2021-2023 Kittitas County Developmental Disabilities FINAL

Home Browse Search

12 SERVICES The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) provides funding to counties for employment and other support services for people with developmental disabilities. Eligibility for services is determined by DDA and is based on Washington State residency, evidence of a qualifying developmental disability 5 that began before age 18, and evidence of substantial limitations. DDA’s caseload has increased by an average of 3% per year over the past few years and their budget has grown an average of 15.3% each biennium for the past decade (from $1.91 billion in 2011-2013 to $3.76 billion in 2019-2021.) (Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration, 2020) In 2020, Washington State had more than 14,000 people with developmental disabilities who qualified for services but didn’t receive them due to lack of state funding (no-paid services caseload). That’s about 29% of all people on the DDA caseload. (Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration, 2020) There are 33 children and 174 adults in Kittitas County currently enrolled in DDA. Fifty -four individuals are on the no-paid caseload, or 26%. In 2019, Kittitas County served 70 individual s in employment services (2 in group supported employment and 36 in individual employment) and community inclusion services (35).6 (Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration, 2020) The average number of days per week that Washington State individuals in supported living programs accessed community-based activities dropped from nearly 5 days per week in 2017 -2019 to around 3- 3.5 days per week in 2020 (Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration, 2021), likely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 5 The Revised Code of Washington 71A.10.020(5) defines a developmental disability as: “a disability attributable to intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or another neurological or other condition of an individual found by the secretary to be closely related to an intellectual disability or to require treatment similar to that required for individuals with intellectual disabilities, which originates before the individual attains age eighteen, which has continued or can be expected to continue indefinitely, and which constitutes a substantial limitation to the individual.” 6 See next section “Kittitas County Developmental Disabilities Program” for definitions and descriptions of each service/program. Pages 12-13.