March 20 meeting to discuss low wages, high turnover of direct care workers

March 20th Meeting To Discuss Mental Health Budget Cuts, Low Wages and Large Turnover of Direct Care Workers in Macomb and Oakland Counties

A special meeting to discuss mental health budget cuts, low wages and the large turnover of direct care workers will be held on Monday, March 20, 2017, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Auburn Hills office of MORC (Macomb-Oakland Regional Center), 1270 Doris Road, Auburn Hills.

"According to the most recent statewide data available, there are an estimated 44,000 direct care workers who assist people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as persons with mental illness," said Robert Stein, General Counsel for the Michigan Assisted Living Association, and one of the speakers for the March 20 meeting.

"The average starting wage level for direct care workers statewide is $9.30 per hour, and the average overall wage level is $10.18 per hour," Stein said. "The average annual turnover rate is 40 percent. There is a shortage of direct care workers of 15 percent or more throughout the state."

In addition to Stein, the other speakers for the March 20 meeting from nonprofit agencies include: John Williams, Executive Director of Progressive Lifestyles, Inc.; Lynn Maginity, Executive Director of New Gateways, Inc.; and Michael Higgs, Managing Director of Family Living Center, Inc.

The mental health funding agencies in Macomb and Oakland counties had their budget cut dramatically. The Macomb County Mental Health agency during an 18-month period from April 2016 through September of this year is expecting to lose nearly $30 million in total from its budget. Oakland County Community Mental Health has lost $30 million from its budget and has already incorporated the 2.5% April 1,2017 cut into its current budget and is not anticipating any changes to services this year.

The budget cuts in both Macomb and Oakland counties are the result of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Servicesfunding redistribution of Medicaid rates or "rebasing."

The general public is invited to this free meeting. There will be light refreshments.

The Association of the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center (AMORC) is sponsoring the March 20 meeting. AMORC is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and was created in 1975. As an advocacy agency, there are no paid staff and all Board members are volunteers. Membership consists of parents, guardians, consumers, relatives and friends of children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. AMORC's website is www.theamorc.org.