On the Hill Budget Update: Final state budget supports funding for MAC priorities
It’s been a tight budget year on Beacon Hill, but we have a lot to celebrate, thanks to your support and advocacy. Let’s count the ways!
The Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (ICEI) program was upped to $1.2 million. The ICEI program includes 18-22-year-olds with intellectual disabilities and autism in college classes through a partnership with their high school. Last year the budget had allocated $1 million for this popular program. Thanks to your phone calls and letters, funding has been increased by $200,000, which will mean more services for more students.
Safe and Supportive Schools received $500,000 because you answered our call for action. The Safe and Supportive Schools initiative aims to create positive and healthy learning environments for all schools. Through the advocacy of our Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative, Senators and Representatives received over 465 emails in support of the program, which risked elimination in the first round of budget proposals. Legislators signed on in large numbers to budget amendments in both the House and Senate. Thanks to your voice, more schools can become more Safe and Supportive.
The Children’s Autism Medicaid Waiver received an increase of $500,000, bringing total funding to 4.5 million. This critical program provides in home and community based services to support young children with autism at the risk of institutionalization. The increase will allow the program to continue to grow and serve children from low income families with the most intensive needs.
Alternative education received continued support at $250,000. This budget item funds educational resources for children who are excluded from school due to disciplinary reasons as well as alternative methods to exclusion. We’re grateful for your help in keeping it funded!
Civil Legal Aid’s budget was increased to $17 million. Civil legal aid ensures that low-income Massachusetts citizens with critical, non-criminal legal problems have access to legal information, advice and representation. Last year it was allocated $15 million, far short of the amount needed. These funds will be dispersed to 14 civil legal aid programs across the state, including MAC, that assist low-income citizens in resolving issues related to basic necessities such as housing, employment, benefits, special education, and conflicts related to child support and custody, divorce, and domestic violence. Thanks to your help, more people will be able to get the assistance they need.
The Circuit Breaker Reimbursement for Special Education received its full funding: $271.6 million. This program reimburses school districts for a portion of their costs for educating severely high-needs special education students. Thanks to your advocacy, schools will keep providing services to these students.
Also, another reason to celebrate! Last year the Autism Omnibus Act was passed. It required MassHealth to cover medically necessary services, including applied behavior analysis (ABA) and communication devices, for children with autism under the age of 21. These services are now available to MassHealth members. You can read our FAQ on how to get coverage for how to get ABA services now and after October (when the process will change) if you have MassHealth, HERE.
On behalf of MAC, and our partners, we want to say thank you. Your emails, your phone calls, and your voices were essential. Thanks to you, we can keep doing the work we do.