Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

Three focus group studies on employment support services for people with developmental disabilities are presented here. The first was conducted by self-advocates who gathered feedback from vocational rehabilitation consumers about services received . The second gathered views from consumers on which services were most effective in helping them gain employment. The final is a presentation on the perceptions of people with disabilities and employers on the meaning and importance of work.

This document sums up the funding, goals, and objectives of the MIG programs for people with developmental disabilities in Washington. It includes contact information for partner organizations, benefits specialists in each county and statewide technical assistance providers.

Find here examples of communications used to answer questions about eligibility and the application process for waiver programs. The first handout summarizes the three levels of financial eligibility and strategies for helping an individual maintain benefits. The second resource, a training presentation, provides this information in more detail and uses an anecdotal character to walk through the requirements. Finally, the chart illustrates basic eligibility requirements in a simple chart.

This publication provides a summary overview of the accomplishments and enduring changes brought about by all of the Systems Change NFT Grantees Despite bringing about many enduring systems improvements, Grantees reported that many transition barriers remain. Grantees made recommendations to help states address continuing barriers to nursing facility transition and diversion so that no one need live in a nursing home simply because sufficient community services and supports are unavailable.

This report presents findings from Oct ‘05 – Oct ‘07, which includes the first nine months of strategic planning for the FY05 and FY06 Systems Transformation (ST) Grants and the subsequent initial 15-months of implementation (through Oct ‘07) for the FY05 ST Grants. The report focuses primarily on documenting grantees' experiences during the start-up period and grantees' progress during early implementation and suggests early trends and findings.

States are ranked in this report based on the outcomes of Medicaid services provided to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The key outcomes measured are the promotion of independence and meaningful employment, tracking quality and safety, keeping families together, and reaching those in need. Each state’s progress is measured by comparing data from the previous year. This report is issued annually with past editions available on the included website.

This comprehensive report provides data and macro level analyses on public and private residential services. The Executive Summary and Section 3 compare Medicaid utilization and expenditures for home and community-based services with services provided in institutional settings. Data are also presented in state-by-state profiles. Past editions of this annual report dating from 2000 are available at the website provided.

This report and the accompanying tables summarize ways in which states have implemented optional Medicaid programs authorized by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). Each section of the report explains a program states have the option of implementing, which states did so, and how these changes affect people with mental disorders. The tables illustrate key characteristics of the programs in each participating state.

This report presents the results of a survey of state developmental disabilities agency officials regarding the determination of initial eligibility/level of care and the “annual level of care” for services furnished under Medicaid waiver and ICF/MR programs. Forty-seven (92%) states provided information on state waiver eligibility criteria and practices. The report describes state level of care assessment approaches and provides legislative cites and contact information for state staff.

While some health and economic data on people with disabilities are currently available, these data have limited use in providing a comprehensive assessment of how these individuals are faring. Additionally, the lack of more useful data limits the federal government’s ability to determine how well federal programs are serving individuals with disabilities. Read about ways better coordination could help facilitate the collection of such data to inform policy decisions.