Disabilities
From employment opportunities to the expansion of community-based housing and services, public programs for individuals with disabilities are in constant growth and evolution. The University of Massachusetts Medical School's Commonwealth Medicine division conducts research programs that equip public policy- and decision-makers with the information and analysis needed to ensure that services to the disabled community are cutting-edge, comprehensive and effective.Commonwealth Medicine's Center for Health Policy and Research is leading the way in implementation and evaluation of groundbreaking federally funded initiatives to enhance services for people with disabilities. Its Real Choice Systems Change Medicaid grant brought together Massachusetts policy makers and representatives from the disability community to design and implement long-term care services to allow people with disabilities to live in their communities.
Through a collaboration of individuals with disabilities and their families, employers, direct service providers and policy-makers in the state, the Center is also applying additional Medicaid grant funds to maximize employment opportunities for people with disabilities who want to work. Under this initiative, the Center lends its expertise in policy consultation, service improvement strategies and research into the efficacy of newly created programs.
Part of the Medical School, and based at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Center for Health Policy and Research's Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research (CDDER) provides unmatched expertise in research and analysis of public programs serving the developmentally disabled community. CDDER provides valuable support to public sector agencies serving this population regarding Best Practice research in clinical care, health services, quality improvement, as well as safety and risk management.
Furthermore, CDDER helps agencies design more effective data management systems and conducts practical and comprehensive data analysis, providing useful, practical information to help our clients improve the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities. We consider ourselves an extension of the agencies we serve and place a high value on collaboration and partnership.