RD57 - Annual Report of the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Brain Injury & Spinal Cord Injury Services for State Fiscal Year 2013-14 (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014)


Executive Summary:
When the 2004 General Assembly appropriated funds for brain injury services for State Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 in Item 327.4 of the Appropriations Act, it also directed that

“…the Department of Rehabilitative Services shall submit an annual report to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees documenting the number of individuals served, services provided, and success in attracting non-state resources.”

The information contained herein constitutes the 2014 Annual Report of State-Funded Brain Injury Services Programs from the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees. The State Fiscal Year 2014 allocation of state general funding for DARS-contracted brain injury services is $3,926,466. The ten (10) organizations contracted with the State to operate 13 community-based programs for Virginians with brain injury statewide brought in $2,422,037 in non-state resources, including cash and donated goods/services (see chart below).

At the time of submission of this report, DARS notes that during the latter part of FY ’15, there were programmatic budget reductions taken from the state general dollars allocated for brain injury services among others. The programs / services were cut by nearly $500,000 for FY ’15 and additional reductions may be necessary in FY ’16. This will impact the ability of the Commonwealth to continue to provide the only dedicated services available for Virginians with brain injury. It is anticipated that without these core “safety net” services of case management, resource coordination, and clubhouse/day programs, nearly 500 individuals (including veterans and other vulnerable populations) will be unserved and therefore at high risk of institutionalization, homelessness, court involvement, or worse.

Another significant issue that occurred effective July 1, 2014, and which will be more fully reported in the FY ’15 annual report, is that General Assembly directed the Joint Commission on Health Care to undertake a study evaluating existing resources and access to brain injury services in Virginia. This effort, which will take two years, is currently underway.