Policy alerts, briefs, letters & papers

MIGs have a vital role to play helping to inform and educate disability and employment stakeholders about the impact of reform on working people with disabilities. This brief is designed to help MIGs in that role. It explains the new law’s expected impact on Medicaid eligibility for people with disabilities, and explores the potential new Medicaid enrollment dynamics that MIGs need to consider as health care reform is implemented.

How can ADRCs increase their outreach and strengthen their relationship with diverse populations and community-based organizational partners? This brief provides an overview of cultural competence including its definition and how it can be best implemented. Also included are key demographics, barriers to culturally competent service provision, organizational assessment tools, practices and standards, and a list of cultural competence resources that may be useful for ADRC staff.

Find two fact sheets; the first presents occupational employment projections for the three job titles that make up the direct-care workforce: nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal and home care aides, and suggests that over the next decade, the nation’s direct-care workforce will constitute the largest, fastest-growing group of jobs in the country. The second provides a detailed overview of the demographic and economic characteristics of the direct-care workforce.

What are the policy changes related to the continuum of care for older people—specifically long term services and supports (LTSS) and chronic care coordination? This analysis examines major provisions in these areas which are organized into five categories: 1) national insurance for long term services and supports; 2) Medicaid options and incentives to expand LTSS; 3) other LTSS provisions; 4) chronic care coordination; and 5) nursing home reforms.

What role can community colleges play in supporting initiatives to improve the quality of in-home care? The Caregiving Training Institute was created to support a wide range of training programs at Community Colleges. This brief provides an overview of the trend toward in-home services, highlights the importance of well-trained caregivers, and discusses the unique role community colleges can play in this arena.

Reducing In Home Support Services (IHSS) in California will be costly for taxpayers according to this report, which summarizes and refutes the conclusions of an earlier CA Legislative Analyst’s Office report. It presents what it sees as a more realistic set of assumptions and re-estimates the relative benefits of the IHSS program, considering the savings to the state if it transitioned one third of nursing home residents back into the community.

What are the key provisions in the 2010 comprehensive health reform? Read a summary of the new law, including the CLASS Act, and changes make to the law by subsequent legislation. The document focuses on changes in coverage, control of health care costs, and improvement of the health care delivery system. Also included is a timeline providing implementation dates.

Is Project SEARCH an effective model for increasing employment among students with significant disabilities? This brief considers this work immersion model designed to help students with significant disabilities transition from school to work. Findings suggest that the model presents a promising approach but the author recommends a thorough evaluation and cost-benefit study to determine whether the outcomes are sufficient to justify the program’s high cost.

Find helpful documents developed for the PersonalChoice program. Included are a flowchart of the referral/intake/enrollment process, Advisement Agency Certification Standards, a Training Manual and Quick Start Guide designed to give participants an overview of the program and their roles and responsibilities (including information on service and spending plans, communication tips, and information about working with PersonalChoice support agencies), and a Spending Plan template.

Find two fact sheets geared towards assisting state and local aging network entities in their implementation of the VD-HCBS program in partnership with local VA Medical Centers. These documents offer information on target population, referral, services and goods, rate information and criteria for allowable expenditures.