Arizona Autism said they “do not anticipate material disruption to our services” after issuing the WARN notice.
PHOENIX — Arizona Autism, a provider offering therapeutic services to children with autism, has recently filed a layoff notice that may impact hundreds of workers.
On Oct. 30, the Phoenix-based organization submitted a WARN notice signaling that up to 2,792 of its employees may be affected by a reduction in the workforce. Federal law obligates employers to issue a notice to workers facing a mass layoff.
According to the organization’s website, Arizona Autism offers a variety of services, including in-home pediatric care to allow parents and guardians much-needed breaks.
Last month, Arizona Autism organized a rally outside the Arizona Legislature to urge public officials not to make reductions to the state’s Division of Developmental Disabilities. CEO Ryker Martin said at the event that he may have to consider layoffs.
State officials have previously said DDD care costs had skyrocketed to $614 million in recent years and there wasn’t enough state funds to cover all services.
A couple of weeks after the rally, the governor’s office announced reductions to DDD services would be delayed.
In response to an inquiry from 12News, Arizona Autism released the following statement about the recent WARN notice:
Arizona Autism recently completed a strategic review of its operations in light of evolving market conditions and industry practices and, following that review, determined that targeted organizational adjustments are necessary to align our service model. While these changes include transitioning out certain roles, we are confident that these new changes will offer providers greater scheduling flexibility, the ability to serve a broader range of clients, and opportunities to collaborate with multiple providers while positioning our organization to sustain and strengthen high‑quality services. We remain fully committed to Arizona families and do not anticipate material disruption to our services and will provide timely updates to families, employees, and partners throughout this transition.