State Seeks To Eliminate Sheltered Workshops

A 33-year-old Shelton woman may lose her job at the start of the new year along with over 80 fellow clients if the state succeeds in thinning the amount of people employed in “sheltered” workshops around the state.

Jacelyn Hoha works at VARCA , Inc., located at 5 Coon Hollow Rd. in Derby. The private, non-profit manufacturing factory offers developmentally and intellectually handicapped individuals with employment opportunities.

This past October, the State of Connecticut Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDS) released the initial draft of their Five-Year Plan to address the needs of the clients they serve, like Jacelyn. One of the plan’s main goals is to “decrease the number of individuals in sheltered workshops and day habilitation programs.”

VARCA, which has been in business for over 50 years, provides a five-day workweek program for adults who qualify. The employees are “disabled people who fall in the cracks of handicapped determination,” according to Hoha’s mother, Julianne, in her letter to legislators. Most of them are not disabled enough to need continuous medical care, but at the same time cannot work independently in the outside job world without a full-time job coach.

“As we were reviewing the Five-Year Plan for the first time a couple months ago, we were very concerned when we got to page 22,” said Bob Wood, President of VARCA’s Board of Directors. “It’s ludicrous for many obvious reasons. These people don’t want to and can’t work outside. One shoe does not fit everybody.”

Wood said there is currently a nationwide push to implement such work force plans under the guise of eliminating segregation in the community. DDS Commissioner Terrence Macy, Senator Joseph Crisco and representatives Linda Gentile and Themis Klarides support the 2012-2017 Plan, arguing that designating a certain place for a certain type of people is a form of social isolation. Wood, however, said he believes the real issue is financial.

“Aren’t nursing homes and retirement communities segregated?” Wood said. “[VARCA] is the cheapest-run program of its kind under DDS.”

DDS currently employs 3,600 people and its contracted providers employ approximately 16,000 workers, according to data released in the first draft of the plan.

If the plan were to pass come January 2012, when legislators are slated to vote on a final draft, the state could refuse to fund VARCA’s day program. This would mean all the employees would need to find new jobs – not an easy course of action for an individual with autism, Down Syndrome or skeletal damage. To ease the burden, DDS says they would hire coaches to help integrate those affected.

“You’ve got to be a fool not to see the logic in of all this,” Wood said. “The state would have to pay these coaches, which could end up being more costly than keeping things the way they are now.

VARCA employees are paid based on time studies conducted by the DDS, which then funds the company by assigning a pay amount for each person. If these clients’ positions were eliminated under the proposed plan, they’d be placed in jobs that typically pay minimum wage, such as bagging groceries. The issue of payment then falls on the shoulders of the grocery store, not the DDS.

But the true impact has nothing to do with money, Wood said. “It all goes back to choices. We all have a perfect right to do and go where we want. The people who work here [at VARCA] see this as a safe, happy home. They help and understand each other in a way we can’t.”

VARCA employee family members and others in opposition of the Five-Year Plan have written letters to the DDS and local leaders. Commissioner Macy said all comments will be considered as he develops “a vision for DDS going forward.”

Editor's note: This article is the first in a multi-part series. The next piece will include comments from representatives of the Dept. of Developmental Services.