In her State of the State address earlier this month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans to spend $4 billion over five years on healthcare worker wages and bonuses. It’s a move healthcare providers like the Wildwood Programs say would offer a lifeline amid a staffing crisis. WAMC's Jim Levulis spoke with Lou Deepe, CEO of the disability services provider, about Governor Hochul’s proposal.
Deepe: It’s going to have a tremendous impact for us. You know, agencies in healthcare and particularly in the disabilities field, we have been struggling for the better part of a decade to try to keep up with other sectors in terms of wages for our direct support workers, and this kind of investment is really going to be a game changer for us in terms of being able to recruit and retain, you know, good, qualified staff to provide the necessary supports for people with disabilities and their families.
Levulis: And how would you characterize the disability services industry now, when it comes to staffing?
Deepe: Well, we're in an extended crisis right now. It's been ongoing even prior to COVID. COVID certainly has made things a lot harder. But we are in a place right now, where literally, agencies are having to make very difficult decisions about programs closing or you know remaining open during this time. We're having a lot of difficulties trying to even just staff our 24-hour residential settings, which we absolutely have to do, these are people's homes. You know, a lot of people with disabilities are not getting the services that they need on a day to day basis or consistently. And that's been ongoing for quite a long time. Now, certainly throughout this pandemic. But even before, agencies we're having to make some difficult choices just because of our inability to, you know, attract and keep staff, because of the wages, we're able to pay. You know, we are lower over time, our starting wages have been more and more in alignment with the minimum wage because of rate cuts to this industry, again, over the part of a decade or so. And, you know, it's wonderful work. It's noble work, but it's also very challenging. The people who support people with disabilities and their families, you know, they are responsible for their wellbeing. They are providing medications, they're helping them, you know, manage their behavior so they don't hurt themselves or others, they are responsible for their personal hygiene and care. And to have that become more of a minimum wage job is really challenging for people to stay in those jobs, because they've got to, you know, support themselves. They got to support their families. And often, people in those roles are working two to three jobs just to make ends meet.
Levulis: When we last spoke in November 2020, you said Wildwood Programs had about 725 employees at that point, down from 750. Where does the company sit now in regards to that?
Deepe: I believe we're probably more around 650 to 675 at this point, Jim. This ongoing crisis has had a profound impact on our workforce. And it's just we cannot get people in here at the wages that we are able to pay based off of our rates. So, you know again the news from Governor Hochul's office that there might be this multiyear investment in our field, is the lifeline we needed. It's encouraging. It's something that we've been needing desperately. You know, the fact that we as a disabilities field and healthcare in general is such a priority for this administration. It's something that is encouraging. We've needed for so long, and again, it really could be a game changer in terms of our ability to stay solvent, to be able to continue to provide supports for people and families.
Levulis: And if Governor Hochul’s proposals of $3,000 bonuses for full-time health care workers and then cost of living adjustments go into effect, are you able to estimate what the average Wildwood care provider would make if these proposals go through?
Deepe: Currently our starting salaries for those positions are right around $15 an hour with opportunities to make a little bit more depending on setting and other factors. But I think, you know, with those kinds of investments, we could easily get a few dollars beyond that and start really talking about wages that are fair for people. I mean, we can never pay them enough for the work that they do and the impact they have on people's lives. But at least this kind of a prolonged investment will help us you know, start moving towards a wage that's fair and that has dignity for those very important positions.
Levulis: And you mentioned the residential services that Wildwood provides. Now some lawmakers and advocates say Governor Hochul’s proposals for health care workers do not include any pledges to increase pay for home care workers. Are those one in the same? When you say residential and these advocates say home care workers, are those one of the same or are they different?
Deepe: Well, it's hard to tell because I haven't seen those exact quotes from people. But my guess is that they're talking about in terms of homecare workers, you know, independent organizations that push in and help people in the community, and they're in their homes or their apartments. And we do, you know, there's a lot of overlap there. And I think we're probably interchanging some of those, you know, phrases and stuff. But I think this investment, as I read it, is really overall investment in health care. And I do think it really incorporates all of those aspects, including home health aides, and you know, positions that we support here at Wildwood.
Levulis: And one idea of Governor Hochul’s proposals that she mentioned is attracting people from outside the current New York healthcare field. When you're looking, you know you mentioned you're down to about 650 employees, hoping I think if I'm getting the number right to get to about 750, is that right?
Deepe: That is correct.
Levulis: How wide is your breadth now when you're looking for workers?
Deepe: I mean, Wildwood specifically but I'm sure the field as I'm talking to other executive directors, we're casting as wide a net as we can. You know, we're trying to think as creatively as possible. We're going into communities, you know, where we typically may not have had as many, you know, representation in our workforce before. But I think these ideas that the governor is proposing, you know, are good ones, they're solid ones, we really should be reaching out to, you know, other populations that we haven't before and try to connect, you know maybe underrepresented populations that are looking for work with this sector, because we're constantly needing, you know, good staff to help, you know, forward our missions.
Levulis: We've been talking mostly about pay bonuses, cost of living adjustments. Are there any other ideas about how to retain the workers in this workforce?
Deepe: Well, I think, you know, we're also excited that there's a new Acting Commissioner Kerri Neifeld for OPWDD [Office for People with Developmental Disabilities] and you know she has been already doing a lot of outreach to provider networks and community. And she's got some good ideas. I would say, both she and the governor, we have found so far to just be willing to listen to the providers and to understand, you know, kind of the challenges that we're facing. This is a heavily regulated environment. And so I think they're looking at ways that they might be able to, you know, while maintaining obviously the highest, you know, standards of safety for people, but trying to kind of scale back some of the regulatory stuff that would allow, you know, our workforce to just be able to focus on their work and their actual support of people. So that's one area. But I think, really, it is the investment. We can't do what we need to do for people and families if we don't have the people here. If we don't have the dedicated workforce that we need, you know, that are professional, that are committed, that are coming in every day and, and happy and satisfied with what they do and in order to be that they need a wage that reflects that and that helps them support themselves in their families.
