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Department of Rehabilitation reports modest budget change, highlights one-time program results
Summary
The Department of Rehabilitation told the Senate subcommittee the governor's 2025'26 budget proposes about $570.6 million in total funds and described outcomes from one-time HCBS and opioid settlement programs that expanded traumatic brain injury sites, supported transitions through the Community Living Fund and provided employment support in treatment settings.
Kim Rutledge, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation, presented the department's proposed 2025'26 budget and updates on several one-time programs funded in recent years.
Rutledge said the governor's budget includes $570,600,000 in total funds for DOR, including roughly $83,600,000 in general fund, a net decrease from the updated 2024'25 budget. She said DOR had 161,101 participants in vocational rehabilitation as of March 2025 (a 15% increase year-over-year) and that 55,482 participants received student services (a 7% increase).
To align with administration direction to protect core services, DOR plans targeted reductions that include eliminating 66.5 positions to generate $11.4 million in savings (about $2.4 million general fund and $9 million federal funds) and reducing $649,000 in general fund operating expenses.
DOR reported results from three one-time HCBS- and settlement-funded programs scheduled to end in June 2025. The traumatic brain injury expansion used $5 million in HCBS funding to expand from six to 12 sites and served more than 4,000 survivors and stakeholders statewide, delivering 80,433 core services from April 2022 through September 2024. The Community Living Fund, also HCBS-funded, met its goal early and served 1,413 individuals (1,236 diversion services and 177 institutional transitions) by January 2025. The Integrated Employment and Recovery program, funded by opioid settlement dollars, served nearly 3,000 people in treatment facilities and referred 550 to the full vocational rehabilitation program; DOR is partnering with San Diego State University for a program evaluation due by the end of 2025.
Rutledge said the department hopes to continue services from the one-time expansions using existing sources where feasible and asked the committee to note that some programs will end in June 2025 unless new funds are appropriated.
