Organizations Caring for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Face Staffing Crisis in Chester County 

Organizations that care for individuals with intellectual disabilities are facing a service and staffing crisis in Pennsylvania, including Chester County, according to a staff report from The Daily Local News. 

This is causing people who are devoted to caring for their adult sons, daughters, or siblings with intellectual and developmental disabilities to struggle to find services for their loved ones that would engage with them within their communities in a safe and meaningful way. 

This issue had reached breaking point in the state even before the pandemic, which has only made the situation worse. 

To address the issue, several concerned families and self-advocates met with Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary Kristin Ahrens of the Office of Developmental Programs at the Arc of Chester County in West Chester on Jan. 19. They shared their concerns and offered support in addressing the crisis and creating options. 

“We need a moonshot that brings the best minds together from families, state agencies, service providers, and self-advocates, with the courage and mandate to think outside the box to identify and test strategies for including access to both facility and community-based services,” said Peter Doehring of Chadds Ford. 

Read more about the staffing crisis in The Daily Local News.