Physical Disabilities

How is California disseminating information to its disabled college students and newly graduated college students about work incentives and who to connect to in the community to obtain assistance? The California Ambassadors Program hires and trains disabled college students to provide outreach and education for fellow disabled peers. Attached, find a multitude of resources, presentations, and trainings put out by the state of California regarding this important program.

This program was established so workers with disabilities and earned income under 250% of the Federal Poverty Level could keep coverage by paying a monthly premium. It provides choice and opportunity to Californians with disabilities who would otherwise be ineligible for full scope Medi-Cal coverage due to earned income and work activity. Included are presentations and resources intended to educate consumers on this and other MIG programs.

How is the state of California teaching its consumers with disabilities about ways of working and maintaining health benefits? Through a slide presentation, Facebook update, video update, and newsletter, California reaches out with information and resources on career planning, job training, job hunting and workplace support for job seekers. Attached are replicable MIG program materials for states seeking ways to provide similar information.

Family caregiving has long been the most common source of long-term care for older people with disabilities in the U.S. Explore this report looking at recent trends in the types of assistance that older people with disabilities receive and sources of payment for this assistance. It presents major findings on the growing number of older people with disabilities in the community and their care arrangements, summarized by seven trends.

Every year numerous children with severe disabilities who get in-home care through state Medicaid funds age out of the program. Some go to nursing homes, other families struggle to keep their children at home but often get overwhelmed by the care. Read this story about an Illinois family’s struggle, and other families who are suing states for continuation of home care. Links to interactive databases, e.g., milestones in LTC policies with other related information are included in the article.

Looking for samples of MIG program evaluations? The state of Connecticut created the attached evaluation reports for their Connect-Ability Program. These samples contain program details and the needs, experiences, and satisfaction of individuals who received services. Also included are the procedures and outcomes of nine strategic plans implemented by Local Level Pilot programs. These reports could be helpful for states interesting in evaluating similar initiatives.

Find seven practical,person-centered planning tools for transition planning for youths with disabilities. This toolkit is for youths with disabilities ages 12-18+, with the ultimate goal of easing the transition from junior high school into high school, then on to college and/or employment. Included is information on developing Individualized Education Programs, 504 plans, Individual Transition Plans and more.

Implementation of ACA will raise a number of issues for working people with disabilities currently receiving Medicaid, especially regarding how the Acts’ provisions will interact with the programs that currently provide them access to care. This brief addresses challenges such as these, succinctly delineating data-supported lessons learned by the MIG grantees in their experience with the program, and future needs associated with them.

Effective return-to-work approaches can help employees work while still recuperating, protecting their earning power and boosting an organization's output. In many instances, work itself plays an important role in the recovery process. The Office of Disability Employment Policy has developed an online toolkit to help both employers and employees understand the return-to-work process and provide resources to assist in getting employees back on the job quickly and smoothly.

Arizona has issued reports detailing work the state has done in supporting individuals with disabilities transitioning to work,and self-sufficiency with work incentives, health care coverage, benefits planning, etc. Attached are documents regarding outreach done for the Medicaid Buy-In program including which individuals were trained to disseminate the information, and data on the increase in work incentive utilization for SSI recipients.