Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budgetary investments for intellectual disability and autism services were the focal points of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ visit on Thursday, May 16 to Lifesteps’ program center in Armstrong County.

Lifesteps is a nonprofit provider serving seniors, children, families and adults across Western Pennsylvania with intellectual disabilities. On Thursday, DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh spoke with Lifesteps representatives and discussed the governor’s 2024-25 budget proposal.

The proposal includes $483 million in federal and state funding for care workers, boosting reimbursement rates for direct support professionals who work with people with disabilities and assist them with everyday tasks.

According to DHS, the proposed budget aims to raise the average starting salary for direct support professionals working for home and community-based service providers from $15 to $17 an hour.

Additionally, DHS stated in a news release the proposed budget would invest $78 million in federal and state funds to offer waiver services to 1,500 more Pennsylvanians in the next fiscal year, as well as $20 million for county mental health base funding for uninsured and underinsured Pennsylvanians for the second year in a row.

Waivers refer to instances when “the federal government ‘waives’ Medical Assistance/Medicaid rules for institutional care in order for Pennsylvania to use the same funds to provide supports and services for people closer to home in their own communities,” the DHS states on its website.

According to the PA Waiting List Campaign, a disability services and support organization, 13,200 Pennsylvanians with autism or an intellectual disability are on waitlists to receive services. A campaign report finalized in March 2024 says more than 50% are listed under emergency status. In Butler County, 182 community members are in need of disability services and nearly 32% are emergency cases.