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Missourinet

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Easterseals Midwest: there’s a workforce crisis in Missouri for direct support professionals (AUDIO)

April 12, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

An organization that provides support to more than 5,000 Missouri children and adults with disabilities continues to provide essential needs and programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is Christian (left) with his Easterseals Midwest respite provider Kyra. Kyra goes to the home on most days, and works 40 minutes with Christian on his schoolwork (photo provided by Easterseals Midwest spokeswoman Rachel McGlasson)

Easterseals Midwest executive vice president Jeanne Marshall says they provide services in hundreds of homes.

“We have individuals who live independently in their home and we provide staff, generally 24 hours a day to help them be as independent and supportive as they can,” Marshall says.

About 103,000 Missourians have an intellectual or developmental disability, according to Easterseals Midwest.

Marshall says Easterseals is in need of personal protective equipment (PPE), including gowns for disposable lab coats, masks, gloves and alcohol wipes. She says the PPE is key to protecting staff and those they serve.

Missourinet asked Governor Mike Parson about the Easterseals’ needs during a recent press conference, specifically PPE. The governor thanks the Easterseals and others who continue to go into homes to assist those with disabilities. He notes there is a shortage of PPE, but adds that many Missouri companies are stepping up to make additional personal protective equipment.

Easterseals Midwest provides services, education and outreach to Missourians with disabilities, and they’re still hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s especially the case in Columbia, Springfield and St. Louis.

Marshall says more than 15,000 Missourians work as direct support professionals.

“With that, we’ve been experiencing a workforce crisis for a couple of years now in this industry,” says Marshall. “Turnover is very high in most cases, that could be over 50 percent for turnover.”

Marshall says vacancy rates for positions range from 20 to 30 percent.

Easterseals Midwest has more than 1,000 staff members. Marshall choked-up, when speaking to Missourinet about the work her staff members do.

“Our staff go above and beyond. But we can’t thank them enough for the work they’re doing, and the impact they’re having,” Marshall says.

The organization is also providing respite care to Missouri first responders, doctors and nurses. Respite care is temporary care provided to caregivers of a child or adult.

Easterseals Midwest is also e-mailing families daily with autism strategies, especially with children home from school.

Easterseals has wait lists for most of their autism services in Springfield and southwest Missouri.

Anyone interesting in donating PPE or assisting Easterseals Midwest can check their website. You can also call them toll-free at 1-800-200-2119.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full six-minute interview with Easterseals Midwest executive vice president Jeanne Marshall, which was recorded on April 1, 2020:

https://cdn.missourinet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/bh-eastersealsApril2020.mp3

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Business, Education, Health / Medicine, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: autism, Columbia, COVID-19 pandemic, direct support professionals, Easterseals Midwest, governor mike parson, intellectual and developmental disabilities, personal protective equipment, Springfield, St. Louis

Bryce’s Law, meant to help get treatment for autistic children, sent to the Governor (AUDIO)

May 22, 2013 By Mike Lear

Legislation meant to help the families of children with autism and other disorders has reached the Governor’s desk, in the eighth year it has been offered.

Representative Dwight Scharnhorst (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Dwight Scharnhorst (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Dwight Scharnhorst (R-St. Louis) named Bryce’s Law for his grandson, who died in 2007 of complications related to autism and epilepsy. It would create a grant program that parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, Angelman syndrome or cerebral palsy could apply for to help cover the cost of specialized educations that meet their unique needs.

“It’s somewhat of a mandate to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to seek and secure federal and state, and I will be seeking on my own private foundation money, to form a pool of money for parents who decide they want to move these children out of a public school and put them in the institutions that could probably best suit improving their quality of life as well as their family.”

The bill had met resistance in earlier versions because it would have created a tax credit program for those parents, which opponents had likened to school vouchers. Scharnhorst says converting it to a grant program removed any impact it would have on state funding for public schools.  He says prior to this year, the proposal had not received a positive vote in a legislative chamber.

Scharnhorst says the program would only provide one piece of the puzzle to those parents, who might have to make difficult decisions include relocating to get their children into such a program.

“Some parents are going to have to go to a lot of trouble to make this happen, but I know these kind of parents will do whatever it takes to help their child.”

House Speaker Tim Jones says the passage of Bryce’s Law is a milestone.

“Republicans have always stood for helping the truly needy. Young children with autism, I can’t think of more deserving folks. More options, more hope for those parents who struggle every day.”

The language was passed as part of a larger education bill, SB 17, that also includes provisions that would also create advisory councils to consider rules and policies regarding the education of gifted and talented children and to consider management of career and technical education and would allow the use of religious books in elective literature and history courses in public schools.

The bill is now awaiting action by Governor Jay Nixon.

AUDIO:  Dwight Scharnhorst speaks about Bryce’s Law prior to its passage out of the House, 1:57

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News Tagged With: autism, Education, Governor Jay Nixon, Missouri House of Representatives, Tim Jones

House passes autism measure, sends it to Senate

February 18, 2010 By admin

Health insurers regulated by the state would have to cover treatment for autism under a bill that has passed the House and moved to the Senate.

Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst (R-Manchester) said during his opening remarks on the House floor that his bill would mandate the coverage of a wide range of disorders, called the autism spectrum disorder. HCS HB 1311&1341 passed the House Thursday on a 135-to-18 vote. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Legislature Tagged With: autism, Children & Families, Health insurance

Autism mandate gets tentative approval in House

February 16, 2010 By admin

A controversial bill a year ago gets new life in the House, which has given tentative approval to a requirement that health insurers cover autism.

A year ago, concerns about the impact on health insurance premiums kept the bill from coming to the House floor for debate. This year, a measure stands on the doorstep of approval.

Sponsor Dwight Scharnhorst, a representative from Manchester, made his final plea prior to the voice vote on HCS HB 1311&1341. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Legislature Tagged With: autism, Children & Families, Health insurance



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