All States/Territories

This report looks at attempts by different states to allow money to follow the person. Money Follows the Person refers to a system of flexible financing for long-term services that enables available funds to move with the individual to the most appropriate and preferred setting as the individual’s needs and preferences change.

Presentation by Jean Campbell at June 20004 conference presented by Real System Change grant in Oregon. Presentation discusses the development and need for evidence-based practices module for community peer support programs.

Oregon's Independent Choices Program allows Medicaid-eligible individuals to pay cash directly to providers for personal care and related services. Under this five-year project, participants receive a monthly cash payment and are fully responsible for the mechanics of payroll and budgeting for needed services.

This document highlights the Village Integrated Service Agency, a program of the Mental Health Association in Los Angeles County. The program provides coordinated, comprehensive services for people with mental illness. Available services are determined by the needs and goals of the participants. This report describes the program and its effectiveness in helping people with mental illness live independently.

In 1996, Vermont began to shift resources from nursing facilities to home and community-based services. To implement the legislation, several programs, new services, and policy changes were created that offered individuals more choices for long-term services. This report describes how Vermont changed its long-term care system to reduce institutional reliance by supporting people with physical disabilities and older people in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment possible.

This document describes Utah’s efforts to educate nursing home residents about community-based long-term care options. Group and individual educational sessions and assessments are conducted through organizations knowledgeable about community services. The document provides further information on the implementation of this program.

This was a teleconference held on March 17, 2004. The purpose of the teleconference was to have CMS Medicaid and Medicare staff discuss Dual Eligibility in both programs, particularly as it relates to children transitioning to eligibility as adults. Programs which paid for Medicare premiums, coinsurance and deductibles were also discussed.

In most cases, systems in use are paper-based and time intensive, which can lead to a high risk of fraud and abuse. The AuthentiCare Solution is an automated point-of-service verification system developed by GovConnect. The solution is designed to provide accurate, real-time access to information and to document that services have been provided. The solution uses a simple, secure, integrated phone and Internet environment.

The National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce publishes a free e-mail newsletter called Quality Jobs/Quality Care. Published twice a month, the newsletter covers issues concerning direct-care workers in long-term care and provides reliable, up-to-date information related to the direct-care workforce nationwide. To subscribe, visit the Clearinghouse website at www.directcareclearinghouse.org and look for Free E-mail Alerts.

This report documents the State of Massachusetts’ community governing boards. These boards were established to manage service delivery as a part of a self-determination initiative for people with developmental disabilities. The governing boards – elected by people with disabilities and their families – reflect Boston’s ethnic neighborhoods and serve people with similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds.