There is another bill at the session that affects folks with developmental disabilities. This is Senate File 47 – Wyoming State Training School Amendments.

Lander is the home to the Training School. I sort of grew up there as my father was the school pharmacist for many years after he retired from private business. My mother and I were volunteers at WSTS and my sister, Cindy works there today.

Some might be quick to pronounce WSTS an antiquated institution, but the thoughtful investigator will find a community campus that has all of the advantages of small group homes and a wealth of services and a campus-wide support structure that far exceeds the capability of any other provider/location in Wyoming. There is a lot of water under the bridge with respect to WSTS, including in no small way its 96 year history (mostly as a traditional institution), the Olmstead U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the Weston Lawsuit and Consent Decree in Wyoming, and a dramatic evolution in the care and support of persons with developmental disabilities.

These aspects color our perceptions of the community campus to this day, but the fact remains that, through the hard and caring work of a lot of folks and the support state government, we have now achieved a state community facility that ranks among the best in existence. The number of folks and their families and guardians who choose WSTS as a support option is increasing dramatically. New programs have expanded services to folks with acquired brain injury and a state-of-the art therapeutic equipment program has been established to provide the best care in the multi-state region.

Small miracles happen at WSTS every day and big ones seem to happen on a regular schedule. Through intensive therapy, I have seen brain injured patients regain their abilities, included one who spoke for the first time in years. As a consequence of the finest medical and therapeutic care, I have watched folks have years of happy life despite overwhelming physical challenges.

A bill has been developed by a Select Committee on Developmental Programs. This committee has been in existence a couple of years, primarily focusing on community programs and services within the Department of Health’s Division of Developmental Disabilities. The Committee is a good hearted bunch, but their collective interest and experience has been more focused on the community side. They have had a tendency at times to exhibit a bit of bias, originally they tended to view WSTS budget as a potential source of funds for community program services. Their proposed bill is on the wrong track, attempting to limit services rather than permit cost-effective utilization of WSTS to be made. I am glad to see that a few positive changes have been made to the bill; the biggest good change is to allow for the expression of choice by folks and their families as to whether they want services from the Training School or community programs.

The Committee’s proposed bill also changes the name of WSTS to the Wyoming Disability Resource Center, again reflecting a desire to limit the uses of the campus. I confess to some real personal tension here. I brought a bill last year that proposed the name Wyoming Therapeutic Resource Center. My bill easily passed the Senate, but in the House, the folks on the Select Committee and the Labor Committee refused to give it a hearing. The Therapeutic Resource Center name is better, more reflective of the services offered and respectful of the wishes of clients, families and employees. It is a People First issue as well, as the Committee’s proposed name yields implicit labeling of anyone living or receiving services at the proposed “Disability Center”.

The worst thing about the proposed bill is that it represents a big reorganization of the Department of Health and limits the State’s ability to use the extensive resources of WSTS to help more people. I can not recall another time where the legislature has explicitly and with such great detail told the Governor how to organize a department. I have much more than a feeling that the Department of Health folks do not like it, but during a budget session when everything is on the line, agency people often hide their heads thinking that they must be extra careful and keep quiet. Maybe the executive branch will speak up before this is over. I remain hopeful, even confident that WSTS will be accepted as part of our safety net for a broad range of therapeutic services, including many that are not effectively available in Wyoming now.