SELECT COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMS

Committee Meeting Information

August 20, 2004

Room 302 Capitol Building

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Committee Members Present

Senator Irene Devin, Chairman

Representative Elaine Harvey, Chairman

Senator John Hines

Senator Rae Lynn Job

Representative Rosie Berger

Representative Bob Brechtel

Representative John Hastert

Committee Members Absent

(None)

Legislative Service Office Staff

Gerald W. Laska, Staff Attorney
Don Richards, Senior Research Analyst

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

Call To Order

Co-Chairman Devin called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

Presentations from Contract Bidders

Chairman Devin described the procedure for presentations by the four bidders on the developmental preschool study.  Each bidder would make an oral presentation in the public session meeting.  In addition, if any bidder desired, the committee would receive any additional information from the bidders in executive session.  The committee would then receive any general public comment regarding the proposals, then finally meet in executive session to select the winning bidder.  The committee proceeded to listen to presentations from the four bidders:

American Institutes for Research - Tom Parrish, Ph.D. and Marci Hansen appeared by telephone and made a Powerpoint  presentation (Appendix 3).  They discussed an overview of their proposal, similar related past work, and a four-step plan to accomplish the Wyoming study, and their ability to do cost analysis of the collected data.  The committee generally discussed whether this presenter's planned visits would be sufficient given the diversity of the Wyoming pre-school service delivery system.

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Wyoming Institute for Disabilities – Ken Heinlein, Ph.D, described his plan for the study.  He emphasized his group's experience in Wyoming, a plan to visit every pre-school site and ability to do 'best practices' analysis and recommendations.  The study would primarily be conducted by Dr. Heinlein and Laurie Westleg.  The committee generally discussed whether the presenter would have adequate resources to conduct the study, whether the study would be sufficiently independent and whether other states' information would be available for comparison.

Early Intervention Research Institute – Linda Goetze, Ph.D. made a Powerpoint presentation (Appendix 4) and described the proposed study.  Dr. Goetze would perform the economic analysis and Diane Behl would add special education expertise.  Dr. Goetze reviewed the objectives of the study and described an optional section that would include a survey of families' satisfaction with delivery of services.  The committee generally discussed the bidder's plan to present alternative service delivery models.

Solutions, Inc. – Karleen Goldhammer made a Powerpoint presentation (Appendix 5) and discussed a three-phase study, including investigation, evaluation and recommendations.  The principals on the study would be Karleen Goldhammer and Mackey Andrews.  The study would compare Wyoming's service delivery system to that of six other states and would include a consumer/provider satisfaction survey and a cost/revenue study.  The committee generally discussed whether the study would address capital facilities needs.

Luncheon Recess

The Committee recessed at 12:00 noon and reconvened at 1:10 p.m.

Public Comment

Chairman Devin invited public comment on the contract in general, rather than direct or indirect comment about individual bidders or proposals.  Kathleen Orton, Child Development Services of Wyoming, and Clark Burden, Wyoming Child and Family Development, Inc., commented about the quality of all four proposals and stated that they would be available to assist in the study to help Wyoming families.

Contractor Selection

The committee went into executive session to discuss the four contract proposals.  Following discussion and review of the four proposals, the committee directed LSO staff to enter into contract negotiations with the Early Intervention Research Institute from Utah State University.  In addition to inclusion of the RFP requirements and proposal, the committee instructed that the contract should require specific, actionable recommendations from the contractor and require the contractor to maintain close contact with the select committee during the study.

Adult Developmental Disabilities – Providers and Interested Parties

Brenda Oswald, Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, presented a litter to the committee (Appendix 6) and advised the committee that the Planning Council recommends legislation: 1) to address emergency and wait listed clients for developmental disability services, and 2) to increase public input for adult services, perhaps through revival of the Development Disabilities Advisory Commission.

Warren Victor, Wyoming Protection and Advocacy System, Inc., advised the committee that there is a need for better omnibus contact for all government services, including adult developmental disability services, and noted that he had been advised there was no funding for emergency developmental services until at least July of 2005.

Darryl Cooper, Ruth Summers and Shaun Griffin, of Ark Regional Services in Wyoming, reviewed for the committee the history of developmental services in Wyoming.  The committee generally discussed with the speakers the use of organizational case managers from service providers, the establishment of case budget through the DOORS program, whether the state's and the client's interests are adequately protected by organizational case managers and whether the state has adequate regulatory enforcement capability over contract service providers.

Adult Development Disabilities – Wyoming Department of Health

Director Fleming reported to the committee on the department's progress in implementing SF 86 requirements (Appendix 7).  Rules for all five waiver programs have been drafted and are being circulated to stakeholders for comment before formal publication.  The department is considering entering into a contract with a former employee of the developmental disabilities division to assist with identification of problem areas and training of new staff, and to coordinate with the contract study.

Administrator Cliff Mikesell, Developmental Disabilities Division, endorsed the temporary employee contract.  Mr. Mikesell presented reports to the committee on the division's progress on reports and recommendations required by Senate File 36 and due October 1, 2004.  Preliminary data was presented on the number of clients served and waitlisted, amounts and sources of funds, and client service projections for continuing and new clients, including those transitioning from school districts. (Appendices 8, 9).  The wait list had been reduced using the Rapid Refill Program, but more applicants have replaced those previously on the wait list.  Jon Fortune, Assistant Administrator, explained a method of transferring funds among existing budget categories to cover emergency cases through the remainder of this budget year.  The method would use funds that had been assigned to individual educational plans but were not spent on services under those plans.  Mr. Mikesell then reported to the committee on the status of recommendations from the LSO program evaluation (Appendix 10)  and significant program changes since the LSO report (Appendix 11).

The Committee discussed with Division staff the method of obtaining funding for services to emergency clients, the continuing existence of a waitlist for services, and whether the division had sufficient supervision and enforcement authority with regard to contract service providers.

Committee Discussion

Committee members discussed the report on adult developmental disability programs required by 2004 Session Laws Chapter 104 and generally agreed on the following points to be included in the report:

            - Choice is a key strength of the Wyoming delivery system and should be maintained;

            - An on-going system to provide services to emergency clients should be defined and developed;

            - The committee supports a full-time fiscal officer for the DD Division;

            - Enforcement authority over contract service providers should be enhanced in the statutes;

            - The report should include a matrix of LSO and CMS audit findings and changes addressed to those findings;

            - Whether the programs should continue to be monitored by the select committee.

The committee called for draft legislation to enhance the division's authority over contract service providers and to continue the committee's responsibilities through 2005.

Meeting Adjournment

There being no further business, Co-Chairman Devin adjourned the meeting at 5:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Senator Irene Devin, Co-Chairman

Representative Elaine Harvey, Co-Chairman