Gov. Heineman to Propose Additional Funding for BSDC

The new funding will help the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Developmental Disabilities Division pursue a plan of action to help BSDC maintain federal funding for operations and the care of clients at the Beatrice facility.

The $17 million will include $7 million for the current year and $5 million in each year of the 2010-2011 biennium budget. In each of FY 2010 and 2011, $2.5 million will be designated to fund the continued implementation of the corrective action agreement between DHHS and the Department of Justice. A recommended $100,000 will be allocated to study options for privatizing services offered at BSDC.

The Governor’s budget recommendations will also include $1.2 million for additional staff with the DHHS Division of Public Health’s investigative unit. The additional funding for staff would allow for more frequent reviews of community-based providers of developmentally disabled services.

The Governor outlined his intention in a letter to Sen. Mike Flood, Speaker of the Legislature. In addition to previewing his funding request for BSDC improvements, the Governor announced that following a conversation with Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, he has asked Joseph Toy, CEO of J.A. Toy and Associates, a Kentucky consulting firm with expertise with mental health and Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) facilities, to provide an independent evaluation of the facility. 

View letter to speaker Flood (pdf 32k)