Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

Two developmental disability news publications cover national policy developments and initiatives affecting persons with developmental disabilities and the programs that serve them. Topics covered in CSR include self-advocacy; key state legislation; facility closures; litigation summaries; autism updates, budget overviews, and helpful resources. Readers keep in tune with the latest shaping publicly funded disability services. The June issue is complimentary; consider becoming a subscriber.

Review guides that help people be prepared for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. There are separate guides for service providers, case managers, and people with disabilities. Each of the guides covers the steps of: 1) Being prepared for emergencies; 2) Responding at the time of an emergency, and; 3) Recovering after an emergency.

The first in a series on a system change, this report is a collaborative with state developmental disability agencies. In each various location, the goal has been consistent, to create person centered systems that support person directed services. What follows is a brief overview of central ideas including: learning what is and is not working, using value-based skills to drive change, improve quality of life with skills, quality management and organizational development tools.

Known as "Mississippi GetHelp", this ADRC is a statewide service. Review their website which offers a self-assessment tool. There logo is also attached.

The Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) conducted three focus groups in the Central Mississippi Planning & Development District/AAA service area. The groups gathered information from individuals with disabilities and older individuals concerning the status of HCBS programs and independent living related services. Discussion was facilitated by IDS and focused on AoA factors impacting successful ADRC implementation: visibility and trust, ease of access, responsiveness, and effectiveness.

More than 130 policymakers, health services researchers, practitioners, and policy experts discussed the measures and evidence to examine whether the expansion of home and community-based services has produced desired outcomes (quality, choice, cost, satisfaction and safety) in the long term for older adults and persons with disabilities. The day was divided into four sessions: (quality, consumer-direction, targeting candidates, determining cost-effectiveness). View the agenda and presentations.

The Louisiana Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) chose to explore the use of the SIS as a resource allocation tool. This report is an overview of HSRI and other stakeholder's work in developing assessment informed funding levels. The paper begins with a description of the NOW waiver, follows with a discussion of the process employed by OCDD in collecting SIS data, presents the results, and concludes with a discussion of recent progress and lessons learned.

IPAWS is a modernization and integration of the nation’s alert and warning infrastructure. This paper serves to demonstrate how IPAWS addresses the challenges of reaching the whole community, including the 25% of our population who might need assistance. It offers evidence that while IPAWS doesn't solve all of the challenges, it can certainly mitigate them, particularly with greater stakeholder engagement and public awareness. Emerging technologies that could improve accessibility are reviewed.

The unemployment rate of individuals with disabilities seeking work remains well above those without disabilities, and the gap has widened further in recent years. A forum was convened to explore policy options and actions that could be taken to help adults with a current or past work history improve their participation in the workforce. This report summarizes key options and issues identified through the forum discussion and surveys conducted.

Quantitative and qualitative data are pulled together for a summary of the enrollment and implementation experiences of state DMIE projects through December 2008. The Kansas, Minnesota, Texas, Hawaii and District of Columbia programs are profiled and then a national summary and implications are presented. Another report tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2010 will analyze whether the program improved outcomes for individuals and evaluate the implementation and phase-down activities.