Reports

This report and executive summary were completed for Project BRIDGE, an Integrating Long-Term Supports with Affordable Housing grant from CMS. Individuals with disabilities desiring to live independently in Mississippi are hindered by the state’s scarcity of both affordable, accessible housing and the community-based services. The report outlines the issues and offers recommendations for creating community housing arrangements. Review the policy, program and research suggestions.

A diverse team of agency administrators, partner organizations, and technical assistance providers collaborated to begin the process of creating a comprehensive and coordinated statewide employment support system. This map is the first product of the process and identifies “enabling prerequisites” for creating a more detailed strategic plan. Ten goals are articulated as guidelines for further progress.

This document sums up the funding, goals, and objectives of the MIG programs for people with developmental disabilities in Washington. It includes contact information for partner organizations, benefits specialists in each county and statewide technical assistance providers.

This publication provides a summary overview of the accomplishments and enduring changes brought about by all of the Systems Change NFT Grantees Despite bringing about many enduring systems improvements, Grantees reported that many transition barriers remain. Grantees made recommendations to help states address continuing barriers to nursing facility transition and diversion so that no one need live in a nursing home simply because sufficient community services and supports are unavailable.

The Center for Workers with Disabilities prepared this report for the Virginia MIG advisory committee. It contains an analysis of the ways states provide personal assistance services (PAS) through a personal care Medicaid State Plan Option (SPO) to persons in Buy-In programs. It looks at specific legislation, State Plans and amendments, administrative rules, and implementation manuals. It ends with recommendations from an analysis conducted for Iowa on whether to implement this option there.

For people with psychiatric disabilities that receive SSDI and/or SSI in Vermont, benefits counseling was found to improve earnings by $1,256 annually. The authors found that this form of support helps overcome significant barriers to employment, such as a fear of a loss of benefits resulting from increased earnings. This article was published in the Psychiatric Services Journal.

Use this presentation to learn how VT has measured the effectiveness of the Working People with Disabilities program. The primary cost measured was money spent on Medicaid claims and benefits counseling. This was compared with the earnings increases experienced by individuals in the program. The analysis found that every $1 spent on new Medicaid claims and benefits counseling, participant earnings increased by $1.23.

Should a state use the cost reimbursement or milestone-outcome payment options in their Ticket to Work (TTW) programs? Vermont commissioned this study to answer this question and to predict future TTW income for the state and for employment network partners.

A 50% increase in the employment rate and average earnings of people with disabilities are the ultimate goals of the “Vermont Works” program. Seven goals and associated strategic initiatives are presented in this plan to achieve those outcomes. The document is the product of two parallel planning processes. One focused broadly on barriers to community inclusion and the second specifically targeted employment supports.

Time-limited grants and categorical funding keep providers in the position of searching for funds to cover expenses. Sustainability is about maintaining programs after funding ends and ensuring the organization has become a permanent part of the community. This toolkit contains tips and planning worksheets within six booklets: strategic planning, organizational assessment & readiness, effective marketing strategies, financial management, fund raising & development, results-oriented evaluations.