Upcoming October and November/December DDS Forums

Thomas' memorial service last Thursday was such a positive and healing experience - he contributed so much and it was an honor to his memory.  I was inspired by him to write a little more about Project ACTION! in my most recent DClives post here: DC's Disabled Advocates: Action!

A little additional information while I have your attention:  the October 24 DDS forum will be a budget discussion with DDS Director Andy Reese so you'll definitely want to be there - and there won't be a DDS monthly forum in November, just one combined Nov/Dec one, on December 12.  

The Passing of a Beloved Friend and Advocate

It seems to me that the most important topic at this time is the passing of Thomas Mangrum (https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/09/29/obituary-thomas-mangrum/), who played such a central role in guiding Project ACTION! and in advancing disability rights here in DC until his passing in mid-September.  He and I served on a number of committees and boards together, and whenever I saw him in person, he never failed to ask after my son.  Thomas was a force to be reckoned with, and his shoes will be hard to fill – but filled they will be.  I hope to see some of you at the service on Thursday (which I understand he planned himself – very in character 😊).  In the meantime, take a moment, if you’re financially able to do so, to make a special contribution in his memory to Quality Trust at this link:  https://qualitytrustforindividualswithdisabilities.networkforgood.com/projects/260087-celebration-of-life-for-l-thomas-mangrum-jr. 

As you’ve noticed, we still have both the DC and other National Guard troops on our streets, as well as less-recognizable federal agents, often masked.  In QT’s September CEO note, there is useful information about staying safe in these unsettling times.  You can find that here:  https://www.dcqualitytrust.org/shawns-september-ceo-note-2/

Also, since I wrote last month about plans to institute a wait list for the first time, I want to update readers about that issue.  DDS Director Reese has clarified that a full audit of DC ARPA funds needs to take place before a wait list can go into effect, and that means the startup could be as late as January 1, 2026 – a welcome delay.  Also, at Project ACTION! this past Saturday, Deputy Director Winslow Woodland said there remains a slight possibility of a midyear funding request to the DC council – he provided no details but if it happens, this could change the fundamentals.  Also, the sustainability work group that I mentioned last month has met at least twice to consider possible DDS cost savings. 

And, in case you still aren’t sure, the federal government shutdown will not have a direct impact on DC services, although in a broader sense it isn’t going to make anything easier in the DMV.

Wait List Announced for DDS’s IDD Waiver

I confess  I’ve been very distracted by the unacceptable federal actions taking place recently in DC.  In case you’re interested, I’ve been writing about that here: DClives (click on it to open my Substack posts, and please share with your friends outside DC).  But there is also plenty happening with respect to local concerns for the disability community, so let me try to “dive in.”

Back in July I wrote (“We’re Getting Closer to a Budget”) about the disagreement between DDS and the Council’s facilities committee about the $1.6 million in waiver funding that the committee removed from the DDS budget.  In the DDS monthly forum on August 22, that disagreement was in full view, as you’ll note if you listen to the exchange between DDS Director Reese and Councilmember Lewis George’s staffer Sebastian Weinmann near the end of the video.  In brief, Reese indicated that there will, for the first time, be a wait list for the IDD waiver (see this page for explanation of relevant terms) beginning on October 1 (the start of the 2026 fiscal year) because of the cut in the mayor’s DDS funding request.  This seems to be happening even though there would be enough funding to get through most of the year, due to guidance from the administration’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer.  There already is a wait list policy, developed several years ago, that could be instituted fairly quickly.  Reese further announced that the IFS waiver will remain open to new candidates as long as there are open slots. 

Reese also linked this discussion to his announcement, in the DDS budget briefing May 30, that he would be forming a PCO “sustainability of services” work group that would meet monthly for six months, starting this month, in order to come up with suggestions for savings in the IDD waiver budget, since expenses are growing more quickly than can be explained by either increases in the cost of living or the addition of new people since FY2023's broadened eligibility.  DDS put out a call in mid-August for outside volunteers to join this work group.  Reese also indicated on August 22 that the IDD waiver, which is now being amended (also discussed in the August 22 forum, with comments due by September 15) could be amended again, probably in January 2027, as a result of any recommendations the work group may make. 

