I have written many times about how the current Colorado system of delivering and funding services to individuals with one or more developmental disabilities is in a state of crisis and unsustainable.
I’m not alone in that view, and it is clear now that changes to the system are coming. Alliance, a state-wide organization dedicated to enhancing and strengthening community supports for people with developmental disabilities in Colorado, recently completed a report entitled “Focus on the Future.” The report was created to identify what is working and what is not working in the system, in the hope that the decisions made about changing the system moving forward will be made with knowledge of what is best for the end users in the system (the people we serve). The report was made after several months of gathering opinions and ideas from a wide ranging group of stakeholders from across the state.
Even though the report is complete, Alliance is still seeking feedback. You can still have a role in influencing the future of services to some of our most vulnerable citizens by taking a short (no more than five minutes) survey about the recommendations found in the report.
You can find a copy of the report here. Pages 12 to 17 of the report contain the recommendations.
You can take the survey by clicking here. The survey lists all of the recommendations.
Here’s a little more about the Focus on the Future project:
The project consisted of two key phases. In Phase One, five regional Focus Groups met to gather input to identify what’s working/not working and aspects of the service delivery system that must stay the same or must change. People receiving services and families were the starting point of the project and composed 68% of the focus group participants. Phase Two was the Workgroup Phase where system stakeholders were invited to join the Alliance Project Steering Committee to formulate recommendations for change. Workgroup participants included people with varied backgrounds and experiences.
The Workgroup analyzed five problems they identified as the root cause of the issues expressed by focus group participants:
1. The System is too complex;
2. Resources are not allocated in a way that meets people’s needs;
3. System focus is not first and foremost the person;
4. We don’t have formal systematic mechanisms to self direct I/DD services; and
5. We don’t have the data infrastructure to assess our system.
The workgroup developed recommendations to address these five problems, which can be found in the report linked above.
As Alliance notes, this is a time of unprecedented change for services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is my hope that the people in charge of making those changes will use this report as a guide when implementing those changes.
Then again, what do I know?
Thank You Thursday
5 years ago
I am not very computer savvy, so I am unsure where to post this. I would first like to thank Imagine! and all of the staff for the amazing work you all do, and for the ways in which you have helped my son Zechariah since he was 2 years old. He is now 7 and still receives funding. This has spawned me to brain-storm ways in which I could give back. I am getting married in July, and I took the idea of going 50/50 with Imagine to my fiancee. He was absolutely for it. That in mind, 50% of the cash funds we receive at our wedding will be donated directly to Imagine with no stipulation on where the money is spent. Many people donate only if....if it goes to this program, that area, etc....You are missing the point if this is how you donate! The CEO, the Staff, THEY KNOW where the funds are needed. I have attached at link of our wedding website. You can read the full way in which I an trying to help! EVERY PENNY HELPS PEOPLE! To take and not give is a deplorable Human trait.......let's change it!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mywedding.com/vincelovesmelissa/index.html