State Policies and Practices in Behavior Supports for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the United States: A National Survey

2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 433-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Rotholz ◽  
Charles R. Moseley ◽  
Kinsey B. Carlson

Abstract Providing effective behavioral supports to decrease challenging behavior and replace it with appropriate alternative skills is essential to meeting the needs of many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It is also necessary for fulfilling the requirements of Medicaid-funded individual support plans and is important for moral, ethical, and societal reasons. Unfortunately, there is no national standard for behavioral support practices or source of information on the status of behavior support policies, practices, and services for adults with IDD at either state or national levels. The collection of comprehensive data on state behavior support definitions, provider qualifications, training, and oversight requirements is a necessary starting point for the development of plans to address needed policy and practice changes. This survey is the first national assessment of state policies and practices regarding the definition and delivery of behavior support services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving publicly financed supports in the United States.

Inclusion ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Mank ◽  
Teresa A. Grossi

Abstract Supported employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities emerged in the 1980s, clearly showing the untapped potential of people to work productively in integrated jobs. Expanding across the United States and other countries, supported employment was shown to be an effective approach to employment across communities and cultures. While supported employment has expanded little in the last decade, there is a renewed investment nationwide and in some other countries. The renewed developments include improvements in supported employment methods, interest in funding based on outcomes rather than services, concern about the persistence of segregated workshops, the need for qualified supported employment personnel, investment in Employment First policies in states, the emergence of litigation promoting integrated employment over segregation, renewed investment in transition, investments in other countries, and the increasingly clear voice of self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities calling for community jobs and fair pay. While there is renewed interest in supported employment, threats remain to further improvement and expansion that must also be addressed.


Author(s):  
Mark D. Davis ◽  
Scott Spreat ◽  
Ryan Cox ◽  
Matthew Holder ◽  
Kathryn M. Burke ◽  
...  

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) appear to have an increased probability of death from COVID-19 once infected. We report infection and mortality rates for people with IDD compared to the general population of eight states at two time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. Note that these eight states contain approximately 1/3 of the population of the United States. These data suggest individuals with IDD are less likely to be infected with the COVID-19 virus (5.62%) than the general public (7.57%). However, while mortality rates for both groups have declined over time, people with IDD are over twice as likely (2.29) to die from the infection as members of the general public.


2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Rizzolo ◽  
Carli Friedman ◽  
Amie Lulinski-Norris ◽  
David Braddock

Abstract In fiscal year (FY) 2009, the Medicaid program funded over 75% of all publicly funded long-term supports and services (LTSS) for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the United States (Braddock et al., 2011). The majority of spending was attributed to the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver program. In FY 2009, federal–state spending for the HCBS Waiver program reached over $25.1 billion and constituted almost half of total funding across the nation that year (Braddock et al., 2011). Considerable effort has been spent investigating Medicaid program expenditures, however, due in part to the unique and state-specific nature of HCBS programs, national-level analysis on the types of services offered to individuals with IDD has not been available. A full understanding of the supports available through the Medicaid program is critical as the United States considers strategies for economic recovery among competing state and federal budget priorities. This article presents the results of an analysis of 88 Medicaid HCBS Section 1915(c) waiver applications for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 41 states and the District of Columbia. It analyzes IDD data and trends close to the real time intent of states and empowers advocates in presenting timely solutions to real-time issues.


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