Exciting possibilities to come from DSHS restructuring

/in /by Stacy Dym

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) recently announced a series of changes to its organizational structure effective May 1st. Their statements are included in full at the bottom of this blog.

As advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we are excited for the possibilities that will emerge from the creation of a new state agency called The Home and Community Living Administration (HCLA), integrating home and community-based services within the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA).

While there is still much to learn and understand about this restructuring, Washington state must move toward a future that focuses on the design of care around each individual’s needs within their home and community. Changing government systems to encourage innovative thinking, better responsiveness, and less reliance on institutional care and state-run facilities is a first step.

We are hopeful that this integration will allow for a more holistic approach to long-term care and better-focused efforts on strengthening home and community-based services. We know that habilitation services are crucial for individuals with developmental disabilities to achieve their full potential and participate fully in society.

Additionally, we are optimistic that the creation of the Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration (BHHA) – as a result of merging the Behavioral Health Administration with the Residential Habilitation Centers – will encourage the use of these facilities primarily for crisis response and stabilization in addition to specialized evaluation and intervention rather than long-term residential placements over decades of a person’s life.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve our very best efforts to ensure they are fully included and supported in their lives in the community and free from isolation and institutional care. We stand ready to support our community of people with developmental disabilities, their families, and disability rights advocates during this hopeful transition. As stated in the announcement below, anyone with questions or input should reach out to DSHS directly at reimagine@dshs.wa.gov.

In community,

Stacy Dym

Executive Director
The Arc of Washington State

“While there is still much to learn and understand about this restructuring, Washington state must move toward a future that focuses on the design of care around each individual’s needs within their home and community. Changing government systems to encourage innovative thinking, better responsiveness, and less reliance on institutional care and state-run facilities is a first step.”

– Stacy Dym, Executive Director, The Arc of Washington State

From: DSHS RE Secretary Messages
Sent: Thursday, April 3, 2025 1:15 PM
Subject: Reimagining DSHS – Stakeholder Message

 

April 3, 2025

Dear DSHS Community Partners and Stakeholders:

I am writing to let you know about our efforts to Reimagine DSHS and best serve the people of Washington state: where we are and where we’d like to go. I would also like to invite you to help us get there. Our paramount goal remains improving access to services by identifying and removing barriers while adapting quickly to public policy shifts and ongoing fiscal uncertainty.

We have started to organize our agency in a way that makes it easier for clients and staff to get what they need, beginning with some shifts in the Office of the Secretary. Most of these are internal and will have little to no impact on our relationships.

Where we want to go

Our efforts to Reimagine DSHS must lead us to improved outcomes, make the best use of limited and rapidly changing resources, break down silos and promote self-direction and person-centered care. Now is the time to begin this work.

Beginning May 1, DSHS will create the Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration for all DSHS clients who receive residential habilitation and behavioral health services in state-operated facilities where they reside 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This change merges the Behavioral Health Administration with the State Operated Living Alternatives and the Residential Habilitation Centers.

We also will create the Home and Community Living Administration that serves all clients who receive home and community-based services through the state’s contracted network of providers. This brings together the community side of the Developmental Disabilities Administration with the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration.

As part of the efforts to streamline business processes, smaller parts within DSHS, like the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, will draw upon infrastructure and resources that exist in larger organizations within the department, like the Economic Services Administration.

Within this new structure, we will continue to focus on the people we serve and maintain our commitment to partnering with them, their families and our community partners.

What happens next

As of May 1, you can expect a few things outside of what was outlined above: The basic organizational structure and leadership of some areas of DSHS may be different. Some leaders and managers may have different supervisors, and you may have different points of contact, depending on which parts of DSHS you work with. Everything else will stay largely the same.

Over the next year, we’ll begin more in-depth work to Reimagine DSHS and we will seek your input in a variety of ways. We are also going to engage with tribal governments and staff as well as the people we serve, all of whom will be central to this work because of their lived experiences.

