Governor Deal Takes Action in the Disability Community from the Spring 2012 MAD
Deal Takes Action in the Disability Community
* The following is an excerpt of Governor Deal’s Disability Day speech from February 16, 2012.
I am proud to be with you here today on the 14th Annual Disability Day at the Capitol. For all of those of you who are supporting the communities across our State, I know that your work carries with it great rewards, and I want to thank you. Your service, advocacy and hard work help ensure that more Georgians with disabilities have the opportunity to live independent, healthy and productive lives.
I believe we share a common mission, and we are in the process of making major changes to improve developmental disabilities care in Georgia. Our Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is currently transitioning from an institutional care model to active community-based treatment. With a new department focused solely on behavioral health and developmental disabilities, we are putting in place strategies and tools that empower these individuals to become integrated in our communities and live safe, active lives.
Our team is hard at work expanding resources including waivers to move individuals with developmental disabilities out of our hospitals; waivers to care for those currently living in the community and to increase family support. We are strengthening our networks of crisis care with mobile crisis teams and crisis respite homes, while focusing on providing immediate, high quality and person-centered care.
After hearing from many of you and our Federal partners, we are taking decisive action and are proposing legislation that will make Vocational Rehabilitation attachedto the Department of Human Services, but act as an independent program. This will give new priority to our work and help ensure we are using funds efficiently and taking advantage of all outside assistance. Even more than budgeting prioritization and efficiency, this action will help better serve Georgia’s disability community.
We have a broad-based plan to improve care for Georgians, and going forward, we will need your sustained support and ask for your continued partnership. Thank you for your input and together we have the opportunity for success in our State.
Nathan Deal, Governor of Georgia
