All States/Territories

Practices featured in the profiles on PHI’s resource website are based on care organizations throughout the country and exemplify their “quality care through quality jobs” philosophy. For most of the organizations, the improved job quality can be directly linked to higher recruitment and retention among direct-care staff. Important elements of the practice, measurable outcomes, and lessons learned are discussed.

Hiring relatives as caregivers remains a controversial policy issue. This two-state case study reports findings about views from policy experts regarding a policy option to hire family caregivers in HCBS long-term care programs. Policy makers also discussed information needed by other states considering this option and effective approaches to disseminate findings about this option from the Cash & Counseling Demonstration Evaluation.

Written for the APSE newsletter, this article details successes for individuals with disabilities in finding employment in rural Alaska. It states that, especially in rural communities, self employment, or creating your own job, makes the most sense. Options for people with disabilities are more advantageous in self employment, especially if they are receiving Social Security benefits.

Alaska's Supported Employment Task Force has created a Strategic Action Plan for increasing the number of people with developmental disabilities receiving supported employment services and how to most effectively shape protocol to assist employees and employers. Attached are a proposed funding matrix and a strategic action plan for employment services for individuals with behavioral health disabilities. These sample documents may be useful for other states implementing similar programs.

How is Alabama providing its disabled population with important information on topics such as employment and health care? Attached are a brochure and newsletter with information on help available for individuals receiving benefits who want to work without losing their cash benefits and health care and the new health care laws' expected impact on people with disabilities.

The MFP/Community Reintegration Program is part of a statewide, multi-department demonstration program with the goal of increasing the use of HCBS long-term care services and eliminating barriers that prevent or restrict flexible use of Medicaid funds for necessary services in settings reflecting individual choice. Their website includes outreach materials, program descriptions and qualifications, and numerous related links.

The North Carolina MFP demonstration project assists Medicaid-eligible individuals who live in inpatient facilities to move into their own homes and communities, and to help identify and address barriers to receiving quality, community-based care. Their website includes historical information, forms, contact information, presentations and outreach materials that can be used as templates for other states seeking to develop similar materials.

The term Personal Assistance Services (PAS) refers to help provided to people with disabilities to assist them with tasks essential for daily living. Review a seminar developed by the State of Alabama Medicaid Infrastructure Grant designed to educate users on the usage of PAS in the workplace: how the Americans with Disability Act protects it as being a reasonable accommodation, how to combine it with assistive technology, how to secure funding, and more.

Drawing on techniques from both educational and workforce systems, this guide introduces a comprehensive systematic approach for supporting youth with learning disabilities. It reflects a “disability rights” perspective and discusses federal rights to assistive technology, considerations in effective disclosure of a disability, and information on accessing civil rights protections in various settings. Find in-depth information, including numerous charts, tables, and tools.

States play among the most critical roles in responding to and ameliorating disability unemployment. Find examples of state policy related to disabilities, a selection of state programs and initiatives, descriptions of select federal policy, and primary source documents. Topics covered include housing, employment, community integration, long-term care, health, disability awareness and benefits counseling.