Most of us are so engaged in our jobs, our homes and with family and friends that we may not be very aware of the thousands of our fellow Tennesseans with intellectual disabilities who rely upon the assistance that taxpayers provide.
Commissioner Jim Henry of the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (did you know there was such a department?) visited our fine Orange Grove Center in Chattanooga on Friday.
He also provided information to the Times Free Press editorial board about Tennessee’s services to those with certain disabilities.
Like other state agencies, Henry’s department is having to make some cuts in services to help Tennessee maintain a required balanced budget. During his visit to the Times Free Press, he pointed out that budget cuts of about $48 million will be starting in July.
Among the significant changes that will bring, a cap of 215 hours per month will be placed on personal assistance services designed to help some individuals remain in their homes. That assistance has been unlimited in some cases, which created an unsustainable cost burden on the state and was out of line with what other states offered.