Thursday, October 13, 2016
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is an international organization that provides services and advocacy for adults and children with disabilities. UCP recently released its annual report ranking state performance on services: The Case for Inclusion 2016.
The report acts as a snapshot of individual state performance in terms of Medicaid programs and services offered to Americans with disabilities. It also ranks individual states based on their performance in comparison to other states. States that have performed particularly well are identified in the hopes that their policies and other practices will be replicated.
2016 Results
The latest report, which draws on data from 2014, is unchanged from most years in that it highlights the fact that all states have room for improvement. It does point out, however, that a certain number of states have consistently remained in the lowest ranking since the first Case for Inclusion report in 2006.
Highlights
- Similar to the 2015 report, 32 states met the 80/80 Home and Community Standard – this standard means that 80% of individuals with disabilities are served in community settings, with 80% of the resources being spent on individuals with disabilities are earmarked for community and home – based settings.
- 15 states have no state institutions to seclude individuals with disabilities – Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Mew Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Another nine (see report for details) have only one each.
- 27 states (vs. 26 from 2015) report meeting 80% Home Like Setting (80% of individuals with disabilities receive services in a home).
- 15 states(an improvement of 5 states from last year) report at least 10% of individuals with disabilities using self-directed services, with five states reporting at least 20% as being self-directed.
- 10 states (a two state improvement) report having at least 33% of individuals with disabilities working in competitive employment.
- 15 states report successfully placing at least 60% of Vocational Rehabilitation individuals in jobs.
The most concerning highlight – which is sadly repeated every year – involves the wait list for residential and community services. In 2016, it was again reported that the wait lists times are high and show unmet need, with almost 350,000 people (an increase of 28,000) on a wait list. As a positive note, 18 states (increased from 16 last year) reported no waiting list or a small waiting list.
Top Ten States
The top ten states count among their ranks states that are both big and small, rich and poor (in regards to median family income), with high and low tax burdens. Seven of the top ten states were identified as Democratic, as identified using 2012 presidential election results.
Beginning with #10, the top states rank as follows: Maryland, South Dakota, Missouri, District of Columbia, California, Hawaii, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont. The top ranking state in the country, according to UCP, is Arizona.
Of particular interest to us here at ILO is the performance of Maryland and Washington, D.C., ranked 10th and 7th respectively, with both states making the Most Improved Since 2007 list. In the case of Maryland, this increase in ranking can be attributed to the increase in individuals in their own home vs. family home (rose to 82% from 74%) and foster care, as well as an impressive decrease in congregate and large state institution. The portion of resources dedicated to people in the community also increased dramatically, from 86% to 99%. Washington D.C. also experienced similar increases, reporting that 93% of individuals with disabilities are now served in home-like settings, with a dramatic increase in the percentage of resources dedicated to those receiving home and community-based services (up to 64% from 10%).
The positive increases shown in Maryland and the District of Columbia are the result of many advocates and families working to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. The pioneering work we are doing with ILO families is necessary, important, and of value not only to the individuals we serve, but can also benefit our communities as we create more connections and awareness about the need for inclusion and integration in work and housing.
Worst Ranking States
The worst ranking states remained relatively unchanged from last year. In regards to the 10th-5th ranking states, there was a slight change upward, with North Dakota occupying the tenth spot (up from last year when it was the 6th), and Oklahoma, Idaho, Iowa, and Idaho moving up slightly from their 2015 rankings. The bottom five states retained their same rankings. Here is a list of the rankings, beginning at the 10th and ending with the worst ranked state: Idaho (42nd), Wyoming (43), Oklahoma (44), Iowa (45), North Dakota, (46), Illinois (47), Montana (48), Arkansas (49) and Texas (50). As with last year, Mississippi has ranked the worst-performing state, holding spot 51.
To see a completed explanation of the ways in which the states were ranked, and specific performance information for each state, you can download the full UCP Case for Inclusion 2016 report. The Case for Inclusion website also provides free links to past reports in order to allow comparisons between state performance on a yearly basis.
Would You Like More Information?
Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. We hope that we were able to provide you with some interesting information and useful resources that you can use in your search for home and community-based services and advocacy efforts.
We urge you to take a few moments to visit the UCP website, and examine The Case for Inclusion 2016 report in greater detail; we have only provided a brief look at a document, which contains data that is incredibly relevant to the special needs communities that exist across the country.
If you have any questions about this report in general, or would like to learn how Integrated Living Opportunities is working to increase integrated, inclusive, independent communities for individuals with disabilities in Maryland and Washington, D.C. take a moment to browse our website or contact us. We appreciate and value every question, comment, and suggestion.
