Conroy among lawmakers unveiling goals to support disabled

Theresa Conroy

Includes 5-year plan to close Southbury Training School

State Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Seymour, Friday joined other members of the General Assembly’s Intellectual and Developmentally Disabled (I/DD) Caucus to unveil their legislative priorities, seeking substantial changes in state funding and housing for intellectually and developmentally disabled state residents and their families.

“This is a bold agenda that seeks to provide the best possible services to for intellectually and developmentally disabled residents and their families,” Conroy said.

The 60-member bipartisan and bicameral caucus supports legislation designed to:

· Close the state Department of Developmental Services’ Southbury Training School by 2020 and move its remaining residents (approximately 320) to community-based settings; shift all of the Southbury closure savings (approximately $237,000 per-person) to community-based settings in order to reduce the waiting list of approx. 2,000 disabled clients seeking supportive housing; evaluate the best use for the Southbury property and buildings and conduct an environmental assessment.

· Maintain DDS funding at pre-rescission levels in the FY 2016-17 biennial state budget

· Study the creation of a client trust fund for individual spend-down requirements

The I/DD Caucus issued its goals Friday in advance of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Feb. 18 biennial state budget address, which is expected to impact health and human services spending in Connecticut.

Conroy's district includes parts of Seymour, Beacon Falls and Derby. 


This is a press release from Conroy's office.