The Boston College Graduate School of Social Work today launched a new technical assistance center that offers states the tools they need to implement a wide variety of participant-directed long-term care programs. The National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services is the only national center of its kind and is available to assist states and other entities that want to offer, or already offer, participant-directed services to people with disabilities. Participant-directed (also called consumer-directed and self-directed) long-term care programs help people of all ages across all types of disabilities maintain their independence and determine for themselves what mix of personal care services and supports work best for them.

“The mission of the National Resource Center is to give every person eligible to receive publicly funded long-term care services and supports the option to manage those services for themselves at home,” said Kevin J. Mahoney, PhD, director of the new Center and a professor at Boston College.

The National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services will provide technical assistance, training, research, and policy analysis to states and other organizations with the goal of improving the lives of people of all ages with all types of disabilities who want to maintain their independence and freedom to direct their own services and supports. The Center is funded by a $4.75 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a $3.5 million grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies, and additional support from the U.S. Administration on Aging and the Office for the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and the Veterans Health Administration.

View entire NRCPDC news release (PDF)