Reports

The report presents six strategies or policy levers, gleaned from previous research reports that can be implemented on the federal and local levels to promote collaboration and coordination and support livable community objectives. Examples were selected from a vast array of actions that can be taken. Each of the strategies is illustrated by actual promising practices at both the federal and state levels that can be adapted and replicated elsewhere.

Putting innovative research to work in the policymaking process takes tenacity and understanding on the part of researchers and lawmakers. This report offers a four-stage framework to support effective use of research in health policymaking and improve communications between researchers, state policymakers and program administrators. Review a case study from Massachusetts plus communication strategies and key practical lessons on understanding, developing, implementing, and evaluating policy.

ADRCs can be affected by both external and internal changes in leadership. Organizations that plan for and carefully manage a leadership transition, however, can minimize disruption and even use the change to shift direction and strengthen organizational capacity. This issue brief offers suggestions for ways ADRCs can manage transition and position themselves to take advantage of opportunities to strengthen collaboration and advance the goals of the ADRC program.

Launched in 2004, Flexible Services and Supports (the Pilot) gave participants control in calculating an individual budget where they then purchased services and goods to meet their community living needs. What were the experiences that provide lessons for the design and implementation of this model on a larger scale? This report reviews: design issues and implementation barriers, makes recommendations for future work, and describes any financial impacts of the Pilot on Medicaid utilization.

Creating a single assessment tool to be used across age and disability has been an interest of states, policy makers, and providers for years. An interest also exists to develop a consumer-driven participatory assessment where consumers take a more active role. Following review and input from a diverse work group, this tool was piloted for 16 months and a qualitative evaluation was conducted to determine its utility. The development process yielded key findings and recommendations.

Is your program challenged by effective methods to meaningful consumer involvement in the redesign of long-term services and support systems? This report reviews the history and effectiveness of the consumer involvement strategy used from the consumer, state partner, and grant staff perspectives. The report informs future consumer involvement methods in grant activities and other policy decision-making activities and also identifies lessons learned and creates recommendations.

This paper focuses on the experiences and perceptions of community liaisons and the managers of Consumer-Directed Agencies (managers) who participated in the Massachusetts Real Choice Pilot. The experiences of the Real Choice community liaisons and managers provide insight relevant for the larger implementation of the support brokerage component for an Independence Plus option that will be available within the Massachusetts Community First waiver.

Does self-determination refer to a curriculum that teaches students with disabilities to be self-directed problem solvers, a technique for redirecting funding streams to control the dollars allocated for their supports and services, or a philosophy grounded in democratic values and constitutional principles of autonomy and liberty? Or is it two or three of these? TASH invites you to read this Exchange focusing on the need to have more coherence and consistency in terminology/descriptions.

Is there a growing recognition that loneliness, helplessness, and boredom plague long-term care? This report examines six issues facing policymakers: financing and insurance, supporting and educating caregivers, the challenges of changing the physical and organizational environments in which services are delivered, recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce, designing a more effective regulatory control system, and adapting and integrating health information technology to long-term care.

Medicaid clients and advocates have stressed the importance of case management services to ensure that clients have access to supports, choice among providers and services to meet their needs. Quality became a primary topic of discussion for the Quality for Equality (Q4E) Committee. The Q4E identified concerns regarding the process by which the Department and case management agencies incorporate client input into quality improvement initiatives. Review the Q4E’s final report and recommendations.