Since 2006, the annual Case for Inclusion has been reporting “comprehensive data and policy recommendations regarding the effectiveness of state programs in supporting life without limits for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families,” according to its Executive Summary.
It focuses on seven issue areas:
- Addressing a Workforce in Crisis
- Promoting Independence
- Reaching Those in Need
- Serving at a Reasonable Cost
- Keeping Families Together
- Tracking Health, Safety & Quality of Life
I’m going to put the key findings here, but if you’ll find the information helpful, dig into the whole report, found here, for details and policy recommendations.
Key Findings
- Hourly wages for direct support professionals (DSP) wages increased from $13.61 in 2020 to $14.41 in 2021. This marks the second consecutive year of wage increases. (NOTE FROM THE BOOST: MORE IS NEEDED!)
- Vacancy rates for both full- and part-time DSP positions increased substantially.
- Nationally, there were 497,354 people on state waiting lists for home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers.
- Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have closed all of their state-run institutions. This is an increase from 16 states in last year’s Case for Inclusion. Additionally, there were 1,357 fewer people with IDD living in a large, state-run institution in 2019 than in 2018.
- Thirty-eight states participated in the federal Money Follows the Person program, ear-marked to support older adults and people with disabilities to transition from institutions into home- and community based settings. This represents an increase after multiple years of modest declines.
- Eighteen demonstration waivers that include initiatives to address social determinants of health have been approved, while 17 more are pending. Primary social determinants of health impacting people with IDD include food security and affordable, accessible housing.
