2003 Research and Demonstration Grants — Independence Plus Initiative

FLORIDA

Grant Information

Name of Grantee
Florida Department of Children and Families
Title of Grant
Florida Freedom Initiative
Type of Grant
Independence Plus Initiative
Amount of Grant
$501,801
Year Original Funding Received
2003

Contact Information

Shelly Brantley, Director DD
850–488–1559
shelly_brantley@dcf.state.fl.us

Susan Kaempfer, Project Administrator
850–414–8871
susan_kaempfer@dcf.state.fl.us

Renee Wahley, Project Director
Department of Children and Families
1317 Winewood Boulevard, Building 3
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Contact information not yet available


Subcontractor(s)

Center for Self-Determination

Target Population

Individuals with developmental disabilities who are enrolled in Florida's Consumer-Directed Care Plus (CDC+) Program, self-advocates, and their families.

Goals

Activities

Abstract

Current income and asset limits for disability benefits and welfare programs often discourage beneficiaries from seeking employment because they fear losing their benefits. This grant will build on Florida's current 1115 Research and Demonstration Waiver, Consumer-Directed Care Plus, a cash and counseling demonstration program approved to serve 3,350 individuals statewide. Considering the principles of self-determination, the grant will be used to explore opportunities to reform the system by working with the Social Security Administration to obtain a waiver to allow an increase in income and asset limits. Such an increase would allow individuals with developmental disabilities to work and explore typical housing opportunities while maintaining their SSI/SSDI eligibility until resources increase over current allowable levels.

The grant will also be used to fund an initiative to train self-advocates to work with the 1115 waiver program. This training initiative will incorporate the principle of self-determination. If the SSI waiver is obtained, the training will be expanded to develop and implement a comprehensive training and technical assistance effort related to the new income and asset limits, including a train-the-trainer initiative for individuals with disabilities and family members.

This project is a cooperative effort of the Florida Department of Children and Families' Developmental Disabilities Program, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, the Center for Self-Determination, the Department of Elder Affairs, the Department of Health, the Agency for Health Care Administration, and the Florida self-advocacy movement.