Community Inclusion

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Quality Monitoring Program for home and community-based services providers serves as a resource for these service providers. DADS Quality Assurance and Improvement (QAI) unit has implemented a Quality Monitoring Program in Home and Community Based Services Provider facilities. The purpose of TexasQualityMatters.org is to increase positive outcomes and to improve the quality of services.

Implementing an MFP program and looking for ideas on policy? The State of Texas was one of the originators of the "money follows the person" (MFP) concept. Review the website which offers definitions and policies.

This Primer has been updated to include all relevant statutory, regulatory and other policy changes that have occurred in the last 10 years in Medicaid home and community services. Given the significance of recent changes, this Primer will be an even more useful tool for all those working to ensure that people with disabilities can live in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs.

Individuals who are aging or living with chronic illness or disability, along with their families, face multiple challenges in defining and creating a network of supports. There is no easy path to figuring out how to support loved ones or how to navigate a maze of medical & community supports. This manual provides a set of tools to help professionals and families navigate complex issues. An 11"x 17" fold out Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model® adapted to person-centered planning is included.

A review of 36 studies of outcomes for nearly 5,000 people with intellectual & developmental disabilities moving from large institutions to community living arrangements found high consistency in positive change in daily living skills. Studies specifically addressing social skill development, language & communication skills development, self-care & domestic skill development & community living skill development also showed positive outcomes associated with leaving large institutions.

Serving as a single point of entry, the Project SEARCH program provides a comprehensive approach to employment, retention, and career advancement for individuals with disabilities transitioning from high school. New Hampshires' goal is to begin training the first Project SEARCH group of 12 student interns for the full school year starting in September 2011 and graduating that group in June 2012.

In one stop, use this national resource to find important information regarding assisted living. Resources include research findings and outcomes, exemplary assisted living practices, measures, and public policies and programs, consumer materials, links to relevant websites, international documents and abstracts, media articles, training and education materials, expert opinion pieces, and more.

The Community Living Initiative is an effort to give people with disabilities and older adults greater opportunities to live in their communities and achieve their goals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identified several issues and challenges in the development and refinement of new strategies to support and promote community living. HHS held four Listening Sessions around the country with state & local officials, consumers, service providers, and advocates.

This policy brief is the third in a series reviewing U.S. studies that measured behavioral outcomes associated with the movement of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities from institutions to community residential settings. Read this brief to learn more about the trends in deinstitutionalizing across states over the past three decades and find updates on earlier reviews as it relates to adaptive behavior.

A vast majority of Americans age 50 and over would prefer to live independently in their own homes and communities as long as they can, rather than relinquish control over their lives in a nursing facility. In this brief video, AARP provides an overview of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program, i.e., how it works, what it covers and how it can be beneficial.