State health officials: Holly Center not slated to close

Concerns over the apparent downsizing of the Holly Center, a state-operated center for people with developmental disabilities, have sparked an advocate to reach out to multiple state agencies to step in.

“We want to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough.” Says Mark Engberg.

Engberg, a Salisbury resident, sent the a letter to various state lawmakers and agencies including the Developmental Disabilities Administration (“DDA”) following the news of the impending closure of one of four residential cottages at the Holly Center. It once consisted of nine cottages.

“In my opinion, anything less than 4 cottages is unacceptable. Going down to 3? Is absurd.” Says Engberg.

The letter notes the future of facilities like the Holly Center and Potomac Center in Hagerstown are “very, very uncertain”.

The Holly Center is state-run under the DDA, which is a part of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“DHMH”).

Christopher Garrett, director of communications for DHMH, says the DDA received Engberg’s letter on March 24. He says the department has made it clear that the Holly Center as a whole is not slated for closure; however, he does confirm Cottage 800 is slated to close.

We’re told that each cottage is capable of housing multiple residents and Engberg tells 47 ABC he fears that if they continue closing, residents like 47-year-old Keli Chandler may be left without a place to live.

“She’s already moved once with a previous downsizing and reassigning locations, so now she’s having to do it again.” Says her mother Mary Lou Chandler.

Mary Lou tells 47 ABC this year will mark her daughter’s 40th year living at the Holly Center.

Keli was diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy as a toddler. Ultimately, doctors recommended her to find permanent housing with 24-hour care.

“Keli is a very social person.” Says Mary Lou. “She likes a lot of people around her, she likes activity, she likes going out places. She would not be happy in a group home where she’s sitting after dinner with a television running and nothing’s going on.”

Garrett says closing the cottage was recommended by the Holly Center itself and approved by the DDA. According to Garrett, this was after the state made staff reductions in fiscal year 2016 and is anticipating to cut more staff in fiscal year 2017.

He says for years, the DDA has been demonstrating commitment to having developmentally disabled Marylanders receive their care in the community “where services are cheaper and the individuals are able to maintain community connections and support”.

A statement from Garrett reads in part, “At the heart of this are our beliefs that the developmentally disabled are not any less capable of articulating their wishes for their lives and that they should have a say in determining how to realize those wishes.”

He also says even though one cottage will close, the number of beds at the Holly Center will remain the same.

The Holly Center declined to comment on Thursday.

Engberg says he and his fellow advocates are not seeking extra funds. He says the 17.5 million dollars appropriated for the center through the 2017 operating budget is generous; however, it’s a matter of how it’s being used.

We’ve also reached out to the office of Governor Larry Hogan multiple times this week. 47ABC has not received a response as of 7 p.m. Thursday.