Even though this effort is happening while our state and federal funding are at the top of all our minds, it is not a budget-cutting exercise. We are working to realign and restructure DSHS in a way that measurably improves people’s experiences with our department, and we are striving to be less bureaucratic, and more welcoming of all Washingtonians, as Gov. Ferguson has challenged us to be.

Thank you again for your continued partnership and collaboration. If you have questions and input, please send them to reimagine@dshs.wa.gov. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing more with you again soon.

Fondly,

Cheryl

CHERYL STRANGE / Acting Secretary

Office of the Secretary

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

 

From: DSHS RE Secretary Messages
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2025

 

April 11, 2025

Dear DSHS Partner and Stakeholder:

As a follow up to the Reimagine DSHS update last week, I wanted let you know who will lead the two restructured administrations, effective May 1.

Kevin Bovenkamp, currently BHA assistant secretary, will lead the Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration that will serve DSHS clients who receive care in our state operated services and 24/7 facilities. As I noted in my April 3 update, this administration now brings together BHA with the SOLAs and the RHCs.

Bea Rector, currently ALTSA assistant secretary, will head up the Home and Community Living Administration that will serve clients who receive home and community-based services through our network of providers. This administration merges the community side of DDA with ALTSA and includes Adult Protective and Residential Care Services.

Tonik Joseph, currently DDA assistant secretary, will be assuming the role of special assistant in the Home and Community Living Administration and report to Bea. Her work will focus on the continuity of programs, services and initiatives across the two new administrations.

I want to reinforce that the May 1, reorganization is the beginning of a larger effort to enable us to support clients with multiple service needs in a more dynamic way. At this point, we are setting the framework for the future of DSHS and the real work lies ahead with opportunities for stakeholder and client engagement to reduce bureaucracy, silos and put more emphasis on supporting clients. We look forward to engaging with you, obtaining your input and perspectives on how to improve access to services as this process unfolds. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Fondly,

Cheryl

CHERYL STRANGE / Acting Secretary

Office of the Secretary

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

 

Your Voices Are Being Heard

/in , /by Sarah

Your Voices Are Being Heard

Spring is in full swing, and so is our advocacy work—both at the state and federal levels. We are over halfway through the 105-day state legislative session. At this point in the year, when the sun starts coming out more but the long slog of reading news and testifying on bills starts to feel dreary, it’s essential to reflect on how much we’ve already accomplished together. The bottom line is this: your advocacy is making a difference.

Thanks to your support and the dedication of our network of hundreds of members of The Arc:

  • Hundreds of disability rights advocates signed in to support crucial bills aimed at consolidating Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs) (HB 1472 / SB 5393).
  • More than 1,000 community members wrote letters to elected officials in response to our Medicaid Matters alerts, amplifying the call for Medicaid protections.

Your stories are being heard by at the highest levels of government. Julie Clark, Chair of the Developmental Disabilities Council, was invited to share her story at a press conference hosted by U.S. Senator Patty Murray in Olympia this week, and she absolutely rocked it!

“I lived in a shared house. I love that in my own home…I can go anywhere I need or want, but I require a caregiver for safety,” Julie said in her speech. “Everyone deserves to have a quality of life – to work and to live in their own home in their community. Medicaid cuts would be very harmful to myself and those like me. Cuts would affect my living situation drastically because I would be forced to live in an institution.”

Julie’s advocacy reached many this week, and we invite you to watch her impactful story: Watch Julie Clark’s Story

Senator Patty Murray/ Julie Clark

Share Your Medicaid Matters Story

Your voice is powerful and can influence change just like Julie. We are collecting stories from our community of how cuts to Medicaid would impact your life. Please, consider submitting your Medicaid Matters story as a video or a written story here: Medicaid Matters Story Submission Form

Keep the Pressure on Congress

Your Congressional delegation needs to hear from you about the critical importance of Medicaid. You may feel like you’ve already taken action many times, but remember—Congress keeps track of every call and message, and that data plays a role in decision-making.

