Advocacy – Harry Bronson

The deadline for the 2023 Executive Budget is fast approaching, and it's more important than ever to let Governor Hochul know that investing in the workforce and system of supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is of critical importance!

Let Gov. Hochul know that The Arc of Monroe MATTERS! Please use your influence to raise these concerns however you can and support The Arc of Monroe, the 1400 people we support and our 800 employees who deserve a fair wage. Specific consideration for our field is essential.

For decades, New York state has not made adequate investments to sustain the essential programs and services people with IDD rely on. This systemic underfunding has driven us into a critical staffing crisis and eroded New York's system of supports for its citizens with IDD. The data speaks for itself:

38% of providers discontinued or reduced programs and services in 2021 alone.
Average statewide staff turnover rate is 35.5%.
Turnover costs for non-profit providers have risen to more than $100 million annually.
Nearly 20,000 critical Direct Support positions are vacant statewide.
The 18% vacancy rate means New Yorkers with disabilities are missing out on needed care and support.

Now we must inform Governor Hochul how she can help address these issues in her 2023-24 Executive Budget. Our goals are twofold:

Establish a Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) to make up for years of underinvestment.
Include the statutory 8.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).

Thank you!

Tracy Petrichick
President and CEO
The Arc of Monroe
(585) 271-0660, ext. 2233

Thank you, Assemblymember Harry Bronson!

The Arc of Monroe was glad to welcome you and share about all that is happening at our agency! We thank you for your willingness to talk with our leadership team and tour our world-class ArcWorks manufacturing facility! Supporting people with disabilities means advocating for them and their rights each and every day. We are so thankful that you support us!

How Can You Help?

>> Vote NO on eliminating section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This will help our community

- Keep workers with disabilities employed.
- Create productive, safe training environments for people with disabilities who wish to prepare for a career.
- Develop resources to assist local businesses in creating better opportunities for people with disabilities on their staff.

>> Propel the Better Care Better Jobs Act forward to ensure

- Programs and funds are established for state Medicaid programs to improve home- and community-based services (HCBS), such as home health care, personal care, case management, and rehabilitative services.
- Staff caring for people with disabilities are paid a reasonable wage.

Overview Hiring and Tax Incentives for Employers

Here is an overview of a few Hiring and Tax Incentives for Employers. Within the overview, you’ll find source links and documents received from ACCES-VR in the past for additional information on ACCES-VR, their business services, On-the-Job Training Program, Work Try-Out Program and the NYS Department of Labor Federal Bonding Program:

Workforce Development Resources at The Arc of Monroe

Thank you for being a leader in developing our workforce in the greater Rochester area! At The Arc of Monroe, we are committed to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) find work and job training opportunities that are right for them, in addition to supporting local businesses in hiring people with IDD. Our Job Path, LifePrep@Naz, Adult Project SEARCH, and MCC Experience programs, in addition to our prevocational services at ArcWorks, are wonderful resources for the people we support, and help our communities thrive. We look forward to talking more about these programs when you visit!

LGBTQIA+ Resources for People with IDD

With the help of a generous grant from the New York Health Foundation, The Arc of Monroe is leading the way in providing training for staff who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who also identify as LGBTQIA+. Our own Advocacy Champion Brian Potvin has developed the curriculum and recently started delivering the training at other organizations. Visit our Supporting Safe Spaces website to learn more.

Arc of Monroe Contacts

Tracy Petrichick
President/CEO
(585) 672-2233
tpetrichick@arcmonroe.org

Mike Zazzara
Chief Operating Officer
(585) 271-0660 x 1014
mzazzara@arcmonroe.org

Kathryn Davidson
Job Path Employment Services
(585) 256-7330 x2529
kdavidson@arcmonroe.org
http://jobpathrochester.org/

Mike Czora
General Manager, ArcWorks
(585) 698-1334
mczora@arcmonroe.org
https://arcworksrochester.org/

Tracy Crosby
Executive Director, Arc Foundation of Monroe
(585) 672-2228
tcrosby@arcmonroe.org

Christen Smith
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
(585) 773-8535
chrsmith@arcmonroe.org

DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL STATISTICS AND FACTS IN THE US

Source: Zippia.com
Research Summary: Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for direct support professionals in the United States. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that: