Physical Disabilities

PHI developed this competency-based curriculum to help participants develop core skills needed for quality work across care settings. It provides an orientation to direct-care work and introduces needed knowledge, attitudes, and skills. It also provides training in tasks related to activities of daily living. The appendices outline the course and learning outcomes and define additional skills needed to become certified nurse assistants or home health aides.

The assessment helps workers determine the level of care and appropriate placement for people needing long-term services. Diagnoses, nursing care needed, level of functioning in daily activities, and mental status and impairments are taken into account. Instructions come after the tool and begin on page 5.

The conference took place in May 2009 in North Carolina and focused on the global advancement of the principles of self-determination. Presenters spoke on topics including Medicaid reform, self-directed budgeting, self-employment; quality, education, advocacy; and youth, among others. Included here are slides from talks as well as essays by the organizer on the purpose of public funding for services and challenges facing Medicaid.

The NQE provides free technical assistance on quality to states operating Medicaid HCBS programs. States can use the site to request technical assistance, pose questions to staff, engage online with other HCBS staff, and learn about upcoming events and NQE publications.

In 2004 the Veterans Affairs' Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program was reviewed by a VR&E Task Force. It recommended numerous changes, in particular focusing on employment through a new Five-Track service delivery model and increasing program capacity. Since then, VR&E has worked to implement these recommendations. This report includes VR&E's progress in implementing the 2004 recommendations and includes additional recommendations moving forward from the Accountability Office.

One-Stop Career Centers serve a diverse range of customers. These include individuals with a variety of educational and work backgrounds, as well as individuals with a wide range of disabilities and support needs. An effective way to serve this broad customer pool is to provide One-Stop services according to the principles of what is known as “universal design,” using common strategies that benefit many groups. This brief discusses the benefits of One-Stop services in detail.

Young people and their families are in the best position to make choices about working when they have good information about the impact of work on benefits. The Social Security and Medicaid/MassHealth programs have work incentives that can help young people give work a try, and provide a “safety net” in case the job does not work out. The purpose of this booklet is to give families and professionals working with young people some practical, hands-on information about work incentives.

The National Council on Disability is required by law to annually submit a report on the status of the nation in achieving policies that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities and empower them to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society. The 2009 report focuses on current quality of life indicators and emerging trends that should be factored into future policies and programs.

To support self-employment, START-UP / USA provides resources to people with disabilities and generates data and information to validate systems change and capacity-building strategies. The site offers case studies, fact sheets, training materials, webcasts and seminars.

Finding and enrolling older adults and adults with disabilities into benefit programs for which they may be eligible represents an enormous challenge to the agencies that serve them. This website provides tools and resources to these local, state and national agencies to assist them in helping their clients access benefit programs, along with information on best practices and cost-effective strategies for outreach and enrollment.