HSRI is proud to announce that Valerie Bradley has been awarded the "Robert M. Gettings Compass Award" by the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services (NASDDDS). This award is periodically given to recognize the achievements of an individual who, through creativity and a strong commitment to bettering the lives of people with disabilities, has helped to positively shape the course of disability policy in the United States.

This report provides detailed state system performance data on individual outcomes, including employment, community participation, choice and decision making; health, welfare and rights covering personal safety, self advocacy and use of medications; family outcomes, addressing information and planning, choice and control and access to support; and other dimensions such as staff stability and competency, and system performance.

Intended to be used in combination with other quality measures such as critical incident reporting, risk assessment and provider monitoring, the NCI indicators are standardized and risk adjusted to permit state to state comparisons and performance benchmarking against national norms. Many states include NCI data as a core component of their CMS mandated waiver program quality management strategy. Currently over thirty state developmental disabilities agencies gather NCI data on a regular basis and the program continues to grow as new states join each year.

“The NCI Blog” is a place where we will share the successes, challenges, and other issues related to the National Core Indicators (NCI). We hope that you the State officials, surveyors/interviewers, self-advocates, family members, and other interested stakeholders will join this discussion by sharing your own NCI experiences. There are no restrictions on content, as long as it’s related to NCI, the language is appropriate (i.e., no cursing), and that absolutely no confidential information is entered. This blog is open to the public.

www.nciblog.org

HSRI has developed a systems change model, along with a set of tools for implementation, that Councils may use to foster systems change work and add value to their existing projects. For more about this model, and for ways that HSRI can assist your Council in using the model across Council efforts, please visit: http://www.hsri.org/project/route-to-success-systems-change/overview

Satisfaction and Sense of Well Being Among Medicaid ICF/MR and HCBS Recipients in Six States
Roger J. Stancliffe, K. Charlie Lakin, Sarah Taub, Giuseppina Chiri, and Soo-yong Byun

Abstract: Self-reported satisfaction and sense of well-being were assessed in a sample of 1,885 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) and Intermediate Care Facility (ICF/MR) services in 6 states. Questions dealt with such topics as loneliness, feeling afraid at home and in one's neighborhood, feeling happy, feeling that staff are nice and polite, and liking one's home and work/day program. Loneliness was the most widespread problem, and there were also small percentages of people who reported negative views in other areas. Few differences were evident by HCBS and ICF/MR status. The findings document consistent benefits of residential support provided in very small settings-with choices of where and with whom to live-and to individuals living with family.

http://aaidd.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=get-current-issue

24th National Annual Waiver Conference, Boston October 1, 2008