HHS AWARDS $33 MILLION TO STATES, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced more than $33 million in grants to states and other organizations to help develop programs for people with disabilities or long-term disabilities. The Real Choice Systems Change Grants for Community Living will help states and territories enable people with disabilities to reside in their homes and participate fully in community life.

"These grants will help people with disabilities exercise meaningful choices about how and where to live their lives," Secretary Thompson said. "They reflect our strong commitment to remove barriers to equality for the 54 million Americans living with disabilities under President Bush's New Freedom Initiative."

In 2001, President Bush launched the New Freedom Initiative, which promotes the goal of community living for people with disabilities. Under this initiative, 10 federal agencies have collaborated to remove barriers to community living. Secretary Thompson last year established the HHS Office on Disability to lead the HHS agencies in addressing the New Freedom Initiative.

Grants awarded today are intended to provide states and other eligible entities with funding to make lasting improvements to their home and community-based services programs. The awards build on the roughly $125 million in grants awarded in the previous two years to help states improve their community-based services.

A total of 75 grants were announced today in 10 categories:

Quality assurance and quality improvement in home and community based services "Money follows the person" initiative Independence Plus initiative Community-integrated personal assistance services and supports National state-to-state technical assistance program for community living Family-to-family health care information and education centers Community-based treatment alternatives for children Respite care for children Technical assistance for consumer task 
forces Respite care for adults A list of the grants announced today follows. 

More information about today's grants and the New Freedom Initiative is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom.

Quality Assurance and Improvement in Home- and Community-Based Services

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

California
State of California
$499,844

Colorado
Department of Human Services
$499,851

Connecticut
Department of Mental Retardation
$499,000

Delaware
Health and Social Services
$351,702

Georgia
Department of Human Resources 
$475,000

Indiana
Family and Social Services Administration
$500,000

Maine
Department of Human Services
$500,000

Minnesota
Department of Human Services
$499,880

Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services
$500,000

New York
New York State Department of Health
$495,811

North Carolina
Department of Health and Human Services 
$475,100

Ohio
Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
$499,740

Oregon
Department of Human Services
$455,113

Pennsylvania
Department of Public Welfare
$498,650

South Carolina
Department of Disabilities and Special 
$500,000

Tennessee
Department of Finance and Administration
$452,636

Texas
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation
$500,000

West Virginia
Department of Health and Human Resources
$499,995

Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
$500,000

QAQI Total Awarded:
$9,202,322

Money Follows the Person Initiative

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

California
Department of Health Services
$750,000

Idaho
Division of Family and Community Services
$749,999

Maine
Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services
$750,000

Michigan
Department of Community Health
$746,650

Nevada
Department of Human Resources
$749,999

Pennsylvania
Department of Public Welfare
$698,211

Texas
Department of Human Services
$730,422

Washington
Department of Social and Health Services
$608,008

Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
$743,813

MFP Total Awarded:
$6,527,102

Independence Plus Initiative

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

Colorado
Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
$391,137

Connecticut 
Department of Mental Retardation
$175,000

Florida
Department of Children and Families
$501,801

Georgia
Department of Human Resources, (Contact: Darlene Meador, dmeador@dhr.state.ga.us)
$432,108

Idaho
Department of Health and Welfare 
$499,643

Louisiana
Department of Health and Hospitals
$499,889

Maine
Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services 
$500,000

Massachusetts 
University of Massachusetts Medical School
$499,992

Michigan
Department of Community Health
$478,600

Missouri
Department of Mental Health 
$427,461

Montana
Department of Public Health and Human Services
$499,963

Ohio
Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
$500,000

IP Total Awarded:
$5,405,594



Community-Integrated Personal Assistance Services and Supports

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

Arizona
State of Arizona
$600,000

Connecticut
Department of Social Services
$595,349

Louisiana
Department of Health and Hospitals
$464,184

Massachusetts 
Department of Mental Retardation
$579,178

Nebraska
Department of Health and Human Services
$600,000

Oregon
Oregon Health and Science University
$585,007

Texas
Department of Human Services
$599,763

Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
$513,557

CPASS Total Awarded:
$4,537,038



National State-to-State Technical Assistance Program for Community 
Living

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

New Jersey
Rutgers- The State University of New Jersey
$4,399,959

STS Total Awarded:
$4,399,959



Family-to-Family Health Care Information and Education Centers

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

Alaska 
Stone Soup Group
$149,991

Colorado
Cerebral Palsy of Colorado
$150,000

Indiana
The Indiana Parent Information Network, Inc. 
$150,000

Maryland
The Parents' Place of Maryland, Inc.
$150,000

Montana
Parents, Let's Unite for Kids
$150,000

Nevada
Family TIES of Nevada, Inc.
$150,000

New Jersey
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of NJ, Inc. 
$150,000

South Dakota 
South Dakota Parent Connection
$150,000

Wisconsin
Family Voices of Wisconsin
$142,972

FTF Total Awarded:
$1,342,963



Community-Based Treatment Alternatives for Children

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

Illinois
Department of Human Service
$100,000

Maryland
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
$100,000

Massachusetts 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
$100,000

Mississippi
Office of Governor
$99,000

Missouri
Department of Mental Health
$99,821

Texas
Health and Human Services Commission
$93,600

CTAC Total Awarded:
$592,421



Respite for Children

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

Alabama
Department of Mental Health
$100,000

Arkansas
Department of Human Services
$75,000

Maryland
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
$100,000

Michigan
Department of Community Health
$99,399

Oregon
Department of Human Services, Seniors and People with Disabilities
$99,274

Rhode Island 
Department of Human Services
$100,000

RFC Total Awarded:
$573,673



Technical Assistance for Consumer Task Forces

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

Kansas
Topeka Independent Living Resource Center
$549,999

TA/CTF Total Awarded:
$549,999



Respite for Adults

State
Organization
FY2003 Award

California
Department of Mental Health
$100,000

New York
New York State Department of Health
$74,285

Rhode Island 
Department of Human Services
$100,000

Ohio
Department of Aging/p>
$73,854

RFA Total Awarded:
$348,139