If you want to help keep the pressure on, make yourself a reminder to call multiple times a week. Sharing that you care about Medicaid over and over again is one of the most important ways we can advocate to avoid cuts:

Call the Hands off Medicaid Hotline to reach Congress: 866-426-2631

Or send an email using our tool: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-medicaid-is-a-lifeline-for-people-with-disabilities

Budget Updates: Stay Alert, Stay Engaged

We anticipate the State Senate and House budgets will be released next week, and we’re eager to see how legislators plan to address the $12-$14 billion budget shortfall. Key questions remain:

  • What mix of cuts and new revenue (income) will they propose?
  • How will essential services be impacted?

We are deeply concerned about potential cuts to critical services. Our message remains clear: Cuts Cause Crisis! Take care of yourself this week and we’ll all be ready to advocate when the time comes.

Follow our budget tracker for the latest updates:
View Budget Tracker

Stay Informed on Key Legislation

Bills are still making their way through the legislative process. Keep track of them here:
View Bill Tracker

Thank you for your continued passion and advocacy. Together, we make a difference!

– Cathy Murahashi

Welcome to the 2025 Legislative Session!

/in , , /by Sarah

Welcome to the 2025 Legislative Session!

Our first live Advocacy Day since the pandemic took place on Wednesday, the 15th. We were thrilled to see 90 advocates in person and 30 more joining us online! It was wonderful to see your enthusiasm and commitment to advocacy.

The day was filled with excitement, including the inauguration of our new Governor, Bob Ferguson. In his inaugural speech, Governor Ferguson outlined his key priorities: providing free school breakfasts and lunches for all public school students, increasing law enforcement presence, protecting reproductive freedom, and expanding housing opportunities. He also emphasized the importance of bipartisanship and collaboration, earning a standing ovation. We hope this is a positive sign for the days ahead.

The inaugural gala was a night of celebration that shined, sparkled, and rock & rolled.  Now that all new legislators have been sworn in, it’s time to get down to the business of lawmaking and budget planning.

Advocacy and Budget Challenges

With a new governor, staff, and legislators, there will be a learning curve on developmental disabilities (DD) issues. If you have a new legislator representing your district, take the opportunity to introduce yourself and share your story—early impressions tend to stick with them.

The state faces a projected $12-14 billion deficit over the next four years. The causes of this deficit vary depending on perspective, but key factors include increased caseloads, new programming that was started with pandemic-era federal funding and inflation. This leaves the legislature with two primary options: cutting services or raising revenue—both of which are unpopular. Agencies have already been instructed to freeze hiring, limit travel, and restrict equipment purchases. Unfortunately, the annual DD Community Summit has been canceled due to budget constraints. Advocacy will be essential to protect our vital services.

Given these financial limitations, new programs requiring significant funding are unlikely to be approved. Instead, policy bills with minimal or no fiscal impact have a better chance of progressing.

Proposed Institutional Closures

In response to the budget deficit, Governor Inslee has put forward a bold proposal to close Yakima Village School and Rainier School. Rainier is a Residential Habilitation Center (RHC), while Yakima Village provides nursing care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). 18 other states have closed all their institutions entirely, while Washington still retains 4.  Currently, 10% of the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) budget serves those in RHCs, despite them making up less than 1% of DD clients.

Legislation has been introduced in both chambers to support these closures:

It is critical that with the closure of RHCs, adequate investment in Community Services must be made to ensure a smooth transition to the community. In particular Supported Living needs rate increases so they are prepared to receive new residents.

Key Legislative Bills to Watch

  • HB 1130– Prioritizes individuals for DDA waivers when availability is limited, particularly those aged 45 and older, addressing the need for aging parents to secure long-term supports for their children.
  • HB 1200 & SB 5211– Allows parents of minor children with high support needs (E and High B categories) to be paid care providers.
  • HB 1344– Expands access to respite care by adding it as a service under the Basic Plus Aggregate services.

Several important education funding bills aim to increase special education funding by raising the cap, adjusting multipliers, and enhancing inclusive education. You can track all the bills we are following here: Bill and Budget Tracker

Get Involved!

There are many ways you can participate in advocacy efforts:

If you missed our “Medicaid Matters” town hall, you can view the recording here.

Thank you for your commitment to advocacy. Your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference!

Cathy Murahashi