June 24, 2015 (Salem, OR) – Budget proposals released this week by the Joint Subcommittee on Human Services carry recommendations to eliminate Oregon’s Gatekeeper program and Options Counseling for the 2015-17 biennium. These programs, launched statewide through investment by the Legislature in the 13-15 biennium, are currently serving at-risk seniors and people with disabilities through cost-effective, cost avoidance, proven strategies that increase independence, safety and health of vulnerable individuals.
Options Counseling is a proven, successful strategy to provide support to seniors, people with disabilities, their families and their caregivers. Options Counselors, certified professionals, work with an individual (usually in their home) to move beyond just information giving and onto decision-making.
Options Counseling is being adopted nationally to help streamline eligibility determinations for services and supports, increase access to community-based alternatives to care that can help avoid costly institutional care and preserve personal resources through increasing personal responsibility – thereby lowering overall costs of care for state budgets. Options Counseling is currently funded at $1.4 million for the 13-15 biennium.
The Gatekeeper program provides training to individuals, businesses and organizations who are in contact with vulnerable individuals in how to recognize warning signs and make referrals for help. This program offers a ‘first line of defense’ against situations that are potentially harmful but preventable including abuse and neglect. Research into the outcomes of the Gatekeeper program has shown significant improvements for individuals served including lowering of social isolation, decrease in depression symptoms, and a decrease in suicide ideation. Since the Gatekeeper
program began in 2014, over 300 businesses and organizations and over 1,100 individuals have become Gatekeepers. Over 500 Gatekeeper calls have been received by ADRCs including over 100 calls that required follow up by Adult Protective Services due to possible abuse or neglect. Gatekeeper is currently funded at $1.7 million for the 13-15 biennium.
Rodney Schroeder, Chair of O4AD, stated, “Elimination of these programs will result in potential staff layoffs and reductions, decrease in abuse prevention efforts, potential decrease in calls to report potential abuse or neglect, decrease in mental illness intervention efforts, reduction in streamlining and efficiency work in eligibility determination, and threatens the viability of Oregon’s ADRC. These proposed reductions also eliminate key initiatives aimed at lowering overall costs in long-term services and supports for the state. We urge the Legislative body to restore funding at $3.1 million for these programs to protect independence, dignity, choice and safety for vulnerable Oregonians.”
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O4AD advocates to protect the independence, dignity, choice and safety of Oregon’s seniors and people with disabilities. Area Agencies on Aging & Disabilities, our members, provide long-term care services statewide including home delivered meals, ADRC services, Medicaid services in many areas and Oregon Project Independence statewide. O4AD’s members are responsible for service provision to the majority of seniors and people with disabilities in the state. www.o4ad.org
