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FSSA Programs and Community Integration - "Olmstead Status Report"

"Olmstead Status Report"

January, 2001

In June of 1999 the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Olmstead v L.C. and E.W. ruled that, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, unjustified isolation of disabled persons is discrimination based upon disability. An Executive Order by Governor O’Bannon makes clear that it is the goal of the State of Indiana to create community-based alternatives to institutional care for disabled citizens, with consumer choice and involvement as an underlying principle.

FSSA, the agency responsible for the state’s planning effort that is designed to implement the Governor’s Executive Order, is conducting a comprehensive study of all services and programs available to people with disabilities in Indiana. As part of this effort, FSSA and it’s "Community Integration Action Team: will be seeking reaction and responses from the members of three subcommittees appointed by the Secretary of FSSA in December of 2000. These subcommittee members who represent the real experts about a community-based system of supports and services for persons with disabilities, include disabled persons and their families, advocates, and members of the community who are providing supports and services.

In order to facilitate the work of the subcommittees and the development of a comprehensive plan, the Action Team identified nine areas FSSA needed to address in order to assess the existing framework of services and programs available to meet the needs of disabled persons in integrated community settings. These assessments also include FSSA’s plans for continued community integration of individuals currently living in institutions. While worded slightly different on the individual assessments, these nine questions are:

  1. What are current systems of service delivery for persons with disabilities?
  2. What are services available to persons with disabilities and how many persons are being served now? What are the current and future needs for services?
  3. What is the level of demand for receiving services in less restrictive settings?
  4. What are the short-term and long-term barriers to achieving total community integrations of persons with disabilities?
  5. How can we provide older adults and persons with disabilities more opportunities for informed choice?
  6. What changes can be made to assure that qualified individuals can be placed in more integrated community-based settings?
  7. What strategies would be most effective in achieving the needed changes?
  8. How can we bring these strategies together in a coherent plan of action for moving capable individuals into community-based settings?
  9. How can we monitor and evaluate this activity to assess that what we are doing works?

The reports from each of FSSA’s divisions charged with providing or arranging for services to persons with disabilities follow. These responses will provide the basis for discussion and response from each of the subcommittees as FSSA develops its plan.