Advocates say people with developmental disabilities remain stuck in hospitals; call for better behavioral‑health training and supports
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Summary
Developmental‑disability ombuds and advocates told JLAC that people with developmental disabilities continue to experience long hospital stays while awaiting discharge and urged better behavioral‑health integration and workforce training.
Advocates and ombudsmen told the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Planning for Aging and Disability Issues that people with developmental disabilities can face prolonged hospital stays because of gaps in community services and behavioral‑health expertise.
Betty Schwiederman, director of the Office of Developmental Disability Ombuds, said the office has tracked cases of children and adults who remain hospitalized without a medical need because appropriate community services and placements are unavailable. She said the legislature and agencies have funded transition case managers and pilot programs, but long waits persist; she cited individual examples of 200 days, 102 days and 87 days awaiting discharge in a snapshot of current cases.
Why it matters: Long hospital stays are harmful to patients and consume scarce hospital beds, leading to system strain for people with acute medical needs. Schwiederman and others urged better cross‑system collaboration to prevent unnecessary hospitalization and to improve discharge planning and community supports.
Supporting details: Schwiederman called for more behavioral‑health providers trained to serve people with developmental disabilities, improved training relevance for home‑care workers, dual‑training for community‑engagement and supported‑employment staff to deliver personal care, and continued work to improve transitions for youth and nonspeaking autistic adults at risk of hospitalization.
Discussion vs. next steps: The ombuds office said data collection on individuals stuck in hospitals has improved and that more resources are needed to scale transition and complex‑case supports. Committee members asked for follow‑up data; DSHS staff agreed to provide counts and trend figures after the meeting.
Ending note: Advocates thanked JLAC for raising the profile of developmental‑disability discharge issues and encouraged continued attention to workforce training and cross‑system coordination.