There's a disconnect between developmental disability waiver offers and services, according to new data

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has sent more than 3,100 families state developmental disability funding offers since Gov. Jim Pillen launched an initiative last spring to end an eight-year waiting list.

About 1,400 families have accepted their offer from DHHS. Of those 1,400 families, data shows only 339, or less than 25%, are using their allocated funding for a service program, according to an email response from DHHS spokesperson Erin Maier.

That means only 11% of families so far that have been offered an intellectual or developmental disability waiver are actually using those dollars to access programs.

Maier said nearly 290 of the 1,400 families who accepted an offer are no longer receiving services or they requested to utilize their funding for a later date.

Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of Service Providers Alana Schriver said the lack of provider availability has caused the low usage numbers. Low wages and staffing levels have led to the limited capacity of services in the state, Schriver said.

During a press conference on Monday, Tony Green, director of the division on developmental disabilities at DHHS said agency staffing is always a challenge.

“But I can tell you the data that we're seeing now coming from the providers in their state of the workforce surveys are showing a positive trend in less vacant positions being there,” Green said, “and we're also seeing a reduction in the turnover, which also was plaguing some of our providers.”

Maier said the number of people using state funding will continue to grow as more participants work with the department’s coordinators.

The state has improved developmental disability waiver programs, Schriver said, but added there needs to be more funding from the state to increase service provider wages and staffing.