Utah poised to freeze waiting list indefinitely
April 9th, 2009From the Salt Lake Tribune:
The Division of Services for People with Disabilities in Utah is scrambling to resolve a nearly $1 million budget cut by proposing to eliminate staff positions and freeze the waiting list for services indefinitely. There are currently about 1,700 people on the waiting list.
The plan is to shrink programs and reduce the number of disabilities division offices from 24 to between eight and 10 statewide.
“These are the most vulnerable citizens in Utah,” said Claire Mantonya, executive director of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. “We’re balancing the budget on their backs?”
… Money is so scarce that people who die or move out of state will not open up slots on the waiting list. Only court-ordered cases and emergency situations will allow new people to start receiving services.

