With Friends Like House Democrats, NM’s Developmentally Disabled Don’t Need Any Enemies – Will Senate Be As Uncaring?

New Mexico DD Waiver Community Consistently Dissed By Democrats in Charge

Since 2019, the Democrats have controlled both the Executive and Legislative branches of the state government.

While in charge, they have had tens of billions in state and federal funds available that could have been used to drastically improve the lives of the most vulnerable residents in New Mexico – including people who are developmentally disabled and elderly persons in need of home and long-term care.

Both the Legislative and Executive branches of state government have failed to address the poor wages paid to caregivers, directly causing failures to retain and recruit the workforce needed to care for the thousands of people who need help in their daily existence.

House Democrats Conveniently Forgot Chairman Nathan Small’s Promised Rate Study

On January 31, 2024, Nathan Small – (D), the House Appropriations and Finance Committee Chairman, opposed an amendment made by Representative John Block – (R) to increase by $10 million the appropriation needed to raise the pay for people caring for New Mexican residents qualified for Developmentally Disabled Waiver (DD Waiver) services.

When Speaker of the House, Javier Martinez – (D), asked Small if Block’s amendment was a “friendly” amendment, the Chairman responded,

“Mr. Speaker, it is an unfriendly amendment.”

He went on, “I want to briefly explain why. In the conversation we had [on the House Budget bill], we robustly increased funding for this year [for the developmentally disabled waiver programs].”

Small offered what seemed to be a promise to get things square as to compensation for the people who provide care to this vulnerable population,

“We’re doing a rate study.

“We want to make sure that we are caught up across all areas of health care.

“This is year one of the Health Care Authority, and so, Mr. Speaker, we’re sort of not doing this piecemeal.

“Instead we have robust increases in our budget, a rate study coming, and the ability to continue to invest and to right-size as we match federal money.”

Small wrapped up his comments with, “Last thing is, the Health Care Authority does have the large amount they could leverage – almost a quarter billion dollars, at least – in Medicaid funding to work in this area at least partially.”

Within moments after Small finished, the House Democratic Majority Whip, Reena Szczepanski made a motion to table Block’s amendment – essentially killing the effort to give direct service professionals a long awaited for raise.

Only one Democrat, Representative Marian Mathews, voted for Block’s amendment.

Fast Forward to 2026 Legislative Budget Session – So Much for Robust “Right-Sizing.”

Last week, House members again, led by the Democrats in control, voted for a budget insufficient to address the recommended increases identified in a recently released study for the compensation of workers providing direct care to persons in the DD Waiver community.

That study was one that Chairman Small had claimed was needed to robustly “right-size” care for the residents in need of DD Waiver services provided by direct support professionals.

The House voted to cut the Health Care Authority’s (HCA) request to fund the Developmental Disabilities Support Division (DDSD) programs by more than $56 million – despite the study’s recommendations.

Last month during a public meeting of Small’s House Appropriations and Finance Committee, Representative Harlan Vincent – (R), raised questions that exposed the inability of the DDSD to serve DD Waiver clients across the state.

The DDSD Director acknowledged that there were no willing provider agencies (those companies that provide the DSP workforce) in fifteen New Mexico counties due to insufficient rates.

According to the state budget language, “The purpose of the developmental disabilities support program is to administer a statewide system of community-based services and support to improve the quality of life and increase the independence and interdependence of individuals with developmental disabilities and children with or at risk for developmental delay or disability and their families.”

The budget appropriation associated with that language does not align with the mission.

The budget debate has moved on to the Senate.

Can those in need of the care the Disabilities Support Division programs are designed to provide, as well as those who provide the care, expect better treatment from the Senate?

The data justifying significant increases in funding are available … or does Chairman Small’s “right-sizing” actually mean “robust” neglect, as the actions of House members seem to have embraced through their indifference to the DD Waiver community?

Today the Senate Finance Committee, headed by Senator George K. Muñoz – (D), will hold a full committee meeting starting at 10:00 AM, in Room 322 at the Roundhouse.

Here are details from the Senate Finance Committee Agenda for those who want to attend in person or via webcast or Zoom:

Meeting may be viewed via Webcast at www.nmlegis.gov (click on the Webcast
tab and select SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE).

To provide written comments or to join as a participant, please email: SFC.Zoom@nmlegis.gov.

To join the meeting, create a Zoom account or log in to an existing one.
You will not be able to access the Zoom webinar without logging in.
Zoom Webinar Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81696207177,

Webinar ID: 816
9620 7177, Zoom Call: 1 669 444 9171

(The Candle will be reporting in more detail this week on the compensation study and the history of the Legislature and the Governor failing to provide enough resources for safe and proper care for this vulnerable community.)

What Kind of Care Does a Direct Support Professional Provide?

The workers who provide day-to-day direct care to the DD Waiver community are known as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), performing various tasks and activities ensuring developmentally disabled New Mexicans receive the assistance to live independently and allowing them to engage in their communities.

Here are some of the areas of care provided by DSP’s, according to the U.S. Department of Labor:

• Supporting engagement with the community by providing:
  • Support in less congregate and more individualized settings
  • Job coaching
  • Employment support
  • Transportation
• Using creative thinking for accommodations to help people with disabilities be more independent
• Providing caregiving and support with activities of daily living, including:
  • Medication administration
  • Mobility assistance
  • Wound care
  • Accessing food
• Working with the people they support to Advocate for rights and services, such as:
  • Accessing resources and opportunities in the community
  • Working with the employer to customize job duties
• Providing emotional support

Tomorrow, The Candle will report on New Mexico’s history of neglect of the state’s most vulnerable residents – as philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”