Winona ORC is proud to support the 5% campaign, a nonpartisan coalition of Minnesotans working to ask state legislators for a 5% rate increase for Home and Community Based Services in 2014.
The lives that many people with disabilities and older adults build for themselves depend on state funding. These critical supports allow people to be more independent by providing staffing and transportation so that people can be active employees and volunteers in their communities, fostering skill development, ensuring health and safety and more.
2013 marked the fifth year in a row that services for people with disabilities have not received rate increases to keep up with rising costs.
Legislation is currently being developed on this critical issue for the 2014 Legislative Session that begins on February 25, 2014.
5 Reasons to Support The 5% Campaign
1. Minnesotans believe people with disabilities and older adults should live in and contribute to their communities. Community-based services provide greater opportunity to build strong connections with neighbors and the community. A 5% rate increase supports this belief.
2. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and Caregivers support your family; shouldn’t they be able to support their own?
3. A 5% increase will help to retain consistent staff; this is crucial to quality care. Low wages lead to higher staff turnover, creating more stress, less stability and lower quality care.
4. DSPs and caregivers who support people with disabilities and older Minnesotans have demanding, highly-skilled jobs. A 5% increase shows we value these employees and their commitment to this field.
5. Community-based services are some of the largest employers in rural Minnesota. A 5% rate increase will support necessary salary increases for dedicated staff that will put dollars to work in their local communities.
(Information from www.arrm.org)
If you are interested in learning more about or supporting The 5% Campaign, you can sign-on to The 5% Campaigns Online Petition at www.arrm.org under the “Advocacy Arsenal” tab.