Nursing Facility Transitions

GEORGIA

Grant Information

Name of Grantee

disABILITY LINK

Title of Grant

TRANSITIONS: Introducing Institutionalized People with Disabilities to Community Living Alternatives

Type of Grant

Nursing Facility Transitions, Independent Living Partnership

Amount of Grant

$400,000

Year Original Funding Received

2001

Contact Information

Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, MSRS
Executive Director
disABILITY LINK
755 Commerce Drive, Suite 415
Decatur, GA 30030
404–687–8890
rrtuttle@disabilitylink.org

www.disabilitylink.org

Subcontractor(s)

Disability Connections
Jerilyn Leverett
478–741–1425

Target Population(s)

Persons of all ages with disabilities who are currently residing in nursing homes.

Goals

  • Develop a transition infrastructure within the Independent Living Network that will introduce people with disabilities to peer supporters and role models; expose interested persons to home and community based services; offer information, training, and skill development; develop community connections or circles of support; and develop comprehensive transition plans to assist those who choose to resettle in the community.
  • Develop a collaborative process with nursing homes to identify people with disabilities who want and need alternatives for both diverting people from nursing facility placement and transitioning those who want a community alternative.
  • Work with the Department of Community Health to address current problems—from the consumer perspective—with the HCBS waivers.

Activities

  • Subcontract with Disability Connections in Macon to hire and train transition team leaders. These individuals, with the assistance of volunteer peer supporters, will go into nursing home facilities to identify individuals wishing to transition to the community.
  • Work with the Department of Community Health to identify and transition people with disabilities to their communities.
  • Expand existing community-based services to serve all those who wish to live in their communities.

Abstract

Georgia will use this grant to build State capacity to reach out and support the transition of individuals to a community-integrated living arrangement consistent with their needs and preferences, and assure that these individuals have the supports necessary to sustain long-term residence and participation in the community. A considerable amount of matching resources will also be allocated to this project.

disABILITY LINK in Atlanta will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant, house the project director, and contract with one other consumer-controlled nonprofit CIL to accomplish the goals, objectives, and deliverables of this grant.

The project's goals will be accomplished by securing a project director, securing transition team leaders in two regions of the State through the CILs, supporting the participation of consumers in transition planning, providing information and training to all consumers and staff, developing resource materials, and evaluating the project.