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Solons to debate Hab Center plans
How the state may best care for its developmentally disabled citizens, including the 63 still being looked after by Nevada Habilitation Center, will again be debated by the 96th Missouri General Assembly in its session starting Wednesday in Jefferson City.
A Kirksville representative and Wentzville senator have filed companion measures, House Bill 1077 and Senate Bill 449, to make the Missouri Department of Mental Health hire an outside expert to explore "a transition plan."
State Rep. Barney Fisher, R-Horton, said Friday that the bills by Rep. Zachary Wyatt and Sen. Scott Rupp are similar to one whose narrow defeat he aided in a House floor vote last year. "I'm not real wild about it," said Fisher, who represents Vernon County and the western half of Bates County in the 125th District.
"It's unnecessary because everyone in a mental care institution or group home has a plan of care reviewed on a regular basis by various state and federal agencies. It's just part of the overall effort to close as many state mental health institutions as they can."
Fisher noted that the Hab Center at 2323 N. Ash St. has already responded to mandates by moving 53 people into 18 three-bedroom independent supported living homes here.
Only 10 remain in the center's Vernon Hall since more than 90 have been moved in the past year to MDMH facilities near relatives at Higginsville, Marshall, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston, according to Hab Center Superintendent Chris Baker. The 64-bed Benton Hall across Ash from the main campus has been closed and the center's total workforce trimmed from 315 to 300.
"It's a do-nothing bill because everything is already being done," Fisher said. "The people who can't be placed in the community will be transferred to other facilities and the Hab Center will ultimately be closed."
Wyatt told the Herald-Tribune Friday that his proposal "is something we need to do as a state to make sure we have the least restrictive measures set upon people with disabilities.
"They do a lot better out in the community than they do in hab centers."
The Republican said his bill last year, HB 411, failed by about 10 votes.
"People were getting misinformation that I wanted to close the hab centers," Wyatt said.
"We need a plan for each individual because we could have the Justice Department telling us next week that we do have to get rid of the centers. What we have now is a blanket plan and we need one for each person in the system.
"We aren't looking at cutting any funding or stopping any services. We just want to make sure citizens' tax dollars are properly and efficiently spent."
Kirksville is 250 miles northeast of Nevada in Adair County and Wentzville 250 miles east-northeast in St. Charles County. Rupp is running for secretary of state in the Aug. 7 Republican primary.
Baker said individual plans have been written and are followed for every one of the Vernon Hall residents and all those in ISLs. "We do a thorough plan for everybody we move into the community," Baker said.
"That is part of our process and has been for some time."
Baker expects to keep a 300-person workforce because the residents need 24-7 supervision. He said the MDMH is on schedule to close the Hab Center by early 2013 and to build or lease a headquarters in Nevada.
Fisher has said he and Sen. David Pearce would have to sponsor a conveyance bill to transfer the 26-acre property to another owner like the city or county or a private company, including the Lakeview Center workplace, a warehouse, a staff development and quality assurance building, a power plant and three maintenance structures that Baker has said cost $1 million a year to heat, cool and maintain.
He said Friday that the residents and their guardians rent the ISL homes, assisted by the center. "The 10 people we have left here will be able to move by this time next year," Baker said.
"We're still looking for an administrative center. The final decision on selling the grounds will be made when the state decides where we'll end up with the new office space."