All States/Territories

Launched this spring, this new online community for advocates working to strengthen and protect home and community-based services unites professionals in the aging and disability fields so that they can share ideas with peers, collaborate, and find resources to enhance efforts in their states. Anyone with an interest in these issues is welcome to join.

A growing number of individuals with disabilities are leaving the workforce and obtaining SSDI. Statistics show that the household incomes of these workers are falling behind those of workers without disabilities. This brief lays out a two-pronged approach for bending these curves—increasing the employment rate for people with disabilities, reducing their reliance on federal support, and increasing their household incomes—while preserving benefits for those who are unable to work.

Various publications and resources are available for understanding and using an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). ILP is a tool that students in secondary school use, with support from school counselors and parents, to define their personal interests and goals related to their career and postsecondary education and to plan what courses to take and what activities to participate in during high school to further their interests and achieve their goals.

In one stop, use this national resource to find important information regarding assisted living. Resources include research findings and outcomes, exemplary assisted living practices, measures, and public policies and programs, consumer materials, links to relevant websites, international documents and abstracts, media articles, training and education materials, expert opinion pieces, and more.

The Community Living Initiative is an effort to give people with disabilities and older adults greater opportunities to live in their communities and achieve their goals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identified several issues and challenges in the development and refinement of new strategies to support and promote community living. HHS held four Listening Sessions around the country with state & local officials, consumers, service providers, and advocates.

Iowa's MEPD (Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities) program allows individuals to earn money for work and maintain their savings in the bank, which would normally put them over the limit to receive Medicaid. Follow this link to find quarterly installments of a newsletter designed to educate consumers on relevant information.

The Indiana Medicaid Infrastructure Grant’s (MIG) Asset Development/Financial Literacy Project is developing a Financial Stability Pilot to engage people with disabilities in financial literacy and asset development programs. The two main goals of the program are to increase the number of individuals with disabilities who are able to access and benefit from asset development and increase collaboration amongst the asset building and disability fields. Use the attachments to learn more.

In December, 2010 Idaho put out this first edition of a newsletter aimed at providing outreach to consumers regarding Personal Assistance Services (PAS). This newsletter shares personal stories about individuals who are actively involved in Idaho’s local communities because Medicaid offers PAS. May be replicable by other states looking for ideas on how to share personal stories

The Idaho Business Leadership Network's purpose is to develop and grow affiliates and to build workplaces in order to promote the employment of qualified persons with disabilities. Find several examples of work products from the conference including pre-conference outreach material, the agenda, presentation materials, and a conference evaluation.

How is the state of Florida educating Supported Employment providers on the history of Supported Employment, important rules and regulations, and important skills needed in this field? Attached is just one example. Explore this Supported Employment Pre-Service Training Instructor’s Guide for a mandatory 12 hour training held for all providers to learn more about how these individuals are being prepared to provide these needed services. May be replicable by other states with similar programs.