Intervention Consulting Page 
To add your signature to the bottom of this letter, please send an email to:
Dear Friend:
On Nov. 9, County Executive, Robert P. Astorino released his proposed budget for 2011. (Westchester County is on a Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 fiscal year.) While we applaud the diligence and attempt at fiscal responsibility, unfortunately, the impact of some of the proposals will result in dramatic and potentially perilous results to our special needs community. To see the budget for yourself, follow this link: BUDGET
We are seeking YOUR assistance to develop a strategy and speaking points for mounting a campaign to halt some of these proposed cuts. If you can devote time to this cause, please email cdepalma@aol.com and I will contact you shortly.
The facts:
- Early Intervention (EI) will net a loss of 20% of their staff due to retirement with hiring freezes on those positions and further cuts in the budget.
- The areas with the largest impact are:
- EIODs-who move the child through the system from evaluation through discharge as the legal representative of the county and
- Billing Department-those who facilitate the payment of providers
As a result:
- Children will not move through the system on the federally mandated schedule inviting federal legal action to the county
- Capacity will be lowered as a direct result of small providers not being paid within 90 days.
- Unemployment in Westchester County will increase as a result of providers closing
EI is statistically proven to reduce the need for future services.
Children will not reach their fullest potential and the taxpayer will be paying for more services over time (i.e.: education, mental health, social services, social security disability, criminal system, etc.)
The rate of autism continues to climb and we are seeing trends that suggest that the disabilities are more severe in nature. The system, while not perfect, was effective, but there are many needy children and families.
On the actual budget, please direct your attention to pages 41-68. The specific cuts are on the top of page 54 and page 59. They are a little deceptive because as you read across it says that those positions were not requested.
One more important note is that they also cut the PHCP, physically handicapped children’s program. This is a program which receives most of its funding outside of this budget through reimbursement. It does things like provide assistance to working poor families whose child requests physical devices, like splints.
Assisting parents to understand the issues and making themselves heard is believed to be the primary vessel for this operation.
Media coverage is being requested. If anyone has contacts that could facilitate coverage of the issue, we encourage you to bring it to their attention.
You should all also speak up at the budget hearings.
The schedule for the public hearings is:
All hearings start at 7:00pm and citizens are invited and encouraged to attend and comment.
Southern County Public Hearing - REMOVE or comment on result
Wednesday, November 17th
Location: Riverfront Library, 1 Larkin Center (corner of River and Dock Streets), Yonkers
Northern County Public Hearing
Tuesday, November 23rd
Location: Pleasantville High School, 60 Romer Avenue (corner of Romer and Clinton Street), Pleasantville
After these two hearings the Board of Legislators may amend the proposed budget. A final public hearing will be held:
Final Public Hearing
Thursday, December 9th
Location: County Board Legislative Chambers,148 Martine Avenue, 8th Floor (corner of Martine and Court Street), White Plains
If you cannot attend, but would like to comment on the proposed budget, please contact your County Legislator. If you can devote time to this cause, please email cdepalma@aol.com and I will contact you shortly. We need people to help organize, to speak, and to make phone calls. It is regretful that this urgent call to action has needed to be made, but I am hopeful that we have the resources among us to mount this important campaign and demand what is right for our children.
At the very least, we should all be making calls to our County Legislator. If you do not know who your legislator is, you can locate them here: MY LEGISLATOR
Sincerely yours,
Carmine DePalma, Father of a child with autism
Susan Sonkin, Director
Westchester Center for Educational & Emotional Development
Lisa Rudley, Mother of a child with Autism
Autism Action Network
NAA NY Metro Chapter - Westchester Branch
Tricia Zarro, Mother to a child with Autism
NAA NY Metro Chapter - Westchester Branch
Shirley Varghese
Sound Speech & Language Pathology, P.C.
Shirley Varghese
Sound Speech & Language Pathology, P.C.
Charlise Bosque and Rolando Bosque
Oana and Thomas Scholl
Gina Dieuveuille
Carole Oshinsky
Co-director, NYS Infancy Policy Leadership Circles
Treasurer, New York Zero-to-Three Network
Tim Spillane & my wife Michelle Spillane
Elise Bove
Abbe Rosenberg
Mayra Salazar and Edgard Salazar.
Sarah Banner
Kathy Anderson
Judy North