ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Nearly two months late, delays in passing the New York state budget have negatively impacted many industries, including the disability community and its caregivers, who admit that it has been difficult to make plans.

“Some might think once the state budget gets approved, money just rolls. It’s not that simple. We’re in a complicated system, so any delay puts it further and further into the year. So, it makes it harder to plan,” Arc of Monroe’s president and CEO, Tracy Petrichick, said.

Arc of Monroe supports about 1,500 people, mostly adults, with different levels of needs. The organization was already making plans to adjust to federal funding cuts to Medicaid. Petrichick says about 85% of its funding goes through Medicaid.

“It’s critical,” she said. “Our concern is that any impact on the federal level to the state level means it’s just going to keep rolling downhill. And so we’re not sure how that will happen, but that’s how we pay for our staffing. It’s how 1,500 people in this community receive services from us.”

What You Need To Know

Delays in the New York state budget is almost two months late are impacting the disability community as organizations try to prepare for federal cuts to Medicaid

About 85% of the Arc of Monroe’s funding goes through Medicaid

Funding goes towards DSP wages and benefits, programming and facility improvements, transportation and health services and more

The longer the budget delays continue, the less time the organization will have to make a plan to ensure all 1,500 clients are supported

Money goes towards recruitment and retention of Direct Support Professionals’ (DSP) wages and benefits, programming and facility investment, and services like transportation, employment and healthcare. Medicaid cuts are expected to take place in January of 2027, which means the organization wants to be making plans to adjust now.

“We’re still having to invest in different programs, facilities and people in order to make sure that happens. So that’s where it gets a little tough. And then the things that hold you back on are our pay increases or retirement funds, things that aren’t ideal, but you don’t really have a choice when you’re making the decision of where the money should go,” Petrichick explained.

The industry has faced challenges throughout the years, and a shortage in DSPs is one of them. The workers are the backbone of support of the people the organization supports. DSPs cook and clean, drive their clients to appointments, and do whatever is needed for them to achieve independence.

“It could be help anywhere from bathing or helping with grocery shopping to working on skills that are making them productive members of our society. There’s so much that goes into it from your everyday life,” she said.

The Arc of Monroe has opened an in-house training academy for DSPs to help retain employees, among other efforts. Funding from the state and federal government helps them do it.

“We always find ourselves in the same position of going with our hands out every year. Please, please look at inflation. And so every year, we’re in a position where we don’t know. It’s advocate, advocate, advocate. I think what makes it different this year is just that we’re pushing, we’re seeing the end of May now with not a resolution in sight,” Petrichick explained. “It’s tough that this delay continues on more policy things than financial.”

As inflation persists, the organization is awaiting final word on how it can prepare for their upcoming operations budget.

“You got to take into account the rising costs of goods and services that were buying. So we’re going to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the 4%. Our field has been challenged for years in getting a fair increase. And I think the support that we’ve gotten over the last couple of years has been hopeful that it will continue again this year,” she said.

The state budget is the latest it’s been since 2010.