State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) said she is ready to intervene on behalf of The Arc of Monmouth, which is slated to lose the majority of its funding for health services at the end of the year.
In an interview, Beck said she reached out to representatives of The Arc after a notice was posted on the website of the Tinton Falls-based nonprofit announcing that funding for mental and behavioral health services had been cut by the state Department of Human Services (DHS).
“We reached out to [Executive Director] Mary Scott to just fully understand this decision; why it was made; and if, indeed, the people who receive Arc services will continue to get the same level of care in medical services,” Beck said. “We are still working through it. It certainly caught us by surprise.”
In a letter posted Sept. 22 on The Arc’s website, the nonprofit organization said the funding cut would spell the end of certain services.
“We are very sorry to be informing you that The Arc of Monmouth’s contract to provide health services and mental health/behavioral health services is being discontinued effective Dec. 31, 2014,” the letter states. “We have taken enormous pride in offering these extremely important services to hundreds of people with developmental disabilities and their caregivers in Monmouth County for almost 25 years.”
According to The Arc’s website, the DHS Division of Developmental Disabilities funds 70 percent of the organization’s operating budget.
“We simply cannot continue to provide the comprehensive care and professional excellence that you have been accustomed to without these financial resources,” the letter states. “This is devastating news for so many, not least of which is our dedicated staff.” Calls to the DHS seeking comment were not immediately returned. Beck said she would decide on a course of action after speaking with Scott.
“There is no question we will advocate. I just want to defer to Mary Scott and the board of directors before we start jumping into setting meetings,” the senator said. “Obviously, they are closer to this than we are; they are directly involved in the conversations. We are deeply concerned and will be advocates for them.”
A second notice posted Sept. 24 on the website states that officials at The Arc would not comment publicly about the funding cut. The notice states that a meeting with the DHS is being scheduled for this month to discuss the issue.
Brett Colby, director of development of The Arc, said on Sept. 26 that officials would comment after meeting with Elizabeth Shea, DHS assistant commissioner.
Beck said she would like to participate in the meeting and advocate on behalf of The Arc. She said the concern is that the institution will lose programs that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
“They have done such amazing work for Monmouth County for so many years, and I think our biggest concern is that they are taking care of folks who need special care and specially trained people to help them,” Beck said. “This decision seems to have been made very abruptly, and I think we all are worried that nobody could really do what The Arc has done. They are so exceptional at their jobs that I question whether anyone could really replace them.”
On its website, The Arc of Monmouth asks clients and supporters to write to DHS officials about the proposed cuts.
The Arc of Monmouth serves more than 1,300 individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities through education, vocational training, residential services, health care, supported employment, recreation, individual and family support, self-directed services and advocacy.