Friday, August 3, 2012

Privatizing disability centers will save $6.9 million, officials claim ...

BATON ROUGE -- The state Civil Service Commission has given its final approval to the privatization of two state-run centers for the developmentally disabled that the state claims will save about $6.9 million and abolish 980 job slots.?Laura Brackin, an assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals' Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, said in a letter to commission Director Shannon Templet that 620 positions are being abolished at the Hammond-based North Lakes Supports and Services Center; another 360 positions are being cut from the state payroll at Northwest Supports and Services Center in Bossier City.

The Hammond facility, which provides residential services to up to 229 individuals, will be operated by Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries, DHH officials said. The Bossier City facility will be run by the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) of Louisiana. The center now provides residential services for up to 134 individuals, officials said.

The Legislature approved the privatization of the two facilities at its recent session, and Civil Service Wednesday signed off on the plans that do away with classified job positions. The transition is expected to be complete by Oct. 1, according to Civil Service documents.

Greg Andrus, deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Hospitals said the $6.9 million savings will come in the first nine months of the privatization, covering the period from Oct. 1 through June 30, the last nine months of the state's fiscal year.

He said that of the 620 positions at the Hammond facility, 558 are filled and 62 are vacant. He said that 26 percent of the employees will be eligible for retirement by the time the transition is complete. In Bossier City, Andrus said, 311 slots are filled and 49 are vacant. He said that six employees will be eligible for retirement Sept. 30.

He said the private companies will give preference to existing state workers when they hire. Andrus said that ARC officials were in Bossier City this week talking to staffers and the new operators in Hammond will do interviews there starting Aug. 20.

Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5810.

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/08/turning_over_state_centers_to.html

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