When providers cannot maintain adequate staffing, programs slow down, waiting lists grow, and critical services for Virginians with brain injury are delayed or go unmet. To ensure continuity of care and protect access to the supports that residents depend on, a $1.5 million increase is needed in FY27 for workforce retention. This funding would help sustain quality services, stabilize staffing, and address rising operational costs—especially escalating health insurance premiums.
Why This Matters for Virginians With Brain Injury
- Starting salaries for brain injury case managers and Clubhouse staff in Virginia are typically 10% to 20% lower than comparable positions in Developmental Disability (DD) and Behavioral Health service systems.
- Community Services Board (CSB) employees receive regular cost-of-living adjustments and bonuses funded through the state budget. Brain injury providers—who compete directly with CSBs for qualified staff—do not receive these routine increases.
- In the past 20 years, state brain injury providers have received workforce retention increases only 3 times, contributing to a turnover rate exceeding 30% this year. As a result, Virginians experience service disruptions and the loss of experienced, highly trained staff.
- Although the General Assembly passed $600,000 for brain injury workforce retention in FY26, the Governor line-item vetoed the funding, noting it would be more appropriate for consideration in this upcoming biennial budget.
Virginia residents with brain injury deserve stable, accessible, high-quality services. Adequate workforce funding is essential to maintaining the supports that help individuals live safely, productively, and as independently as possible in their communities.