Consumer/Participant Direction

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.

This report, focused on New Jersey’s Personal Preference program, provides information on workers’ views about issues such as job satisfaction, roles and responsibilities, and ideas for recruiting and retaining new personal care workers. The report also describes similarities and differences between paid family caregivers and non-family caregivers.

This study provides rich data about the experiences of paid workers who care for children under the age of 18 with developmental disabilities in Florida's CCDE program, Consumer Directed Care (CDC). Topics include workers' views about issues such as job satisfaction, roles and responsibilities, and ideas for recruiting and retaining new personal care workers.

Focus groups in Arkansas were created to learn more about home health agency workers and paid workers of clients enrolled in IndependentChoices. This report provides information on workers' views about issues, as well as the similarities and differences between IndependentChoices and agency workers.