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-------Original Message-------
Date: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 3:51:23 PM
Subject: HHS RELEASE--GRANTS TO STATES TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Date: October 5, 2004
For Release: Immediately
Contact: CMS Media Affairs
(202) 690-6145
Headline: HHS AWARDS $31 MILLION IN GRANTS TO 31 STATES TO HELP
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND OLDER ADULTS
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced $31 million in grants to 31
states to help people with disabilities or long-term illnesses live in their
homes and participate fully in community life.
"People with disabilities want access to high-quality services in the
community they call home. These grants will help give them the independence
to live at home and contribute to their communities," Secretary Thompson
said.
The grants are a part of President Bush's "New Freedom Initiative," which
promotes the goal of community living for individuals with disabilities and
long-term illnesses. Under this initiative, which began in 2001, 10 federal
agencies work with states and community organizations to remove barriers to
community living.
"We are committed to removing the barriers preventing the 54 million
Americans living with disabilities from leading full lives. These grants
will help those living with disabilities make their own choices on what
services they get, who provides those services and how and where to live,"
said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mark B.
McClellan,
The grants awarded today help states and other eligible entities improve
their home and community-based services programs. A total of 52 grants were
awarded in nine categories:
1. Quality assurance: Approximately $4.3 million to nine states (VT,
NJ, NE, AR, AZ, FL, NH, MA, AK) to support quality assurance and quality
improvement in home-and community-based services. The programs identify key
quality indicators through input from consumers, family and other
stakeholders.
2. Integrating housing needs with other support systems: Approximately
$6.7 million to eight states (NH, OR, PA, NC, DC, MS, VT, AR) to help
coordinate housing with other long-term support needs. Housing models
include foster group homes, affordable assisted living, supportive public
housing, homeownership assistance, and community-based apartments.
3. Screening, assessment and transition from children's services to
adult services: A total of $1 million to Nebraska and the District of
Columbia to support innovative practices in home- and community-based
services for people transferring from children's services to adult services.
4. Reform of long-term support systems: A total of $7.6 million to
support Wisconsin and Vermont's efforts to further reform their long-term
support systems. Wisconsin's wide-ranging reform includes planning grants
to support local partnerships, "virtual resource centers" to provide
information to individuals, and a multi-media campaign on financial
planning. Vermont plans to integrate the financing and delivery of acute
and long-term care services for older individuals and individuals with
physical disabilities.
5. Mental health systems reform: Approximately $3.3 million to 11
states (MA, NH, OR, MN, OK, NC, ME, VA, DE, PA, OH) to support
consumer-directed, evidence-based practices such as illness management and
recovery, assertive community treatment, and peer support programs.
6. Rebalancing initiative: Approximately $2 million to seven states
(IL, LA, ND, NC, MS, VA, TN) to help states prevent and correct
inappropriate placement of individuals in institutions. Interventions
include: development of single points of entry for individuals who are at
risk of institutionalization, a coordinated transportation system, and
comprehensive client assessment instruments and procedures.
7. Living with Independence, Freedom, and Equality (LIFE) account
feasibility and demonstration: Approximately $200,000 to Wisconsin and New
Hampshire to study the feasibility of establishing a savings program for
children and adults that would enable them to control their own
Medicaid-funded community-based services.
8. Family-to-family health care information and education centers:
Approximately $1.5 million to private, not-for-profit entities in 10 states
(NY, AZ, NC, MA, UT, WV, LA, KY, NM, ND) to develop and implement an
information and referral network for parents of children with special health
care needs.
9. National State-to-State Technical Assistance Program for Community
Living: Approximately $4 million to the Independent Living Research
Utilization program in Texas to continue a program of individualized
technical assistance to all grantees as well as resource development and
information dissemination to benefit all grantees under the New Freedom
Initiative.
Additional information is available at
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/accomplish2.pdf.
For more information on the New Freedom Initiative, visit the CMS Web site
at www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/default.asp.
The list of FY 2004 Real Choice Systems Change Grant Awards will be
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20041005a.html.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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