Advocacy Toolkit for FY 2023/24 Budget Advocacy

The Governor's FY 2023-24 budget proposal did not include additional investments for the ID/A system, and now we must convince the legislature to include additional funding.

The rates that are currently in effect are not enough for providers to employ and retain a full complement of DSPs and puts individuals with ID/A at risk of being underserved and understaffed. We must advocate to the legislature and administration that the fix to this crisis is continual investments into the system by implementing an inflationary index, with further increases to help providers be able to pay a living wage to DSPs.

Please use the materials below in your advocacy efforts, including our talking points and meeting etiquette guide.

Advocacy Tools:

• Please visit the PAR Telling Our Story webpage to see and hear stories from other advocates
• Access the Congressional Social Media Account Directory to find the social media handles of every member of Congress.
• Find your legislators.

ID/A Workforce & Service Landscape Released March 2023		The Collapse of ID/A Services in PA Released March 2023
Talking Points - Engaging with Government Officials Released March 22, 2023		Meeting Tips for Families - Talking with Government Officials Released March 22, 2023
2022 Pennsylvania Direct Support Professional & Frontline Supervisor Compensation Study Released November 18, 2022		Pennsylvania ODP-Administered HCBS Proposed Rate Revisions Impact Analysis Released January 19, 2022
COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on the Pennsylvania ID/A Workforce Crisis Released August 24, 2021		ID/A Community System Capacity Erosion due to the Pandemic  Released June 17, 2021
Fiscal Impact of COVID on ID/A Provider Solvency Released June 17, 2021		Case and Mortality One Pager Released June 17, 2021
About PAR One Pager Use this to explain PAR’s mission, history, and why we advocate