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Legislation Proposes to Close Fircrest, Fund Services in the Community
Fircrest Legacy Trust offers promise of ongoing community supports for people with developmental disabilities
by Phil Jordan
March 25, 2003
Disability-rights activists have long argued that people with disabilities should receive services and supports in the least restrictive setting possible. In Washington state unfortunately, many people with developmental disabilities continue to be housed in large institutions called Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs). Washington has been slower than other states in switching from the use of institutions for providing residential services for people with developmental disabilities. Many other states have closed their institutions and provided less restrictive, community-based services and supports. There are currently five RHCs still open in the state. Institutions are not only more restrictive of personal freedom and expression by the residents; they are almost always more expensive than community-based services.
The Washington State Legislature is facing a $2 billion dollar budget deficit, and the talk in Olympia is all about cuts to human services. Most Legislators are talking about tightening belts and sharing the pain – with most of the pain to be felt by low-income folks and people with disabilities. Senator Darlene Fairley (D-Shoreline) is taking a different, more thoughtful approach. Senator Fairley has found a way to save the state money, promote the civil rights of people with disabilities, and unearth funding for services and supports that are needed in these tough economic times. On February 26, 2003, she introduced Senate Bill 5971 that proposes to close Fircrest, an RHC that is located in Shoreline (a suburb of Seattle). Additionally, the bill would create the Fircrest Legacy Trust, a fund that would provide ongoing funds for community supports and services for people with developmental disabilities. Several amendments have been added to the original bill, which is now called Engrossed Senate Bill 5971 (ESB 5971, for short).
Devil in the details
Advocates have worked for years to close institutions like Fircrest. It is important to remember, however, that while it is easy to talk about closing down institutions, it is a much more difficult and delicate process when it comes to developing a safe and realistic plan. There are many important issues to consider before deciding that closure is a good idea because the lives of the residents of the RHC are at stake. ESB 5971 is a thoughtful piece of legislation that has addressed these issues, that is why WPAS supports the bill. Listed below are some of those important issues.
 | What happens to the residents of Fircrest when the institution is closed? ESB 5971 allows the residents of Fircrest to decide where they want to live when the institution is closed. They can choose to live in the community, or they can opt to move to another RHC. |
| Will there be enough money to pay for community supports? ESB 5971 creates a trust account, called the Fircrest Legacy Trust, which will provide ongoing funding for services for people with developmental disabilities. Because Fircrest is in the Seattle area, the sale of the land is expected to bring in millions of dollars. It is this money that will become the principal of the trust. |
| What happens to the employees of Fircrest? ESB 5971 provides for the state employees who currently work at Fircrest with a variety of options, including working at another institution, or in other state jobs for which they are qualified. They can also choose to transition to another job, receiving relocation expenses, or they can opt for retirement. |
Nothing About Me Without Me
ESB 5971 passed the Senate by a vote of 37-12, and the bill now moves to the House where the bill is expected to have a very hard time. The state employees are working very hard to defeat the bill. They have packed the hearing rooms each time this bill has been heard. What is most disturbing about their arguments is that they profess to speak for the residents of Fircrest. Many workers have stated that the residents of Fircrest want to stay there and do not want to live in the community. However, the residents of Fircrest have not been invited to give their own opinions. Because of the large number of union members who pack the hearing rooms, very few people with disabilities have been given the opportunity to talk about self-determination. At a two-hour hearing on March 25 in front of three House Committees, opponents of the bill were allowed nearly an hour and a half, and only one panel of advocates for the bill was allowed to speak. Only one former resident of an RHC was given the opportunity to testify.
People with disabilities have fought for many years for self-determination and independence. The cry of “nothing about me without me” has been a rallying cry for the disability-rights community, and this message needs to be delivered to Legislators. During the hearing in the House of Representatives, the voices that have been raised the loudest are those of the state workers, who claim to speak for the people over whom they have control - the residents of Fircrest. The workers are organized and there are a lot of them at the hearings. Advocates of the bill are worried that the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Democrats, will yield to the pressure applied by these union members.
Now it is time for the people who are most affected – the people with disabilities – to tell their Legislators how important it is to be allowed to make your own decisions. Call your Legislators and deliver a message in your own words. Take the time to call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Ask the operator to give your Legislators a message. Tell them that people with disabilities choose to be independent! Be sure to ask them to please support ESB 5971.
Want to know more?
To keep up-to-date on what is happening with ESB 5971, you can go to the WPAS Legislative Agenda on the WPAS web site. You can find a link to the Legislative Agenda on the WPAS home page at www.wpas-rights.org.
WPAS submitted comments to the House Committees that held a hearing on the bill. Visit this page to read those comments.
If you want to know more about the bill, read analysis done by the Arc of Washington. The Arc is keeping up-to-date on this issue, too. Check out their Legislative alerts and updates on their web site.
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