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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.

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
dodds@e-dodds.com
<e-dodds.communications/>
615. 429 . 8744 cel | tel
508 . 632 . 0370 fax
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