Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver Redesign Project for BDDS

from DDRS:

Three years ago the Division embarked on a journey to redefine how we deliver person-centered services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our goal was to make person-centered planning a more purposeful conversation with the individuals we work with and their families rather than just completing a checklist of items on a form. This led the Division to embrace and adopt the principles of the LifeCourse Framework. The framework and philosophy has and continues to be our driving force as a shared set of values in that all people have the right to live, love, learn, work and play in their community.

Through our work on the 1102 Taskforce, the family listening forums, the Building Bridges meetings, and the multitude of meaningful conversations with families and individuals we recognize that there are opportunities in our current home and community-based waiver systems to serve individuals and families in a more person-centered way. Therefore we are embarking on the next step of our journey – waiver redesign.

This two year project will aim to encourage enhanced community integration through supports that are purposeful and meaningful to individuals being supported on the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services waivers. Throughout this effort, there will be continued opportunities for stakeholder engagement and input.

The Division is excited to announce that Human Services Research Institute will be joining us as the selected contractor to assist in the BDDS waiver redesign efforts. HSRI is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization that provides research, evaluation, consulting, and data support services with a four-decade track record of assisting health and human services agencies to improve the quality and availability of programs and services that help people live independent, healthy, fulfilling lives.

Along with HSRI, partners on this effort will include the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, the Institute for Human Development at University of Missouri at Kansas City, the Consortium on Innovative Practices, Burns & Associates, as well as local and statewide provider and advocate partners.

We are excited for this opportunity to partner with HSRI to develop a system of home and community-based waivers that support individuals in working towards and attaining their vision of a good life.