Links / Websites

The Community Development Society provides leadership to professionals and citizens across the spectrum of community development. Members have multiple opportunities to learn what's new in the profession, to exchange ideas, to obtain the most current research and reference information available and to share professional expertise. They offer a annual conference, publications, and listservs. The current issue of CD Practice focuses on Strategic Partnering: Partnering For Change.

The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program is an employment program for people with disabilities who are interested in going to work. The quarterly newsletter covers marketplace news, opportunities and experiences. This Autumn 2004 issues details the new marketing alliance and offers the experience of promising practices and partnerships. The publication also has a calendar and lists all recently approved Employee Network Providers.

ServiceLink is a NH statewide network of 13 regional offices & 50 satellites offices locally-administered, community-based resources for seniors, adults with disabilities and their families. Attached are the ADRCs program materials: overview presentation, evaluation framework, marketing plan, evaluation presentation, and customer satisfaction survey

This guidebook/workbook is designed to help caregivers work with their families to share information, get organized and plan for the future. The packet includes lots of important information to help families become, and stay, organized and informed, keeping much-needed information available for quick, organized access. Much of the information is about healthcare and medical records as well as other important numbers for bank accounts, real estate holdings, property titles, and service providers.

The National Quality Forum (NQF), a not-for-profit organization funded by the three main trade associations for LTC providers, has created the National Commission on Quality Long-term Care. According to the founders –American Association of Homes & Services for the Aging, American Health Care Association, and Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care – the new group is described as an independent body that will make recommendations concerning improving the quality of long-term care in America.

In an effort to equalize salaries for direct support professionals, a bill was introduced into the House that would improve the salaries & benefits. The Direct Support Professional Fairness and Security Act would increase federal Medicaid reimbursement rates & would amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act allowing states to raise salaries for privately employed staff who provide community-based support services.

The Division of Health Improvement assures safety and quality care in health care facilities & community-based programs in collaboration with consumers, providers, advocates and other agencies. DHI promotes continuous quality improvement through: Conducting surveys & program reviews and taking appropriate actions; The identification of trends and patterns, and; The provision of technical assistance & training. The website includes description of system as well as reports, manual and forms.

The Talking Quality website was designed for people and organizations trying to educate consumers about health care quality. It is intended to provide consumers with information on the performance of health plans and providers. The site offers the latest research findings, real-world examples, and innovative ideas on ways to communicate complex information on health care quality to consumers.

The Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) is a CMS contractor that provides free assistance to academic, government and non-profit researchers interested in using Medicare and/or Medicaid data for their research. ResDAC also provides workshops & presentations and offers help in building the research and data capacities of small schools.

National Core Indicators is a collaboration among participating NASDDDS member state agencies and HSRI, with the goal of developing a systematic approach to performance & outcome measurement. Through the collaboration, participating states pool their resources & knowledge to create performance monitoring systems, identify common performance indicators, work out comparable data collection strategies, & share results. This multi-state collaborative effort to improve performance is unprecedented.