Massachusetts

One of the most significant barriers to the development of comprehensive home and community-based support systems the availability of affordable, accessible housing. To help persons with disabilities of all ages locate housing, a handful of states have developed information and assistance programs that provider information on rental housing. This brief provides an overview of a sample of existing web-based housing registries in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Tennessee.

The grant summaries for the states awarded the ADRC Grant are contained here. There is also a matrix of baseline plans from the grantees and a cooperative agreement. In addition, the HHS press release for the first 12 grants for developing ADRCs is also included.

States have used a variety of techniques to combat the rising costs of prescriptions, especially for psychotropic medications. This paper notes that it is important to consider alternatives that have the potential to both contain costs and improve the quality of care and outcomes. The paper provides some examples of promising practices from Pennsylvania, Missouri, Texas, and Massachusetts.

This matrix provides a list of information and assistance Web sites associated with single point of entry systems. The table contains the url for each state example.

This report focuses on workers’ compensation laws and systems as they pertain to domestic service workers. Workers’ compensation laws and regulations are reviewed, as well as promising practices in the states. Tables can be downloaded as one document or individually by topic.

This Massachusetts website offers information and links to state departments concerning health, disability, and older adult programs and services.

This report presents several State initiatives that increase Medicaid access for people who are chronically homeless. The report also provides information about people who are chronically homeless and the Medicaid enrollment barriers they face.

Families USA has released Medicaid: Good Medicine for State Economies predicting the impact state Medicaid spending will have on business activity, jobs, & wages in 2005. The report argues that extending the $10 billion in fiscal relief provided by Congress to the states last year, through enhanced Federal participation in Medicaid, through the end of fiscal year 2005 would help strengthen state economies by generating even more business activity, jobs,& wages. Includes data for every state.

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.

The Formative Evaluation of the Real Choice Systems Change Grants evaluates how the Systems Change grantees are progressing towards meeting their goals. The Formative Evaluation identifies problems faced by the grantees and ways that they deal with the problems. This document provides summary information about each of the FY2003 Grantees.