Consumer/Participant Direction

This report showcases the findings of qualitative research that was conducted in Arkansas. The objectives of the research included: providing and overview of CCDE, identifying ways to increase referrals to the IndependentChoices program, and identifying professionals to act as ambassadors to the project. Research and findings are identified and discussed.

Presented at the Gerontological Society of America's 54th Annual Scientific Meeting, this presentation includes detailed stories of consumers' experiences with the cash option.

This series of chart books summarizes demographic, service utilization, and expenditure data for state fiscal years 2001 through 2008 on three Maryland Medicaid waiver programs — Older Adults, Living at Home, and Autism, and on nursing facility utilization among Maryland Medicaid recipients. These books are now available to the public online to monitor trends in these programs.

Arkansas developed this template for the development of spending plans by the participant. The plan allows for the calculation of worker hours as well as discretionary cash, transportation, assistive equipment and more.

Detailed information on the Independence Plus program including definitions for legislation and program information.

This issue brief, developed by the National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services, examines the impact of the purchase of goods and services on participants. The brief uses information collected from project staff and program participants from the Cash & Counseling demonstration.

A summary from the June 2001 symposium titled, “Independent Choices: A National Symposium on Consumer-Direction and Self-Determination for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities”. Major themes and outcomes are highlighted based on the dialogue from the various speakers including policymakers, program administrators, consumer advocates, service producers, and researchers.

Based primarily on interviews with demonstration staff and other stakeholders, this paper draws lessons from their learning process on the design of basic features, in the Cash and Counseling demonstration programs. The lessons pertain to cooperating with existing service providers; outreach and enrollment; counseling and fiscal services; consumer spending plans and allowances; controlling program costs; and preventing misuse of the allowance and exploitation of the consumer.

This article describes the importance of examining views from multiple key stakeholders involved in implementing CD programs. The report focuses on the three background studies that informed the Cash & Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation, as well as results from the first year of implementation.

Implementation issues discussed in this article are centered around how consumers, providers, payers, and policy makers are affected by consumer-directed programs. The information for the report was gathered through interviews with twenty policy experts from the aging and disabilities community.