COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
STATE SENATOR
MICHAEL O. MOORE
SECOND WORCESTER DISTRICT
State House, Room 518, Boston, MA 02133 (617) 722-1485
July 23, 2009
Sen. Moore, Rep. Polito Meet with Governor Patrick, Urge Keeping Glavin Center Open
BOSTON – Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury) and Representative Karyn E. Polito (R-Shrewsbury) met with Governor Deval L. Patrick this afternoon at the State House to discuss the administration’s attempt to close the Irving A. Glavin Regional Center in Shrewsbury. Both Moore and Polito advocated for the residents of the facility, and urged keeping the facility — which serves individuals with developmental disabilities — open.
“I am pleased that the Governor has taken the opportunity to meet with myself and Rep. Polito to discuss this issue, as well as to visit Glavin and meet with the families,” said Sen. Moore. “Our meeting with the Governor was productive, as he listened to our concerns and pledged to give the requests of Glavin residents and family members serious thought. Glavin provides not only essential care, but also a home, to severely disabled individuals, and enables them to function as a part of the Shrewsbury community. It is important that the Governor hear both sides of this issue and re-think his position.”
“I am pleased that the Governor was willing to sit down and discuss with me and Senator Moore the possibility of keeping the Glavin Center open to service the needs of our Glavin residents and families,” said Rep. Polito. “Although he did not make any commitments, I appreciate his interest in re-examining whether Glavin should continue to exist as a facility that families can choose to care for their loved ones. I was able to reiterate that Glavin is a community in itself, and is a valuable resource unto the Commonwealth that should not be shuttered.”
The meeting came on the heels of a Town Hall-style meeting hosted by the Governor on July 8 in Shrewsbury, during which many in attendance urged the Governor to keep the facility open. The Governor committed to visiting the facility, and on July 15, he toured the Glavin Center and met with several residents and family members.
The Department of Mental Retardation (Department of Developmental Services) announced in December of 2008 their intention to close four of the Commonwealth’s six developmental centers, including Glavin. Since that time, Sen. Moore and Rep. Polito have both worked to keep the Glavin Center open. Family members and guardians of residents at Glavin have expressed concerns to both legislators that community-based placements would not be the best option for their loved ones, many of whom have severe disabilities and have been placed unsuccessfully in the community in the past.
The Legislature adopted language in its Fiscal Year 2010 budget, requiring a study of the administration’s facilities closure plan be conducted by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance before the closures of Glavin, as well as two other facilities in Templeton and Palmer, can be executed. DMR/DDS has halted admissions to the Glavin Center, and intends to close the facility by Fiscal Year 2013.
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