Families vow to fight training center closure

Two leaders among the families of Central Virginia Training Center residents vowed to continue fighting for their children Thursday after state officials announced the center would close in 2020 under pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice.

State lawmakers weren’t sure a fight would succeed in keeping the training center open.

Virginia agreed to a settlement with DOJ that will close four of its five training centers like CVTC, and cost $2 billion to care for up to 5,000 intellectually disabled people.

The care is to be delivered in small, community-based homes instead of institutions.

Charles Fallis of Salem, president of CVTC Parents and Friends United, called Virginia’s agreement with the federal agency “a disgrace,” and said he is thinking of suing the Justice Department if the parents’ group did not.

Many of the parents say their profoundly disabled children cannot receive adequate care outside of an institution.

Martha Bryant of Amherst County, vice president of the group, said she was counting on change — possibly two changes in the White House’s administration and two in the Virginia governor’s office — to give families a chance to keep their children, most of whom are adults, in the Madison Heights center.

State Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, said he’d fought legislative battles on the families’ behalf for 20 years in Richmond, but the fight appeared to be over Thursday.

“The structural changes that will take place” in state-government operations within three years “will likely put in place a mechanism that will be difficult, if not impossible, to undo,” Newman said.

He added, “It is difficult to put into words my deep disappointment that an ever-expanding federal government appears to have forced this Commonwealth into an agreement that will do permanent damage to our training centers and the wonderful residents in these facilities.”

Newman said he was “convinced there will be individuals that will be lost as a result of this, that will not survive.” 

Del. Scott Garrett, R-Lynchburg and Del. Ben Cline said they were deeply disappointed by the settlement.  Both delegates represent parts of Amherst County, which depends on CVTC for 1,250 jobs.

Garrett said, “I will continue to advocate for the clients, their families, and the community as we navigate down this path of transition.”

The agreement between Virginia and the Justice Department followed almost a year of negotiations, after the federal agency issued a scathing report last February saying the state failed to move fast enough to transfer residents from institutions into smaller homes.

Cline said the decision would hurt Amherst County, CVTC residents and employees.

 “The DOJ is incorrect in its assertion that CVTC residents have not been given adequate options for quality, community-based care, and it is my hope that the General Assembly will refuse to implement this misguided and harmful agreement,” he said.

The settlement was far-reaching, and involves 10 years of oversight from the federal government as Virginia makes the changes.

 About 1,000 people who live in Virginia’s five training centers will move into smaller housing.  

Virginia is to provide nearly 4,200 waiver slots, or funding, to pay for localized care of disabled people. Included are enhanced crisis management services, housing assistance and better job opportunities for those who receive treatment.

Gov. Bob McDonnell said the settlement eventually will save money for Virginia taxpayers, although the state is likely to spend an additional $36 million per year caring for people and building new, smaller homes.

Meghan McGuire, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, said the cost of the waiver slots varies according to a person’s need, and can range from $46,000 to $137,000 per person annually.

The average cost to care for a person in a training center is $216,000, McGuire said.

Of the $2 billion it will take to implement the settlement agreement, $935 million will come from the federal government. Officials estimate the money saved by closing the facilities will bring the state’s total cost down to about $340 million over the 10 years.

The schedule for closing the training centers will shut down the Southside Virginia Training Center in Petersburg by June 30, 2014. 

 Northern Virginia Training Center in Fairfax would close by June 30, 2015; Southwestern Virginia Training Center in Hillsville will be closed by June 30, 2018; and Central Virginia Training Center by June 30, 2020.

 Southeastern Virginia Training Center in Chesapeake will continue to downsize to 75 beds. It will remain open because it has several newly built, small, housing units, said Bill Hazel, state health and human resources secretary.