A Nebraska mother who provides round-the-clock care for her disabled son is among thousands of families facing uncertainty after the state abruptly ended its contract with a disability services organization.
Tricia Gushard learned through social media that Nebraska is terminating its contract with the League of Human Dignity, which has coordinated services for her son, Elijah, for eight years. The transition affects 4,420 aged and disabled Nebraskans statewide.
"The shock has worn off, but the frustration is still there," Gushard said. "I think the irony is to have talked with you when I had not been communicated to by the state. It was not until Tuesday where I got an actual letter."
The letter stated the state would be absorbing LHD's duties by April 1. Nebraska needs to hire more than 100 service coordinators in just six weeks to replace LHD workers.
"People with the complex histories like my son and others need to have somebody right away who understands their needs," Gushard said.
The transition faces a major obstacle: state positions pay less than current LHD salaries. State coordinator positions pay about $44,160, while LHD currently pays $56,000 to $60,000. That represents a pay cut of nearly $16,000 for workers.
Multiple LHD service coordinators declined to speak publicly, citing fear of professional retaliation.
One coordinator provided a written statement on condition of anonymity, revealing that approximately 60 workers in Omaha are losing their jobs.
According to the statement, 15 of those LHD employees previously worked for DHHS and left for better pay and "organizational culture." Now they're being asked to competitively apply to return to their former employer at lower salaries.
The DHHS website shows the state has posted positions across Nebraska in Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Kearney, North Platte and Scottsbluff.
"I need the name of who's going to be in charge of him, of his care," Gushard said. "I need to know when they're coming to our house to meet with him and to go over his complex medical needs so that they're going to be ready to provide that care for him and the authorizations that we need."
According to the service coordinator's statement, DHHS was aware of potential changes to the waiver program as early as October but didn't notify LHD until February. That compressed timeline raises concerns about continuity of care for thousands of vulnerable Nebraskans.
DHHS did not respond to questions on Thursday about hiring progress, the pay gap, and how they plan to recruit workers who already left state employment.
With six weeks until the transition, families like the Gushards are still waiting to find out who will coordinate their care.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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