Closing the State Centers for the Developmentally Disabled

	The Issue	The Latest Scoop	Action Steps	Lead Contacts	More Information

The Issue

In Wisconsin and across the country, more and more people with severe disabilities are living in the community instead of in institutions. Over the past decades, community services have developed and become more available as families pushed to keep their family members at home or in the community. In the last 20 years, 1,200 Wisconsin citizens with severe disabilities have left the State Centers for the Developmentally Disabilities and have moved back to the community.

Wisconsin has three State Centers still operating. Central Center in Madison and Southern Center in Union Grove both have long-term residents. Northern Center now provides intensive services for a short period of time for up to 30 people and also has a dental outreach clinic. After receiving services at Northern, people return to their homes in the community.

Each year, a number of residents from Central and Southern Centers leave and move back to the community. The populations of the Centers continue to decline because almost no new long-term residents are admitted.

According to surveys conducted by the Department of Health and Family Services, over 96% of the guardians of people who have left the State Centers are satisfied by the community services provided to their wards. Guardians who were reluctant to have their wards move out of the Centers have been surprised and pleased by how their wards have developed and changed after living in the community.

The Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities supports the continued movement of people from Central and Southern Centers to the community. The Council also supports the closure of Southern Center by June 30, 2007. People First of Wisconsin, a group with many members that once lived in one of the Centers, supports closing Southern and Central by 2012.

The Latest Scoop (Updated: 08/18/2008)

The 2005-2007 biennial budget as proposed by the Governor and passed by the legislature projects moving 90 people from Southern and Central Centers over the 2005-2007 biennium. The current rate of $325 per day would remain the same. The proposed budget also deletes 132 employee positions at the State Centers.

Action Steps

1. Join People First Wisconsin. If you are a former resident of a State Center, or a family member or guardian of a former resident, share your story with People First. If you would like to help welcome someone moving from Northern Wisconsin Center to your community, contact People First. If you would like to donate something for Welcome Home Boxes, to be presented as housewarming gifts to people moving out of Northern Center, contact People First.
   
   

Lead Contacts

Chris Thomas-Cramer
Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities
201 W. Washington Avenue
Madison WI 53703-2796
Phone: Voice (608) 266-0979; TDD (608) 266-6660
Email: thomacm@dhfs.state.wi.us
Fax: (608) 267-3906

If you are not yet a member of the DAWN network, we hope that you will join us. Please register at http://www.dawninfo.org/ea/index.cfm.

More Information

• Issue alerts:
  
• Plain Talk: Time to Close the State Centers
  
• Advocacy Resources:
  1. NWC closure lawsuit update by Mitchell Hagopian (PDF)
     
• Background Papers:
  1. Survival Coalition Issue Paper on State Centers
     
  2. The Coffelt Longitudinal Study: The Results of Four Years of Movement From Institution to Community
     
  3. How Are They Doing? Year 2000 Coffelt Report
     
  4. AFTER THE COFFELT CASE - IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE NO. 11
     
  5. The Deinstitutionalization of AMERICA
     
  6. Stretching state dollars
     
  7. Deinstitutionalization of Persons with Developmental Disabilities: A Technical Assistance Report for Legislators, By DeWayne Davis, Wendy Fox-Grage, and Shelly Gehshan, National Conference of State Legislatures
     
• Fiscal Information:
  
  
• Stories of Wisconsin's citizens with disabilities:
  
  
• Links to relevant disability information:
  1. Disability Rights Section and ADA information, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
     
  2. ADA/Olmstead Decision Related Links