Consumer/Participant Direction

This cross-disability synthesis white paper presents an overview of direct service workforce (DSW) challenges and practices across sectors and provides a call to action regarding these issues. Little has been written about how DSW jobs vary by population served. Beyond demographics and challenges, the authors also examine the development of different service models, promising practices and areas for planning and action. The appendix catalogs core competencies for each group.

Revisit the material presented at the 2008 HCBS Conference. The DSW Intensive provided an overview of the direct service workforce challenges and the initiatives being researched and developed to address them. Intensive materials posted include a planning document, trends in policy and recommendations for data collection.

Find answers to your questions about FMS. The Cash & Counseling National Program Office originally presented this overview during a technical assistance call. It defines self-direction and reviews the duties of FMS agencies and issues in the field. Among these are definitions of services and employee categories, types of FMS, tax and labor laws, costs, and funding models.

This report provides an overview of the activities of n4a, in partnership with AoA and CMS, and the contracts provided to 31 community-based organizations to implement community-based low-income subsidy enrollment campaigns. It contains helpful information on outreach techniques, including how to reach specific populations, including low income and rural groups.

The Service Access for Elders in Public Housing project address issues that affect the quality of life of elderly residents of an urban public housing complex. A survey of the elderly residents was conducted under this project, seeking to better coordinate information and services provided by public and private agencies that serve the residents to assist them to better age in place in their apartments. This report outlines those results.

This journal article, which appeared in the Journal of Aging and Social Policy, outlines adult's (ages 40-70) preferences for long-term care, including place of care and the persons providing care. Most adults preferred care in home/community settings by kin or non-kin, with few deeming nursing homes acceptable.

An interactive map displays how many 1915(c) waivers each state has. Clicking on a state’s name displays number of participant and expenditures by waiver type as compared to nationwide numbers. Participant and expenditure data are also available for personal care, home health, and individualized budget services. Clicking “Compare” in any data area displays a table illustrating selected data for all states. Information is taken from CMS form 372 and is downloadable.

This issue of the "Policy Research Brief" series summarizes the results of a national study on the status, implementation, and degree of consumer control across states. Strategies, challenges, and best practices of consumer-directed services and supports are explored. Information was gathered through interviews with administrators of developmental disabilities services in 42 states.

This study examines community-based long-term care services in Rhode Island. It reviewed service rates and rate methodologies for four specific community-based services; assessed workforce capacity needed to provide services in the future; and made recommendations regarding the potential to restructure the State’s funding across different programs to support assisted living, home care, respite care, and adult day care.

This report focuses on the development, conduct, and preliminary results of this survey, which was designed to examine the distribution of, and extent to which, Maryland Medicaid recipients who are older adults or adults with disabilities report the need for support for basic activities of daily living (ADL). The survey is intended as the first phase of a broader research agenda.