Today, Governor Healey announced a drastic proposal of budget cuts that will have a devastating impact on our most vulnerable residents and jeopardize the livelihoods of human service workers across the Commonwealth. Among those proposals are the closure of two state hospitals, the loss of 170 mental health Case Manager positions statewide, and additional cuts and adjustments that would significantly impact the agencies and workers that provide vital care to our communities.
The proposed cuts are an injustice to those who rely on these crucial programs, further reducing access to an already under-resourced system of care and services. Cutting services will only exacerbate existing issues, leaving children, families, and individuals to languish on growing wait lists while further threatening an already strained system. Our communities deserve better, and it is the responsibility of elected leaders to protect and invest resources into services that are essential to our collective well-being.
As a union of human service providers, we will not let these cuts go unchallenged. We have no doubt that Governor Healey’s proposal puts us on a path to a larger workforce and community crisis that will deepen the hardships of underserved residents and the dedicated workers who have spent their careers providing essential services. At a time when the Commonwealth is reeling from the far-reaching effects of trauma and a growing need for crisis intervention, we cannot stand by as the infrastructure that our communities depend on is dismantled.
Rather than dismantling our system of care, the administration can tap into reserves and invest in the well-being of our residents. Massachusetts holds $9 billion in the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund – funds that should be directed toward strengthening services and ensuring those in need receive the support they deserve.
We call on the Healey administration to use the funds available to avoid these facility closures and layoffs and ensure that residents across the Commonwealth can continue receiving the care they deserve.
-Dave Foley, SEIU 509 President
###
