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This Issue Brief features information gathered from Arkansas' IndependentChoices program including satisfaction and how consumers used their budgets.

These are two presentations created and facilitated by the Community Connections for Refugees with Disabilities program sponsored by Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital in Chicago, IL. One offers ideas and things to consider when connecting people to community resources; the other focuses on things to remember when working with members of particular cultures. Although both presentations were made with an Illinois audience in mind, people from other states will find helpful information here as well.

This is an analytical tool developed in 2009 by the National Consortium for Health Systems Development (NCHSD), in collaboration with CMS, to help states determine if they are eligible for a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG). This tool also includes links to more detailed information found in the 2008 MIG Solicitation document.

Hispanic individuals with disabilities have unique needs that service systems often do not meet. Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital recently conducted a needs assessment with our Hispanic patients with disabilities, striving to understand the general disability-related needs of Hispanic patients and how medical systems can fit into meeting these needs. These PowerPoint presentations were presented at the Latino Social Workers Organization's conference in March 2009 (Chicago, IL).

ILRU and NCIL, in collaboration with Boston College, presented a 90-minute teleconference and webcast for Centers for Independent Living interested in the national Cash & Counseling program. Participants learned how Center’s consumers can access and spend Medicaid dollars on home and community based personal assistance services. Representatives from the Independent Living movement shared how they are participating in the Cash & Counseling programs in two states.

The Vision Statement fully describes the essential components of the Cash & Counseling model. This vision evolved from a tested model which yielded very positive results. Cash & Counseling seeks to create a new model through the inclusion of principles that go beyond what is already possible.

The following report presents twenty-four case stories about the experience of adults and children with disabilities who receive the cash option in the Consumer Directed Care Program in the state of Florida. The report is available as both a downloadable PDF or as a interactive on-line guide which helps users navigate through the report and easily find information.

An overview of Cash & Counseling including a historical context, the theoretical framework for evaluation, and information on design.

This article describes existing personal assistance service programs as well as information on the Cash & Counseling demonstration and evaluation. The program evaluation, including program design, technical assistance, and selection criteria, is discussed.

This article highlights the specific importance of consumer participation in the pre- and post-survey focus groups, and how that participation enhanced program planners' understanding of survey results, informed the design of the CCDE cash option program, and identified messages to include in social marketing materials for cash option consumers.