Prof. Kevin Mahoney (GSSW)
$3.5m Grant Boosts GSSW Effort for Elderly, Disabled
Atlantic Philanthropies to build on center's mission to improve the quality of services for the elderly and persons with disabilities
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Prof. Kevin Mahoney (GSSW), director of the Center for the Study of Home & Community Life (CSHCL), has been awarded a $3.5 million grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies that will build on the center's mission to improve the quality of supports and services for the elderly and persons with disabilities.The grant will assist Mahoney in establishing a center to help states develop programs for the elderly and disabled that are consumer-directed — in which individuals and families have greater control over the design and delivery of health care and related services.
Consumer-directed programs are at the heart of CSCHL, which administers Cash & Counseling, through which elders and adults with disabilities receiving Medicaid or other public funding have the option to manage a flexible budget and decide for themselves what mix of goods and services will best meet their personal care needs.
In addition, the Atlantic Philanthropies grant will support CSHCL's efforts to train care managers to work in the consumer-directed environment, and fund research to improve care and enhance the work of the center's National Participant Network.
"This is an important, new phase for the center," said Mahoney. "The first phase was testing Cash & Counseling in three states, involving about 6,700 people. The second phase was replicating C&C in 12 states, which showed that the consumer-driven model in health care could work on a broader scale.
"Now, with the generosity of Atlantic Philanthropies, the center is poised to be a national resource. We will be able to expand our activities beyond Cash & Counseling, and expand our focus beyond care for the elderly and persons with physical disabilities to other populations in need."
Mahoney pointed to the care manager training component of the grant as an example of the center's new direction. "In the medical model, a care manager develops a care plan for the patient and takes care of the contracts and other details. This model of care relies on the manager's professional judgment and skills in a rather 'traditional' sense.
"But now, along comes this idea that some elderly or disabled people can, and want, to develop the care plan themselves. It's a classic social work concept of empowering others so they can improve their lives. But this is a quite different scenario for many care professionals, and it takes a new set of skills and techniques for them to be successful: 'How can I help my patient or client consider their choices without controlling them?'
"Part of the training would involve bringing in not only clients in consumer-directed programs, but also other care managers who have been able to make the transition to the empowerment model. This approach provides a more comprehensive look at how care managers can work in this new context."
The Atlantic Philanthropies grant comes as CSHCL is preparing for several other new initiatives that will be announced in the next few months, and — along with the rest of the health care field — awaiting the arrival of a new administration in Washington.
Contemplating the latter, Mahoney says, "We've always sought to keep this a bipartisan effort, and to work with representatives of all parties. C&C started in the Clinton Administration, and President Bush endorsed the program. We anticipate being a part of the continuing and chronic care aspects of a future Obama initiative."
Sean Smith can be reached at sean.smith.1@bc.edu