Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) issued a RFP for an independent contractor to conduct consumer surveys by soliciting consumer feedback. DADS provides a comprehensive array of aging and disability services, supports, and opportunities that are easily accessed in local communities. The project will survey people recieving services through face to face interviews and mailings. This document serves as a guide for other grantees looking to prepare an RFP.

What is the vision of “quality” in community support for people with developmental disabilities? Quality is a concept of many dimensions. This website is your invitation to join the quality community in its journey to fulfill the vision of a positive future for all people with developmental disabilities. The site offers webinars, resources, publications, tools and links.

The Virginia Real Choice Systems Change Grantees have developed a website designed to help individuals with disabilities and those who support them learn more about self-direction. The site is a place for self-advocates to find training modules, waivers workbooks, person-centered resources, and other materials related to consumer-directed services.

North Carolina's Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services has posted a number of great resources to their website related to quality. A sampling of the forms, manuals and recent reports includes: The Quality Management Survey, a Consumer Satisfaction Survey, forms on Critical Incident, Quarterly Reports, and reporting guidelines for local management entities in their annual Quality Improvement Reports.

This is the first newsletter of the National Core Indicators (NCI) program. The publication is designed to keep you abreast of developments and best practices in performance and outcome measurement as exemplified in initiatives among NCI participants. Issue 1, Volume 1 explores Self-Advocates in Vermont, Surveys used in California and Pennsylvania, and a new video from Kentucky called \"Team Up for Success\".

Committed to creating opportunities for youth with disabilities to achieve successful futures, NCSET coordinates resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information. Their website offers events, publications, data, essential tools and resources to increase the capacity of organizations involved with the transition of youth with disabilities.

The goal of the New Hampshire Resource Center project is to integrate the current information and assistance (ServiceLink) program with the state assessment and counseling program. This ADRC pilot program has shared their functional staffing model and job descriptions. In addition to being a visual illustration of staff resources, the documents also provide basic purpose, accountabilities and requirements for the Center Manager, Long Term Support Counselor, and Referral Specialist.

Family Voices of North Dakota has developed two handbooks. The intent of the booklets is to help families with resource questions and offer a way to record the information they gather. New Beginnings is a guide of referrals and contacts. Care Notebook is an organizing tool for keeping track of important information about a child’s health care. Although this material is specific to North Dakota, other Family to Family grantees may find the guides useful when replicating resources.

Four new guidance documents were released interpreting the DOT Americans with Disabilities Act Regulations. The documents carry out the ADA intent and its regulation to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities. The documents are titled: Origin to Destination Service; Full-Length, Level-Boarding Platforms in New Commuter and Intercity Rail Stations; Paratransit Requirements for §5311-Funded Fixed-Route Service Operated by Private Entities; Use of \"Segways\" on Transportation Vehicles.

This online publication was developed for people with disabilities or chronic illnesses who direct their personal assistance services. The resource provides information on how to recruit and interview, how to check a candidate's background and references, and how to train new attendants. It outlines the rights of both caregivers and care recipients and covers topics like problem solving, conflict resolution, setting boundaries, and working with a PCA who may also be a friend or a relative.