DDS West Region director: 24 on emergency placement list, housing projects moving forward, trach policy under review

Shannon, director for the West Region of the Department of Developmental Services, told a regional advisory meeting that the region currently has 24 people on its emergency placement list and that finding appropriate placements remains a major challenge.

Shannon said the emergency list covers people the region has agreed to fund but for whom staff are still trying to locate suitable placements: “We currently have 24 on our list, which is, a large number, but we've been at a much higher level at other points in time.”

The director's report covered several programmatic and system issues. Shannon summarized recent activity by self-advocates in the West Region, ongoing contract and consulting work with GTI and Deloitte, weekly coordination with the Connecticut Hospital Association and other state agencies about people remaining in hospitals past discharge readiness, and a set of supported-housing developments that are near approval or under construction.

Why it matters: the combination of people awaiting placements, persistent staffing shortages among provider agencies, and hospital discharge bottlenecks increase pressure on hospitals and the regional system. Shannon and other meeting participants linked those…