This paper documents the experiences of a group of parents who came together to form a human service cooperative in their local community to address the needs of their adult children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each parent felt that their child's needs were not (or could not be) met by existing providers. Parent leaders who…

With Washington trapped in budget battles and partisan gridlock, cities have emerged as the best source of government innovation. Nowhere is this more visible than in New York City. Since taking office in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has introduced a steady stream of innovative policies, from a competition to recruit a new applied sciences campus and a…

Flexible service dollars can help in tailoring services to meet the unique needs of rural children with serious emotional disturbance and their families. This paper discusses terminology, programmatic components, and uses of flexible service dollars in North Idaho and upstate New York, to highlight such family needs as economic supports,…

Discusses establishment of a community program designed to provide intervention services, support and education for the dying, their families, and the community. Included is a brief history, the nature of the program, problems related to community acceptance, and the current status and future of the program. (Author/JAC)

A survey of 133 Illinois direct service providers across various agencies indicated that providers are committed to serving youth with emotional/behavioral disorders locally, but perceived a lack of effort to eliminate ineffective programs and identified procedural barriers to providing comprehensive community-based services. A wide variety of…

This article examines factors influencing the provision of high-quality services to individuals who are deaf-blind. Various definitions of this population and the unique challenges in serving them are addressed, as are transitional services, gaps in services, the importance of interagency collaboration, and components of a successful service…

This guide explains, in simple language, the procedures for utilization of Colorado's developmental disabilities system. It begins with a definition of developmental disability and then explains how to contact a Community Centered Board to determine eligibility for services. The guide outlines the processes of applying for services, receiving…

Current trends in mental retardation services in Massachusetts were investigated using the New England region, the state of Michigan, and the United States as comparative frames of reference. Massachusetts' movement toward reducing reliance on state institutions, reallocating funding, and developing community services and family support is…

The institution-based model for providing services to individuals with disabilities has limitations in both developing and developed countries. The community-based rehabilitation model was positively evaluated by the World Health Organization as an alternative approach, but the evaluation is questioned on methodological and philosophical grounds.…

This handbook offers a set of practical ideas and their philosophical underpinnings, designed to assist community groups which desire to form interagency coordinating councils. A Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC) works to develop, coordinate, and provide a community-based, comprehensive system of services for young children with…

Basic information about respite care for individuals with disabilities and their families is presented in a question-and-answer format. The following questions are addressed: "What is respite?"; "Who needs respite services?"; "Who provides respite services?"; "What kinds of services are provided?"; "How…

A profile is provided of the 40 Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICCs) in Kansas, which work to develop and coordinate services to infants and toddlers with special needs and their families, as established by Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The profile is intended to describe the status of Kansas LICCs, to…

This response to previous symposium papers (EC 604 155-161) concerning regulations and quality assurance in Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) sees regulations as the bureaucratization of values, identifies paradoxes implicit in regulatory controls, and urges reform of the current developmental disability service…

This publication describes a program of policy research sponsored by the Office of Youth Development, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The purpose is to determine how the federal government can best support state and local community efforts in administering coordinated programs for youth development and delinquency prevention. A…

A survey was conducted of the number and needs of adults with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities (MR/DD) currently waiting for community services. Survey data were obtained for 46 states and the District of Columbia. Respondents included directors of state mental retardation/developmental disabilities programs, state…