May 2016 The Administration for Community Living joins President Obama and Mental Health America (MHA) in recognizing Mental Health Month. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Nearly 44 million American adults, and millions of children, experience mental health conditions each year, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress.

Home and community-based services (HCBS) provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities and older adults to receive services in their own home or community.

This week the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention presented Assistant Secretary for Aging and ACL Administrator Kathy Greenlee with a Champion for Justice award. The award recognizes a public official who advances elder abuse prevention and innovation.

Last week, the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) held its spring meeting on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Moving beyond awareness to promoting acceptance and appreciation, and raising expectations New CDC Autism Data Highlights Importance of Long-term Services and Supports, Cultural Competency

March 31, 2016 by Aaron Bishop, Commissioner, Administration on Disabilities

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data from its Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network indicating that 1 in 68 school-aged children are on the autism spectrum.

Every March we celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and the many contributions people with developmental disabilities (DD) make to our society.

Most of us know that good nutrition is a critical part of being healthy—"you are what you eat" is an old adage for a good reason. Not only does healthy food fuel our brains and bodies, but a diet high in unhealthy food can reduce immunity, and even impair physical and mental development. For these reasons, good nutrition is particularly important for older people and people with disabilities.

This post appears on the Administration for Children and Families’ blog, The Family Room. National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month is a time to encourage healthy relationships and, in the words of President Obama, “reaffirm the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse.”