Psychiatric Disabilities/Mental Illness

CMS has released two important documents that outline essential elements of MLTSS programs that are in line with current best practices. The first document summarizes these essential elements and the second provides guidance for incorporating these essential elements into MLTSS programs operating under section 1115 or 1915(b) authorities. These standards will be used when CMS reviews states’ design, implementation and operation of MLTSS programs for approval and ongoing quality assurance.

Money Follows the Person (MFP) federal grants are provided to states in order to assist older adults and people with disabilities in transitioning from nursing facilities to home and community based settings. A history and current state of MFP are offered. This report provides an overview of how MFP has helped states to rebalance their LTSS programs and provides next steps and an outlook for the future of MFP or similar programs once the demonstration project’s funding has run out.

A survey of state aging, disability and Medicaid agencies was conducted in 2012, in order to better understand challenges and concerns for funding and providing quality LTSS. Five common themes were identified in this report, including staff turnover and reductions during a sluggish recovery of state budgets. Other findings include an overall expansion of home and community-based services, LTSS transformation and reduced funding and high demand for non-Medicaid aging and disability services.

Ethnic minorities and LGBT older adults will continue to become more represented among the older adult population. A lifetime of discrimination has often adversely affected LGBT elders of color in a myriad of ways, including greater likelihood of financial instability and heightened health disparities. This report offers policy solutions to support the wellbeing of this growing population. Policy solutions include strengthened outreach and community supports to LBGT elders of color.

A representative sample of 1,019 adults ages 40 or older were interviewed regarding their experiences and beliefs about their need for long-term care services, what such care would cost, and how such issues fit into their concerns about growing older. This report outlines survey findings. Findings include, 58% of participants underestimate the cost of nursing homes, 41% have discussed long-term care preferences with family and 51% support a government sponsored long-term care insurance program.

SAMHSA has updated its definition of recovery as it pertains to substance use and mental disorders. This working definition and set of guiding principles reflects the increased role peer supports and Peer Specialists have been playing in mental health programming. This document provides a summary of SAMHSA’s new definitions, as well as a checklist for effectively using peer supports in a variety of mental health programs.

Review this one-stop resource created by a team of agencies to help providers better understand, develop, and sustain participant-directed programs. The information is applicable whether funded by the Older Americans Act, Veterans Health Administration, State funds or other. The toolkit has two parts: one devoted to designing, managing and evaluating programs; the second on Financial Management Services (FMS). Resources include articles, forms, webinar recordings, state examples and charts.

This brief provides a short summary of Medicaid eligibility and benefits for people with disabilities today and explains how they will be affected by the ACA in light of CMS's new regulations. Provisions of the new Exchange regulations are discussed briefly to the extent that they related to Medicaid eligibility determinations for people with disabilities.

This issue brief revisits the use of SSA work supports among the nearly three-quarters of Buy-In Participants who also receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). To better understand who might benefit most from program outreach, this report explores variation in use rates by age, education, and disabling health condition. It also examines the relationship between work-support use, employment, and earnings.

The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) is a recruitment and referral program for students and recent graduates with disabilities, including veterans. The program uses a database to connect federal and private sector employers nationwide with college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are seeking summer or permanent jobs. Private sector employers can also access the WRP through ODEP's national Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN).