Telehealth Opportunities

A New Release from the United States Department of 
Health & Human Services, www.hhs.gov:

 

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004  
Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services Media Affairs
(202) 690-6145 

 

HHS Awards $31 Million in Grants to 31 States to 
Help Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults

 

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced $31 
million 
in grants to 31 states to help people with disabilities or 

long-term illnesses live in their homes and participate 
fully in 
community life.

 

"People with disabilities want access to 
high-quality 
services in the community they call home. These grants will 

help give them the independence to live at home and 
contribute to their 
communities," Secretary Thompson said.

 

The grants are a part of President Bush's "New 
Freedom 
Initiative," which promotes the goal of community living 
for 
individuals with disabilities and long-term illnesses. 
Under this 
initiative, which began in 2001, 10 federal 
agencies work with states and 
community organizations to 
remove barriers to community living. 

 

"We are committed to removing the barriers 
preventing the 
54 million Americans living with disabilities from leading 

full lives. These grants will help those living with 
disabilities make 
their own choices on what services they 
get, who provides those services and 
how and where to 
live," said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 

Administrator Mark B. McClellan.

 

The grants awarded today help states and other 
eligible 
entities improve their home and community-based services 

programs. A total of 52 grants were awarded in nine 
categories: 

 

1. Quality assurance: Approximately $4.3 million to 
nine 
states (VT, NJ, NE, AR, AZ, FL, NH, MA, AK) to support 
quality 
assurance and quality improvement in home-and 
community-based services. The 
programs identify key quality 
indicators through input from consumers, 
family and other 
stakeholders.

 

2. Integrating housing needs with other support 
systems: 
Approximately $6.7 million to eight states (NH, OR, PA, NC, 
DC, 
MS, VT, AR) to help coordinate housing with other long-
term support needs. 
Housing models include foster group 
homes, affordable assisted living, 
supportive public 
housing, homeownership assistance, and community-based 

apartments.

 

3. Screening, assessment and transition from 
children's 
services to adult services: A total of $1 million to 
Nebraska 
and the District of Columbia to support innovative 
practices in home- and 
community-based services for people 
transferring from children's services to 
adult services.

 

4. Reform of long-term support systems: A total of 
$7.6 
million to support Wisconsin and Vermont's efforts to 
further 
reform their long-term support systems. Wisconsin's 
wide-ranging reform 
includes planning grants to support 
local partnerships, "virtual resource 
centers" to provide 
information to individuals, and a multi-media campaign 
on 
financial planning. Vermont plans to integrate the 
financing and 
delivery of acute and long-term care services 
for older individuals and 
individuals with physical 
disabilities.

 

5. Mental health systems reform: Approximately $3.3 
million 
to 11 states (MA, NH, OR, MN, OK, NC, ME, VA, DE, PA, OH) 
to 
support consumer-directed, evidence-based practices such 
as illness 
management and recovery, assertive community 
treatment, and peer support 
programs. 

 

6. Rebalancing initiative: Approximately $2 million 
to 
seven states (IL, LA, ND, NC, MS, VA, TN) to help states 
prevent and 
correct inappropriate placement of individuals 
in institutions. 
Interventions include: development of 
single points of entry for individuals 
who are at risk of 
institutionalization, a coordinated transportation 
system, 
and comprehensive client assessment instruments and 
procedures. 

 

7. Living with Independence, Freedom, and Equality 
(LIFE) 
account feasibility and demonstration: Approximately 
$200,000 to 
Wisconsin and New Hampshire to study the 
feasibility of establishing a 
savings program for children 
and adults that would enable them to control 
their own 
Medicaid-funded community-based services.

 

8. Family-to-family health care information and 
education 
centers: Approximately $1.5 million to private, not-for-
profit 
entities in 10 states (NY, AZ, NC, MA, UT, WV, LA, 
KY, NM, ND) to develop 
and implement an information and 
referral network for parents of children 
with special 
health care needs.

 

9. National State-to-State Technical Assistance 
Program for 
Community Living: Approximately $4 million to the 

Independent Living Research Utilization program in Texas to 
continue a 
program of individualized technical assistance 
to all grantees as well as 
resource development and 
information dissemination to benefit all grantees 
under the 
New Freedom Initiative.

 

Additional information is available at 
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/accomplish2.pdf
.

 

For more information on the New Freedom Initiative, 
visit 
the CMS Web site at 
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/default.asp
.

 

[For a listing of grant recipients, visit the HHS 
press 
release online at 
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20041005a.html.]

 

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other 
press 
materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news

Ed Dodds 
 
<e-dodds.communications/> 
615. 429 . 8744 cel | tel 
508 . 632 . 0370 fax 
ed1dodds aim 
49457096 
icq
Read <Conmergence/> 
[</>] 
Are you Linkedin? [</>]