Community Inclusion

Is Project SEARCH an effective model for increasing employment among students with significant disabilities? This brief considers this work immersion model designed to help students with significant disabilities transition from school to work. Findings suggest that the model presents a promising approach but the author recommends a thorough evaluation and cost-benefit study to determine whether the outcomes are sufficient to justify the program’s high cost.

Learn about the design, methodology and data collection activities for Round 3 of the SSA’s National Beneficiary Survey (NBS). Find descriptive statistics about working-age Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries derived from the national cross-sectional sample of the 2006 NBS. This is the fourth in a series of reports that make up the fifth Ticket to Work evaluation report.

What can be done today to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are aging? That’s the focus of this issue of Impact, which contains articles that give a variety of responses to this question. From self-advocates and their families you hear of the importance of having opportunities to be active participants in their communities. Researchers and practitioners speak to policy and service issues that address the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.

View two screening tools developed for Rhode Island’s PersonalChoice program. The PersonalChoice Participant Self-Assessment is designed to assess whether the applicant possesses the ability to self-Direct and manage his or her own care. The representative screen details requirements for the role and includes screening questions. These forms can serve as templates for other states developing similar participant-directed initiatives.

View two forms developed for Rhode Island’s PersonalChoice program. One lists the participant’s rights and responsibilities, and the other is a designation form authorizing a representative to serve the participant. These forms can serve as templates for other states developing similar participant-directed initiatives.

Find helpful documents developed for the PersonalChoice program. Included are a flowchart of the referral/intake/enrollment process, Advisement Agency Certification Standards, a Training Manual and Quick Start Guide designed to give participants an overview of the program and their roles and responsibilities (including information on service and spending plans, communication tips, and information about working with PersonalChoice support agencies), and a Spending Plan template.

View a tool used by New Mexico’s Mi Via program to manage risk. The program is available to individuals who are eligible to receive long-term services through one of the four Medicaid waivers. This form is negotiated with the participant to identify areas of concern and potential pathways for intervention.

Support Options is a CLP demonstration program that invites consumers who are at-risk of nursing home placement and Medicaid spend-down to actively participate in managing their own services within an established budget. Find marketing materials and a training manual for the Determination of Need (DON) Functional Assessment, a standardized assessment tool used that measures functional impairment and unmet need for care.

View the National Technical Assistance and Research center’s (NTAR) website. Their mission is to promote leadership for increasing the employment and economic independence of adult with disabilities. The site includes information on their State Leaders Innovation Institute and State Peer Leaders Network, as well as an extensive library of resources including research projects and products, audio conferences, presentations and webinars.

Forty percent of Social Security disability beneficiaries are interested in employment according to this study by Mathematica’s Center for Studying Disability Policy. Findings indicate that beneficiaries can be categorized into three groups based on their work-related efforts and expectations. The author concludes that both government and program participants could greatly benefit from Social Security disability programs that provide greater economic incentives and supports for employment.