In the first year of its multi-year growth strategy, the Shapiro Administration reduced the adult emergency waiting list for services by nearly 20 percent and enrolled more than 3,000 additional individuals in home- and community-based services.
For the first time ever, more than 40,000 individuals are receiving ID/A services through the Department of Human Services.
Indiana, PA – Today, Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh joined advocates from The Arc of Indiana County for a roundtable discussion on the successes to-date of the Shapiro Administration’s multi-year growth strategy for intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) services and the importance of continued funding in Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal for this community and the workforce that supports them.
“Every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to chart their own course. People with intellectual disabilities and autism are no exception, but to do that, they need access to the right services at the right time so they can live healthy, independent lives,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “With historic investments in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget and a robust multi-year growth strategy, Pennsylvania has moved the needle in the right direction, making critical investments and fighting for a better future for the ID/A community. We still have work to do, and that is why continued funding for ID/A services and its workforce are critical to the future health of this community.”
The 2024-25 bipartisan budget made historic new investments in Pennsylvanians with ID/A and the direct support professionals (DSPs) who care for them by securing $354.8 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers. The funding included:
$280 million to help raise wages for DSPs, ensuring better retention and quality of care
This investment in provider rates supported recruitment, retention, and wages for DSPs who make inclusive, enriching lives possible for people with intellectual disabilities and autism.
$74.8 million to begin the process of eliminating the years-long emergency waiting list for services.
In less than one year, the Department of Human Services has reduced the adult emergency waiting list for services by just under 20 percent. This is a remarkable shift given that the emergency waiting list had been growing for years. During the Shapiro Administration, more than 3,000 additional individuals have been enrolled in services, and that number will continue to rise. For the first time ever, more than 40,000 individuals are receiving ID/A services through the Department of Human Services. Funding in Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 proposed budget will continue this rate of progress, which includes 1,300 people newly receiving services since July 2024.
The Arc of Indiana County proudly serves as a local chapter of The Arc of Pennsylvania and The Arc of the United States, dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays throughout their lifespan. As a nonprofit organization, The Arc of Indiana County provides cost-free advocacy, education, legislative priorities, parent support, training, programs, events, and resources for individuals and their families. The Arc of Indiana County is committed to fostering a community where individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays are empowered to lead lives of inclusion, ability, opportunity, and equality. By identifying barriers, building strong partnerships, and advocating for positive solutions, the organization strives to create meaningful change in the lives of those it serves.
“Our mission is to ensure that every individual has access to the resources and support needed to thrive,” said Michelle L. Jordan, Executive Director of The Arc of Indiana County. “Through our advocacy and community engagement with our local, state, and federal partners, we are dedicated to influencing policies that enhance and empower the lives of people with disabilities and focusing community attention on current legislative priorities like decreasing the waiting list, increasing DSP wage rates, and supporting our Department of Education and Medicaid.”
The Shapiro Administration believes every Pennsylvanian with intellectual disabilities and autism deserves the supports they need to achieve an everyday life with dignity and the opportunity to live and work among their families and peers. While home- and community-based services have been offered in Pennsylvania for decades, the way the program was structured limited capacity and did not allow flexibility that could help individuals access the services they needed when they needed them. Historically, individuals may have waited for years to be enrolled in services even if they have immediate needs.
Through the multi-year growth strategy, DHS has shifted away from setting capacity in programs by numbers or “slots” and instead sets capacity by an overall budget-based system. This will allow counties flexibility to make decisions based on local needs and will help establish Pennsylvania as a national leader in eliminating its emergency waiting list for home- and community-based services.
Learn more about Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 Budget proposal and its commonsense goals for Pennsylvania.
