High-quality Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) allow people with disabilities and older adults to direct their services in a person-centered manner, live independently, and participate in the community. However, many individuals who receive HCBS still have unmet needs for services and supports. While studies have found a connection between unmet HCBS needs and adverse outcomes, including hospitalization, institutionalization, and death; few have examined user-reported perspectives about the quality and sufficiency of HCBS and their relationship to key health and community living outcomes. Therefore, researchers at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy conducted a study to learn how many people who use HCBS need more services than they receive and understand the connection between unmet HCBS needs and health and community living outcomes. Panelists will discuss what implications the results of the study have in regard to person-centered planning in HCBS, highlight opportunities for improvement, and discuss how to overcome challenges to advancing person-centered practices.
Natalie Chong is a doctoral candidate at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management where she studies health policy and health services research. Her research interests include aging and health policy issues that impact older adults. She is also a research assistant at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, contributing to research on the quality and outcomes of home and community-based services for people with disabilities.
Finn Gardineris a disability rights advocate with interests in educational equity, intersectional justice, comparative policy, and inclusive technology. Finn holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Tufts University. Finn is currently the Communications Specialist at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University.
E. Jennifer Brown founded Eiros Group in 2017 with the mission of bringing people back to the center of planning so that they can create lives where the focus is on their hopes and dreams. Eiros specializes in supports brokerage, a waiver service that helps people self-direct their services including support staff and housing, while connecting them to their community. Brown has been serving people with disabilities in NJ for over 20 years. Brown graduated from Penn State University and in 2007 graduated from Partners in Policymaking.
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NCAPPS is an initiative from the Administration for Community Living and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help States, Tribes, and Territories to implement person-centered practices. NCAPPS webinars are open to the public, and are geared toward human services administrators, providers, and people who use long-term services and supports. All NCAPPS webinars will be recorded and archived at https://ncapps.acl.gov.