New Living Well Grants Awarded

ACL awarded five new grants totaling $1.96 million over five years (or $392,000 for each grantee) to help develop and test model approaches for enhancing the quality, effectiveness, and monitoring of home and community-based services (HCBS) for people with developmental disabilities. The projects funded by the new grants begin on September 30, 2018. 

• The Curators of the University of Missouri on behalf of University of Missouri-Kansas City;
• Indiana Family and Social Services Administration;
• The Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education--Alaska;
• The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities; and
• The Regents of the University of Idaho

These Model Approaches for Living Well grants, awarded as Projects of National Significance by ACL’s Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, are focused on building the capacity of HCBS systems and enhancing community monitoring to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

The grants seek to strengthen HCBS systems and promote the health, safety, independence, and participation of people with disabilities. Grantees will work with a broad coalition of state stakeholders to:

• Support professionals working directly with people with disabilities;
• Promote the leadership of self-advocates and families;
• Promote the use of evidence-based and promising practices such as supportive decision making, person-centered planning, and competitive integrated employment;
• Address abuse and rights violations in the HCBS delivery system; and
• Increase the capacity of states to provide HCBS in integrated settings.

Additionally, a new training and technical assistance (T&TA) contract was awarded to Mission Analytics for supporting the design and development of effective T&TA to these new Living Well grantees and the three grantees awarded last year to enhance outcomes and disseminate project results and promising practices.

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University Centers for Excellent in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research & Service (UCEDDs) are a nationwide network of independent but interlinked centers, representing an expansive national resource for addressing issues, finding solutions, and advancing research related to the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Projects of National Significance focus on the most pressing issues affecting people with developmental disabilities and their families. Through the projects, AIDD supports the development of national and state policy and awards grants and contracts that enhance the independence, productivity, inclusion, and integration of people with developmental disabilities.