“Never A Boring Day”

Ask any of the advocates at The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh or The Arc Erie County, and they will all say the same thing, “We never have a boring day.” Nor a boring year.

As the numbers on the preceding pages show, the advocates make a significant impact in the lives of children and adults through phone calls, meetings, hearings, and referrals, as well as through general emotional support as someone who can genuinely empathize.

They dealt with issues from A to Z, including Adult Protective Services, complex needs planning, COVID-19, domestic violence, employment, government benefits, health care, home and communitybased services, housing, mental/behavioral health, the justice system, transition to adulthood, transportation, truancy, voting, and waivers.

During their twice-monthly virtual meetings, the advocates mentored the Empowered Voices Leadership Group of selfadvocates. Advocates continued working on systemic problems, and Achieva was a leading voice on multiple issues. Achieva prominently advocated throughout Pennsylvania for increased home and community-based service rates. Due to insufficient rates set by the Office of Developmental

This leadership group is comprised of local self-advocates.

Learn more at achieva.info/ advocacy/empoweredvoices

Programs (ODP), providers of intellectual disability and autism services, including Achieva, cannot recruit and retain a sufficient workforce of Direct Support Professionals to support people with disabilities. Achieva advocates and families were featured in dozens of media articles and interviews. At the same time, Achieva advocated for increased state funding for the 12,000 people on the waiting list for services, including the 5,000 people on the emergency list. Although they advocated for more people to receive home and community supports rather than being transported to another institution, Achieva continues to watch as ODP finally closes Polk and White Haven State Centers.

Achieva Advocacy worked with the House Majority Leader to create the Home and Community-Based Services for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Augmentation Fund to ensure that money from the closure of state centers remains with the Department of Human Services to provide for people on the emergency waiting list.

The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh’s Disability Healthcare Initiative staff conducted research and developed a network of healthcare attorneys, disability and healthcare advocates, and policy staff to begin to advocate for the designation of people with disabilities as a Medically Underserved Population (MUA) on both the state and federal levels.

Achieva advocated for increased state funding for the 12,000 people on the waiting list for services, including the 5,000 people on the emergency list.

So, now you may agree that it is never a boring day for Achieva’s advocates!