by Jim Copeland
Well it’s that time again. It’s time for me to strain my brain and try to figure out what information I can share with you this month. There is still a lot of stuff going on. As for Senate Bill 227, the FIT Sustainability Funding Formula, it received a pocket veto. That means the Governor didn’t sign the bill. He didn’t veto it. He just didn’t sign it. Life goes on. Alta Mira will continue to provide the valuable supports and services that these kids and their families need with or without adequate funding as long as we can afford it. Thanks to anyone who contacted the Governor’s office to ask him to sign the bill.
Well it’s that time again. It’s time for me to strain my brain and try to figure out what information I can share with you this month. There is still a lot of stuff going on. As for Senate Bill 227, the FIT Sustainability Funding Formula, it received a pocket veto. That means the Governor didn’t sign the bill. He didn’t veto it. He just didn’t sign it. Life goes on. Alta Mira will continue to provide the valuable supports and services that these kids and their families need with or without adequate funding as long as we can afford it. Thanks to anyone who contacted the Governor’s office to ask him to sign the bill.
We have received notice of our preliminary award from the United Way of Central New Mexico. We didn’t receive as much funding as we requested. In this current economic environment I don’t know of any agency that did. What we will receive will be used to supplement our Respite Program. The State General Fund respite program limits the number of hours that families may be allocated. The United Way money will allow us to serve more families and in some cases provide more than the limited number of hours currently allowed.
We are currently waiting (more of that waiting I discussed last month) on our provider agreements from the Department of Health for next fiscal year. We are also waiting on our 3rd quarter amendment notification for this current fiscal year. These agreements provide the funding for part of our Early Intervention program, our Respite Home, and our State General fund individual respite program.
We have been informed by the Department of Health that the good news is the Department of Health budget for next year, at this time, has not been cut. The bad news is that it hasn’t been increased either. Again, in this current economic environment, we consider a flat budget with no reductions a HUGE win.
There is a big effort by lots of organizations to capitalize on the economic stimulus funds that are currently available. In a service based organization like Alta Mira, I am not sure that is a positive decision. If you get the money, you have to provide services to get it. Once you start providing the services, you feel morally and ethically responsible for continuing those services. When the stimulus money goes away, reportedly in December 2010, how do you fund those services? I believe the economic stimulus funding is important in some occupations. I don’t believe that building services for families on temporary money is a sound idea.
If you are interested in discussing this further, please feel free to contact me. I may be reached by e-mail at jcopeland@altamiranm.org or by direct phone line at (505) 366-2117.
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