Resolution to Approve the Kittitas County Developmental Disabilities 2021-2023 Biennial Plan

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KITTITAS COUNTY DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PROGRAM The Washington State Department of Social and Heatth Services, Devetopmentat Disabitities Administration (DDA) provides funding to counties for employment and other support services for people with devetopmental disabitities. Etigibitity for services is determined by DDA and is based on Washington State residency, evidence of a quatifying developmentat disabitityT that began before age 18, and evidence of substantial limitations (see more detaited information about etigibitity for DDA services in Appendix A). The funding varies based on avaitabitity, number of peopte receiving services, and the needs of each individual and is intended to hetp peopte keep a job or gain skitts for obtaining emptoyment. Kittitas County has received an average of around 5600,000 per year for the past 5 years from DDA. Additionatty, per Revised Code of Washington 71.20.110, counties are required to annualty budget and levy a property tax for developmental disabitities or mental heatth services. ln Kittitas County, this tax is sptit equatty between devetopmentat disabitities and mental heatth services. Commonty referred to as "millage", the county has discretion on how these funds are spent. The developmental disabitities program has received around 5100,000 annually from this tax over the past 2 years. Kittitas County's developmentat disabilities (DD) program is overseen by the Kittitas County Pubtic Heatth Department through a quatified and experienced DD Coordinator. The county pubtishes an open Request for Quatifications (RFQ) to solicit quatified employment support providers. Responses to the RFQare reviewed thoroughty by the DD Coordinator and DDA staff, and if quatifications are met, the provider is placed on a list of avaitabte emptoyment services providers for ctients to choose from when they quatify for services. A Request for Proposals (RFP) is also pubtished to solicit proposats from local agencies who propose to provide indirect services retated to community information and education, training, and/or other activities that witt benefit people tiving with devetopmentat disabitities, their families, and/or service providers. The proposals are reviewed by the DD Coordinator and the Devetopmentat Disabitities Advisory Committee, who make funding recommendations for approval by the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners. DD services funded by DDA fatt into two major categories: Consumer Support Services and Additiona[ Consumer Services, each of which contain several different specific services that can be provided. Each type of service as welt as the targeted outcomes for that service are described below. Approximatety 5% of the Additional Consumer Services funding is set aside each year for emerging needs that may come about during the biennium, such as new trainings or sponsorships. 7 The Revised Code of Washington 71A.10.020(5) defines a developmentat disabitity as: "a disabitity attributabte to inteltectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or another neurological or other condition of an individual found by the secretary to be ctosely related to an intellectuat disabitity or to require treatment similar to that required for individuats with intellectuat disabitities, 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." 13