So, besides the generally challenging environment that all of us in DC are experiencing right now – or to some extent because of it – times are now going to become quite a bit tougher for people hoping to qualify for residential supports from DDS.

 

Let's All Stay Safe

 I want to focus first on events that our local disability community has coming up:

-    First, this Sunday night is Quality Trust's annual gala, and if you haven't got your ticket yet, do it now!

-    Second, this coming Friday, August 22, DDS will host its monthly noon forum, which this month will focus on proposed changes to the IDD waiver amendment and on future planning.  The $1.6 million that had been cut from the DDA waiver budget by the DC council may also come up in the discussion.

BUT I know people are mostly focused on what is going on around us now.  This article from the 51st talks about the rights people have when interacting with law-enforcement officials.  This is even more important now, since the president announced this week a more direct federal role in DC crimefighting efforts.  What seems to me especially important in this article is:

• You need to provide your full name and address if asked
• It's a good idea to carry your ID and to provide it if asked
• You can always ask if you're free to go

Even though the procedures used by the MPD may differ some from those of federal agencies, if for any reason you're taken into custody you should be able to make a phone call to someone who supports you.

Stay tuned, there will be more helpful information coming your way in the coming days.  The #1 priority is for all of us to stay safe!

We're Getting Closer to a Budget

I imagine most of you are following the headline news with respect to DC's FY2026 budget, but in case you aren't, here is Martin Austermuhle's most recent article in The 51st to cover that territory,

Our issues don't make it into the headlines though, so to clarify:  the $1 million in one-time administrative fees that the Facilities committee restored remained in the DDS budget passed by the council in its first vote, BUT the $1.61 million (which I mistakenly rounded up to $1.7 million in my last post) that the committee stripped from DDS waiver funding was not put back in, since the committee felt it was needed for other important disability-related funding and questioned DDS director Reese's claim that the reduction could lead to a wait list for the waiver later in the year.

There will be another council vote on the budget July 28, but I wouldn't expect this money to show back up in the budget.  This won't have an immediate impact on DDA services, but it adds to future uncertainty, already on the horizon due to federal-level Medicaid changes.  In brief, there's going to be plenty of need for advocacy as the coming year unfolds.

[While you're here, take a look at the first post of my weekly "DClives" Substack newsletter, "Real People."]

And a short postscript:  You may have noticed that former councilmember Trayon White is projected to have defeated his three opponents in the July 15 Ward 8 special election, which could lead to another showdown with colleagues in the council.  The Ward 8 seat on the council has been vacant since White was expelled in February.

FY2026 DDS Budget: Where Do We Stand?

In my last blog post I was encouraging folks to attend the June 16 hearing on the DDS budget.  That hearing has now taken place, and you can find the video by going to this page and selecting the June 16 hearing – the Office of Disability Rights and the Mayor’s Office of Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing come first and are extremely interesting themselves, but the DDS segment starts about an hour and 53 minutes (1:53) into the video.

Since the hearing, Councilmember Lewis George has issued her committee report.  The most notable elements in the committee report are: 1) a one-time increase of $1 million in administrative fees for DDA provider agencies but 2) more confusingly, a cut of $1.7 million in operating funds for the HCBS waiver budget.  The committee report states that this “1.4% reduction should not diminish services to those people receiving waiver supports and services from DDA,” but DDS seems to believe otherwise so it seems discussions between the administration and the council are continuing on this. Hopefully this confusion will be resolved in the next week.

The first full-council vote on the FY2026 budget will take place on July 14, with the final budget vote scheduled for July 28.  

DC Disability Budget Hearing on June 16

The hearing on the DDS budget is next Monday, June 16, and from what I can tell only thirteen people have signed up, so there's plenty of room for more.  As I reported in my most recent post, the DDS budget was relatively well protected in the mayor's proposed budget for FY2026, particularly given the lack of Congressional action to restore the funds they abruptly erased from DC's FY2025 budget.  Still, there are some troubling elements, such as the fact that future funding for the DSP wage act of 2020 is not assured.  (Note: go here for unfamiliar terms or abbreviations.)  Given the continuing difficulty in locating and retaining staff to support residents with disabilities, this could mean more vacancies as people choose other types of employment instead.

