Chapter 171

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Facts About
CHAPTER 171 OF THE ACTS OF 2002
AN ACT PROVIDING SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES

PURPOSE:

This is not just about respite care! It's about giving individuals with disabilities and their families a voice in crucial decisions being made about their lives. It's about providing a variety of flexible home and community supports that help families stay together and help people with disabilities or chronic illnesses live outside of institutions.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

• Require each agency to develop an annual Individual and Family Support agency plan with specific objectives and with substantial consultation from individuals and families.
• Provide consumer developed guidelines for agencies to use when developing needed supports.
• The following agencies are included in this law: the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Mental Retardation, the Department of Public Health, the Division of Medical Assistance and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

• Good supports are essential for people with disabilities or chronic illness to live in their own homes, not institutions, and far less costly than institutional care.
• Increasing consumer involvement in the planning and evaluation of supports will help eliminate inappropriate, wasteful or badly run services.
• Current program structures are not flexible enough to meet unique needs.
• Existing supports are not coordinated and this places additional burdens on people who rely on them

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