Cash and Counseling

Close to 200 people attended the first National F/EA Workshop held in Baltimore, MD on December 5th, 2005. Materials from the conference are now available. Review the agenda, handouts or view a presentation.

The New Freedom Commission on Mental Health identified self-directed care as one service innovation that could create a more consumer- and family oriented mental health system. Four years later, there are still fewer than 400 consumers in five states accessing self-directed care in the public mental health system. This Open Forum identifies three main barriers to explain this lack of progress. The abstract and article are available for download here.

This article describes two primary interactions between key policy implementation instruments and internal and external stakeholders that made New York's participation in CCDE not possible. This case study also provides some lessons for other states interested in developing Cash & Counseling models. The abstract for this article is available here.

This presentation by Thomson Medstat was given on a July 25, 2006 TA call with state grantees. The presentation outlines available technical assistance, trends in waiver quality, and the different components to quality management.

Mi Via or My Way is the name of this states self-directed waiver program. They have created a number of tools to socially market their service including a colorful and artist logo, tote bags that work on either walkers or wheelchairs and pens shaped like chile peppers.

These stories, from Arkansas, Florida & New Jersey, are based on in-depth interviews with Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation (CCDE) clients, their families and caregivers, and program consultants. The research team developed a User's Guide to help the user navigate through the Reports easily and find information quickly and effectively. In addition, a detailed key word index exists for each Report to help the user locate specific information.

Soliciting proposals from qualified organizations to obtain necessary start-up funds in order to become fiscal/employer agents for a Medicaid Cash & Counseling program (PersonalChoice) for adults with disabilities and elders. Such services are expected to be provided on behalf of approximately 450 such Medicaid recipients by the end of the project in September 2007.

Rhode Island has developed tools to help determine a PersonalChoice participant’s goals. A Goals Summary worksheet, along with a completed sample worksheet and worksheet directions, are available here.

This list of approved and prohibited purchases was created for Rhode Island's PersonalChoice program.

Rhode Island’s Participant Guide includes general information about the program and details about roles and responsibilities. The guide includes sections on getting started with the program, completing spending plans, addressing personal issues, and managing emergencies.