The biggest concern going forward, though, is what will be happening to Medicaid nationally and how that will affect our local programming.  For this reason, when Andy Reese made his presentation on May 30, he said he would initiate an effort starting later in the summer to identify the reasons for significant increases in support costs and ways to bring those costs down.

The Mayor's Budget is Out

Well, we now have the mayor's budget in hand, described here by our friend Martin Austermuhle.  These are tough times and there's a lot of concern over the focus on longer-term economic growth at the expense of some near-term social programs, including those for people who aren't US citizens.  There's no doubt that the mayor is treading very carefully though, since otherwise the Congress and President Trump could easily slash our overall budget at any time.

Given this context, it was a relief to learn at the DDS Friday forum that there are not major cuts foreseen to current supports to people with developmental disabilities, and hopefully this won't change after council consideration.  (The clothing allowance reduction from last year will remain, though, and there are deeper cuts to administrative fees than last year.)  The power point and recording from last Friday will be found here and here as of this Wednesday 6/4, and the hearing on the DDS budget will take place on Monday June 16:  sign up here to testify.  The DD council can assist if folks need help with their testimony. [I haven't studied or heard how the EPD waiver is affected in the budget, but that hearing is on June 11, and you can sign up here to testify.]

Time is short, and the council will be voting on the mayor's budget in July.

Thanks for reading!  And note also that as of last month I've started a weekly newsletter on Substack entitled "DClives," about the real DC where people live and don't just pass through.  Here is my latest installment.

Keep Your Eyes on the DC Budget and Medicaid

The wheels keep turning, and the news continues to be...only not as bad as it could be.

Based on this report, and in line with DDS director Reese's announcement at the meeting of DC's Project ACTION! meeting on Saturday May 17, DC's chief financial officer started his 10-day review of the mayor's FY2026 budget last Thursday, which by my count would put it into the DC council's hands by a week from today (although that's Memorial Day, so probably May 27 instead).  Mendelson reported that he expects the council to hold its final budget vote on August 1, so it's looking like a busy June and July for budget hearings.  Meantime, no word on a fix in the House of Representatives for DC's FY2025 budget, so $410 million in cuts can be expected before the end of September.

DDS director Reese also announced at Project ACTION! that the DDS forum on May 23 would focus on the IFS waiver and vocational rehabilitation state plan, with, hopefully, a briefing on the proposed DDS budget for FY 2026 on May 30.

The fate of Medicaid nationally continues to churn.  The House budget committee passed a budget reconciliation bill over the weekend, rumored to have gotten the votes of the House Freedom Caucus based on the promise that Medicaid work requirements would start in 2027 instead of in 2029 as agreed by the House energy and commerce committee the previous weekend.  And for some of the most conservative House representatives, even this isn't enough.

Still Plenty of Uncertainty Ahead

Tomorrow.  Friday, May 16.  That's when the House budget committee will be considering the steep cuts to Medicaid that were proposed by the House Energy and Commerce committee on Sunday (after the 24-hour vigil to protect Medicaid that took place last week).  The proposed cuts focus on work requirements and eligibility restrictions, which would likely result in fewer Medicaid recipients overall.  For the moment though, no targeted reduction in the percentage of DC's federal Medicaid funding is included in the cuts - though this could change.

Our DC officials are working overtime to protect DC, not only with respect to Medicaid, but also to encourage the long-delayed vote in the House to permit our planned local spending in this fiscal year.  Fortunately, it appears that the amount we stand to lose could now be lower than the $1.1 billion originally projected, but it's still the case that we are looking at significant cuts in our spending between now and the end of September, which also is affecting the mayor's presentation of the budget for next year.  The delay also obviously affects the DDS budget briefing, which could still take place this month but is far from certain.  DC council hearings on the FY2026 budget, which normally start in March, may now not happen before June.

So - Things are better than they might have been, thanks to fancy footwork by the mayor's team, but we still have a long road ahead.