some abuse and mistreatment, will continue as people and organizations try to provide support to our most vulnerable citizens. Voices of advocates just aren't there or are ineffective.
It's always interesting after budget negotiations to see announcements by both the Gov. and the Legislature dribble out about new money for this or that new project. No one seems to be aware of these items as negotiations are being held behind closed doors but when the budget is announced the news and at least promises of money start flowing. That's what happens in a non transparent process. Deals are made and certain constituencies' requests are met. But the worst part is that others' aren't.
The specific constituency I'm talking about are the caregivers and direct support workers who provide, care, support, relationships and so much more to NYS's vulnerable populations. Again, specifically, I'm talking about those employees in the non profit, private sector. Vulnerable people are the elderly and people with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities. They live throughout NYS. Sometimes but not often enough, these people live in their own homes. They also live in approved residential settings or larger facilities like nursing homes and sometimes at home with family members. There are in fact a lot of options. The one consistent issue though is people who support them.
I and others have written about the employees who provide support to these people before. The reason is simple. Their dilemma is great and ongoing. In many cases these hard working folks are paid $7.50 to $8.00/hour based on the kind of reimbursement that organizations who hire them get paid. The high end of starting wages for these workers is $12 to $15/hr.
The other day I saw information from an advocacy agency saying something like "good news for direct support workers". This was referencing a 2% increase for these employees in this year's NYS budget. To put things in context, there haven't been increases for these positions in four or more years. Given inflation, these organizations and employees should have received somewhere around an 8% increase. How can organizations who are advocating for these people and the people they support be celebrating this good news? I also saw an article where a NYS Assemblyman was indicating that this 2% increase would help stop abuse as well as help control turnover. Really! I'd like to understand how that will work.
In the late 70's when institutions were still the places where the majority of people with intellectual and development disabilities resided, NYS made a deal with the public employee unions to not equalize the pay of those employees and non profit, private sector employees. That deal has driven the pay inequality for decades. A system was built on that inequality and continues to exist today. To fix it would cost millions. Yes, the millions that are spent on pet projects every year. The millions to revitlize athletic stadiums or to bring movies and TV shows to NY. There are so many millions it's hard to fathom and yet it becomes a battle to get a 2% increase for hard working people over four years. So high turnover, some abuse and mistreatment, will continue as people and organizations try to provide support to our most vulnerable citizens. Voices of advocates just aren't there or are ineffective.
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