Facing a Massive Backlog for Services

OKLAHOMA CITY — Robin Arter struggled to find the words Friday to tell the mother of a 3-year-old with autism they wouldn't be eligible to receive state assistance through a waiver for five to eight years because of the backlog on the Department of Human Services' waiting list.
"It is just disheartening," said Arter, who is executive director of Duncan Group Homes, a not-for-profit agency that provides assistance for those residents with developmental disabilities. "Families usually have to take care of themselves, and when you are in a crisis you often have to look outside for help. But when you are in a crisis it's hard to wait five to seven years."
As of last month, there were 5,804 individuals on the state's waiver request waiting list. These residents, who have applied for assistance after being diagnosed with a mental disability, likely will stay on the list for years because a lack of state funds for the program, said Sheree Powell, director of public information and provider relations with OKDHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division.