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DDS updates legislators’ calendar, DSP recruitment campaign and 14(c) concerns; council sets legislative breakfast dates
Summary
DDS Commissioner Jordan Schaff reviewed legislative timing and said the agency bill should appear soon; DDS staff outlined an ARPA-funded DSP recruitment campaign and job board planned for April, members discussed 14(c) subminimum wage changes and agency data (about 393 people on certificates), and the council voted to hold a legislative breakfast April 23 with April 30 as backup.
Commissioner Jordan Schaff and DDS staff used the council meeting on Feb. 20 to update members on legislative timing, workforce efforts and program-level concerns.
Schaff said the legislative session creates heavy demands on agency staff and that the department expects an agency bill to be filed shortly. He and other staff encouraged members to follow the legislative bulletin and the agency bill tracker once posted; they warned that notice for hearings and committee activity can arrive on short timelines.
Kevin Bronson, DDS, described a direct support professional (DSP) recruitment effort funded with ARPA dollars. Bronson said the initiative will include a brand-neutral marketing campaign (radio, billboards), a centralized job board for private providers to post openings, and a “trusted messenger” outreach element that trains community leaders to promote DSP careers. The campaign aims to go live in April and run for two months, Bronson said, with providers previewing materials at a DDS provider meeting.
Members raised budget and staffing concerns. Council member Adrienne Benjamin said the governor—s initial proposal looked like a 3% increase but was later described as a reduction; she cited a reported $19,000,000 figure but acknowledged conflicting accounts and said the precise allocation affecting group homes and nonprofits was not specified in the meeting.
The council also discussed proposals to eliminate or phase out 14(c) subminimum wage certificates. Schaff said the agency testified neutrally to legislators, noting the need for phased transitions to avoid harming people who currently rely on those jobs. Agency data shared in the meeting — circulated as a link by a council member and read by staff — stated that as of Feb. 1 there were about 393 individuals paid under 14(c) certificates across roughly 10 providers; staff said the number is declining from prior decades but could not confirm all downstream impacts without additional analysis.
On planning business, Kevin Zingler and the committee proposed dates for the council's legislative breakfast and awards event. Christine Haynes moved to schedule April 23 as the primary date with April 30 as backup; Adrienne Benjamin seconded. Chair Patty Silva called for a voice vote and the motion passed with ayes recorded and no opposition noted.
The council set its next regular meeting for March 20 at 5:00 p.m. and then moved to adjourn.
Provenance: details in this article are drawn from the commissioner update, staff presentations about the DSP campaign and the 14(c) discussion during the Feb. 20 meeting.
