LOUISIANA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL

• About the Council
• Council Projects
• Examples of Significant Longterm Achievements

MISSION STATEMENT

To ensure all individuals with disabilities benefit from supports and opportunities in their communities so they achieve quality of life in conformance with their wishes.

NUMBER of PEOPLE with DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES in LOUISIANA:

80,377 based on national prevalence rate (Gollay, 1.8%)

NUMBER of COUNCIL MEMBERS

• 26 current members with 2 vacancies
• 6 consumers; 10 parents; 10 agency reps
• Agencies include: Bureau of Health Services Financing (Medicaid), Office of Mental Health, LSUHumanDevelopmentCenter, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Department of Education – Office of Student & School Performance, Office of Public Health – Children’s Special Health Services, Advocacy Center, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs

NUMBER of STAFF : 7

STANDING COMMITTEES

• Health, Education and Employment
• Self-Determination, Community Inclusion and Housing

FREQUENCY of MEETINGS: Quarterly

DESIGNATED STATE AGENCY/ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY:

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) – the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council is a budget unit within DHH.

 2005 FEDERAL ALLOTMENT: $1,385,313  

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CURRENT COUNCIL PROJECTS

• Partners in Policymaking - a national leadership training program for people with developmental disabilities and family members of young children with developmental disabilities.
• People First –a statewide self-advocacy organization made up of and run by people with disabilities, to provide opportunities for self-advocates to speak for themselves on the issues that most impact and affect their lives.
• TriAngle Newsletter – a free quarterly newsletter published in conjunction with the HumanDevelopmentCenter and the AdvocacyCenter.
• Louisiana Citizens for Action Now (LaCAN) - a statewide grassroots network that advocates for the expansion and improvement of community and family support services for people with disabilities and their families.
• Families Helping Families Regional Resource Centers - a statewide network of nine family-directed and family-staffed regional centers which provide information on all types of services, goods, technologies, and activities that improve the quality of life in the community; help individuals understand their rights and how to advocate for themselves; and lend support from someone "who has been there".
• Disability Information Access Line (DIAL) – a toll-free information and referral system accessible to Louisiana citizens. DIAL is able to do computer searches for goods, services, assistance, and provide callers with either on-line referrals or printed reports by mail in response to their requests.
• Partnership for Excellence – a training and technical assistance program for agencies that provide individuals with developmental disabilities support to live in their own homes. Participating agencies receive training in providing person centered supports, organizational change and leadership development.
• Louisiana Together Educating All Children (LaTEACH) - a statewide grassroots network that advocates for appropriate, inclusive education for all students.
• Sheltered Workshop Conversion project – a project to transition individuals participating in activities at a sheltered workshop into individualized employment and other community activities of their choice.
• Inclusive Recreation project – a project to provide training and technical assistance to aparish recreation department to increase recreational opportunities for persons with disability in their community.
• Inclusive Childcare project – a project to provide training and technical assistance to childcare providers to increase quality childcare opportunities for children with disabilities in their community.

Results of Recently Completed Projects Funded by the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council:

• St. Charles Parish Inclusive Education Project
• This was a 3-year project designed to provide a training academy for school administrators, principals, teachers and other stakeholders on the principles and benefits of inclusion. It was completed in 2004.
• The 12 schools participating in the project had an average of 20% increase in students in least restrictive environments and one school increased to 100% of students in regular education placement.

 

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EXAMPLES OF SIGNIFICANT LONG TERM ACHIEVEMENTS

• In 1988, the Council sponsored the first Community Integration Conference, which led to creation of LaCAN and Families Helping Families.
• Through support from the Council, LaCAN successfully advocated for passage of Act 378 of 1989, which mandated creation of the Community and Family Supports System Plan.
• The Community and Family Supports System Plan was presented to the state legislature in 1991 and $1.3 million was allocated to begin funding cash subsidies for 600 families and to begin supported living services not reimbursable through Medicaid. The Council has advocated for expansion of these services every year since 1991. Approximately $70 million is now allocated to these services, nearly 2000 families now receive cash subsidies, and other services have been added.
• In 1992, Council and LaCAN advocacy helped expand the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver in Louisiana to include supported living services for adults. We continue to advocate for additional waiver slots each year and there are now a total of 4,576 New Opportunities Waiver slots.
• The New Opportunities Waiver was implemented in 2003 and replaced the old “MR/DD Waiver”. The Council advocated for the New Opportunities Waiver, which has an expanded menu of services and higher rates of reimbursement to providers.
• The Council advocated for creation of the Disability Services and Supports System Planning Group, which is the state’s “Olmstead planning group”.
• The Council provided the initial funding to start a Youth Leadership Forum and Home of My Own project in Louisiana. Both of which continue today with funding from other sources.

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