All States/Territories

It is necessary for organizations working with vulnerable people to recruit and advance promising leaders as well as further renew and encourage existing leaders. This specialized five-day event prepares the next generation of leaders as the present baby boomers begin to leave the field of advocacy, academia and governmental services. Participants will develop a proposal that identifies key leadership issues that each believes their organization ought to pursue. The event is in March 2006.

The report describes a program created by the Minnesota Legislature that provides long-term care choice counseling and services designed to help people live in community settings. Minnesota's Long Term Care Consultation (LTCC) services have made it possible for people of all ages to receive information about services, community residence, determination on whether they qualify for public services, and assistance in transitioning from an institution to a community setting.

This toolbox was developed for nursing facility transition (NFT) and Money Follows the Person (MFP) grantees to provide materials to support the design, development and operation of nursing facility programs. This toolbox includes over 30 resources to assist states in these efforts. Resources include existing materials or tools, CMS guidance and report developed by the Rutgers/NASHP team and others. An electronic link to the tool or document is included when available.

New York’s Family to Family Real Choice Grantee, Parent to Parent has compiled a group of publications to assist families with children with special health care needs in understanding the complex system naviagate. Titles include: Understanding Health Insurance, Prescription Tips From Parents, Financial Aid, Researching Health Care Information on the Internet, Selecting a Doctor, Section 504 Fact Sheet, Understanding Medicaid and Tips For Handling Medical Appointments.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities just released an in-depth analysis of the National Governors Association's short-term Medicaid reforms. In August 2005, the NGA released “Medicaid Reform: A Preliminary Report,” a set of recommendations for Congress as it develops budget legislation to reduce projected federal Medicaid expenditures. This informative brief explores the recommendations and their implications for Medicaid.

This video was produced & directed by the Connecticut C-PASS grantee, UCONN Center on Disabilities, with assistance from consumers & PCAs participating in various HCBS waiver programs. Included are perspectives from individuals & family members representing various disabilities & ages, explaining why personal assistants are important parts of their daily lives, & why being a personal assistant can be a challenging and rewarding career. The recruitment tool will be available in various formats.

The 50-state annual survey of budget conditions and Medicaid cost containment actions in FY2005-06 shows that all states implemented and planned more Medicaid cost-containment actions, but are also implementing expansions as the gap between Medicaid spending growth and state tax revenue narrowed.

<i>Taking Care</i>, a report to the President by the Council on Bioethics, addresses the ethical challenges of caregiving in our rapidly aging society, with special attention to the care of people with dementia. The report aims to enrich public discussions about aging, dementia, and caregiving, to encourage policymakers to take up these complicated yet urgent issues, and to offer ethical guidance for caregivers—professional and familial.

This newly released biennial study verifies that low-income people with disabilities are experiencing a national housing affordability crisis. The Priced Out in 2004 study compares the monthly SSI income of more than 4 million Americans with disabilities to the fair market rental rates for efficiencies and modest one-bedroom apartments in every housing market in the country. Review more facts, figures and examples about housing and the national rent increases which greatly exceed SSI Benefits.

This study describes the experiences of workers hired under consumer direction. The Cash and Counseling model does not appear to cause adverse consequences for the hired workers. Directly hired workers report high levels of job satisfaction and do not suffer physical or emotional hardship beyond what might be expected for individuals providing care to relatives. This report offers other information implications about consumers, their families and workers’ well-being.