How DRI Helps
Disability Rights Iowa is an advocate for people with disabilities in restrictive settings, and those trying to stay in less restrictive settings. We work to educate Iowans with disabilities, families, and communities about the benefits of community-based settings. Our goals for better education for youths with disabilities and mental illness are:
Increasing the options of adults who want to live in the community rather than facilities to successfully transition to the community.
Individuals with disabilities have the right under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision to receive services in the most integrated settings within a reasonable timeframe.
How We Will Achieve This Goal
- Represent individuals residing in nursing facilities to ensure that nursing facilities are implementing federal law regarding discharge planning and transitions to community-based settings
- Represent individuals residing in intermediate care facilities who wish to return to the community and are not receiving adequate transition planning
- Review Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) Level II Specialized Services and Care Plans of individuals in Nursing Facilities to ensure specialized services that would assist individuals in returning to the community are in place
- Educate residents of nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities about rights, including the right to participate in decisions about where they live and what services they receive
Ensuring that adults on home and community-based service waivers who live in settings where services are received 24 hours a day, have full access to the community.
Additionally, through the person-centered planning process, ensure adults on home and community-based service waivers have control over daily life decisions including what services they receive and who provides them. This is important so that all individuals with disabilities can live in a truly integrated community.
How We Will Achieve This Goal
- Continue to monitor state and federal oversight of HCBS Waiver programs
- Provide advocacy to persons not receiving Person Centered Planning
- Monitor compliance with CMS’ home and community-based settings rule and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with the rule, including requesting Iowa Medicaid Enterprises to submit a setting through the heightened scrutiny process
- Monitoring 24-hour HCBS settings to identify individuals who are not receiving person centered planning
- In carrying out this goal, DRI will monitor six (6) providers of HCBS services
Live in the most integrated community setting.
DRI can help. Fill out our intake form by clicking the button below.
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Support community integration for Iowans with disabilities.
Want to Learn More?
Browse our resources related to abuse & neglect.
