Gov's consolidation plan would close North Adams Mass Rehab office
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission office in North Adams is targeted for closure as part of a statewide human services consolidation proposed by Governor Mitt Romney.The governor says the consolidation will free up millions of dollars and offer clients improved delivery of services and convenience.
Under the plan, the North Adams office of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission would close, with the staff moved to the Department of Transitional Assistance office on Main Street.
Romney appeared in Somerville on Monday to highlight an example of the savings to be achieved through a smarter allocation of resources.
"The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission office currently located on Middlesex Avenue will move to the Department of Transitional Assistance office located here at One Davis Square, saving taxpayers $108,000," said Romney. "It's just plain common sense to join two agencies together rather than having two offices half empty."
The office consolidations are one component of Romney's plan to reorganize the Commonwealth's 16 HHS agencies. Under the plan, HHS' 164 local and regional offices will be narrowed to 128 statewide. The closing of the 36 offices will save the state $2.3 million in Fiscal Year 2004 and will annualize to a savings of more than $3 million a year.
"Clients will also benefit from the co-location of offices and access to coordinated services in one building," said HHS Secretary Ron Preston. "Once the consolidation plan is in place, most of the offices will be located in areas where the greatest number of clients would travel the least distance and near public transportation."
The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) serve similar functions by assisting people who are transitioning into jobs. DTA focuses on the traditional welfare-to-work process while the MRC assists individuals with physical impairments moving into the workforce.
MRC's lease will expire in August. The commission's 25 employees will join DTA's staff of 44, moving into the office's vacant workstations.
Romney's HHS reorganization plan will save nearly $60 million in Fiscal Year 2004. Additional savings will be realized as more efficiencies are achieved. One-time revenue of $30 million in Fiscal Year 2004 will result from the sale of property in the large inventory of HHS-owned facilities and land.
The re-organization proposal will place the HHS agencies into four different groups - Children, Youth and Families; Disabilities and Community Services; Health: and Elder Affairs. Individuals will enter the HHS system through one portal - the local office of the primary agency providing services to them. A lead caseworker will determine if the family has needs for services administered by other agencies and will help the family navigate those services.
"As my Common Sense for the Commonwealth program is implemented, taxpayers will see our outdated 1950s style bureaucracy transformed into a leaner, more efficient and better organized state government," said Romney.
Office Consolidations
Department of Transitional Assistance
Closing Westfield Office. Staff move to Springfield, 95 Liberty Street
Closing Haverhill Office. Staff move to Lawrence, 15 Union Street
Office of Child Care Services
Closing Springfield Office. Staff move to DTA Office, 310 State Street
Closing Quincy Office at 1250 Hancock Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 1515 Hancock Street, Quincy
Closing Westboro Office. Staff move to DTA Office, 340 Main Street, Worcester
Closing Lakeville Office. Staff move to DTA Office, 21 Spring Street, Taunton
Closing Beverly Office. Staff move to DTA Office, 35 Congress Street, Salem
Department of Mental Health
Closing Springfield Office located at 503 State Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 310 State Street, Springfield
Closing Medfield Office. Staff move to MA Hospital School, Canton
Closing Lawrence. Staff move to DTA Office, 755 Main Street, Haverhill
Closing Haverhill Office located at 52-54 Washington Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 755 Main Street Haverhill
Closing Hyannis Office. Staff move to DTA Offices, 77 High School Road Extension, Barnstable and 155 Katherine Lee Bates Road, Falmouth
Closing Worcester Office, 322 Main Street. Staff move to Bryan Building on the grounds of Worcester State Hospital
Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
Closing Springfield Office. Staff move to DTA Office, 310 State Street, Springfield
Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Heard of Hearing
Closing Worcester Offices, 340 Main Street and 9 Walnut Street. Staff move to Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Office, 359 Main Street
Closing Springfield Office. Staff move to DTA Office 310 State Street, Springfield
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Office
Closing North Adams Office, 85 Main Street. Staff move to DTA Office 37 Main Street
Closing Holyoke Office, 187 High Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 72 Front Street, Holyoke
Closing Somerville Office, 5 Middlesex Avenue. Staff move to DTA Office, 1 Davis Square, Somerville
Closing Quincy Office, 275 Hancock Street. Staff move to DTA office, 1515 Hancock Street, Quincy
Closing Plymouth Office, 40 Industrial Park Road. Staff move to DTA Office, 61 Industrial Park Road, Plymouth
Closing Salem Office, 45 Congress Street. Staff move to DTA office, 35 Congress Street, Salem
Closing Natick Office. Staff move to DTA Office, 110 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Framingham
Closing Lowell Office, 325 Chelmsford Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 1313 Davidson Street, Lowell
Closing Lawrence Office, 1 Parker Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 755 Main Street, Haverhill
Closing Fitchburg Office, 76 Summer Street. Staff move DTA Office, 437 Main Street, Fitchburg
Closing Brockton Office, 55 City Hall Plaza. Staff move to DTA Office, 75 Commercial Street, Brockton
Closing Sturbridge Office. Move to DTA Office, 79 North Street, Southbridge
Closing Milford Office, 100 Medway Road. Move to DTA Office, 25 Birch Street, Milford
Closing Malden Office, 157 Pleasant Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 200 Pleasant Street, Malden
Department of Mental Retardation
Closing Greenfield Office. Staff move to DTA Office 6 Arch Street, Greenfield
Closing Lowell Office, 325 Chelmsford Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 131 Davidson Street, Lowell
Closing Southbridge Office, 309 Main Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 79 North Street, Southbridge
Department Public Health
Closing Boston Office, Causeway Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 300 Ocean Avenue, Revere
Closing Boston Office, 174 Portland Street. Staff move to DTA Office, 90 Washington Street, Roxbury
Department of Social Services
Closing Boston Office, 38 Wareham Street. Staff move to DSS Offices, Roxbury and Dorchester
