WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Program for special needs kids faces cuts

Program for special needs kids faces cuts

By Caroline Moses - bio | email

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Another major program is about to face the budget ax. This time it impacts children. "Evolutions" is a Louisiana-run program for children with severe social, emotional or behavioral problems. It's housed at Greenwell Springs Mental Health Hospital.   Several workers there, past and present, say administrators sabotaged the program numbers to justify shutting it down.

Social workers say this program is essential not only for the children involved, but for all kids in public schools. Officials with the Department of Health and Hospitals say this program is not the best use of their resources. The Evolutions program serves on average about 250 young people a year. They range in age from six to 18.

"They're given hands-on one-on-one care, group therapy, family therapy, medication adjustments, things of that nature. Those are all things that are not going to be available to them now," said long-time social worker Joan Wallyn.

The Department of Health and Hospitals plans to shut down the program December 18th.  DHH officials say for the past four years the number of students in evolutions has shrunk.   Most recently, evolutions served only 52 students.

Retired state worker Joan Wallyn says the numbers tell only part of the story here.

"They siphoned off students, gradually reduced, so they could fabricate a situation where it proves its not being utilized effectively.  Again, I have to go back to management.  That to me is malfeasance," said Wallyn.

Wallyn says she has extensively researched children with special needs in Louisiana.   She says the need for these kind of services is as great as ever.

"EBR has more than 40 students, 250 per year for them to be treating.  I can promise you that," said Wallyn.

She says administrators tried to shut down the program before, but parents of children served by the program fought back.  This time Wallyn says administrators made sure to secure their case before anyone could stop what was happening.

"They need to be accountable for their choices, why they're not billing Medicaid, why the census is too low," said Wallyn.

DHH officials say low enrollment and busing issues are prompting the program shutdown. Official also say there are other programs available through local school districts that would take the place of "Evolutions".  Also, 9 News has been told no one will be laid off as a result of the program ending.

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