Overview:
This webinar shares the actions taken by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after two class action lawsuits were settled in favor of plaintiffs with brain injury seeking community living in lieu of institutional services. On June 2, 2008, a landmark settlement was reached that enables individuals with brain injuries to move out of nursing facilities and into the community as the result of the Hutchinson v. Patrick settlement. A similar lawsuit, Rolland V. Patrick, was settled in 2013, after 15 years of litigation. The lead plaintiff in the Rolland lawsuit was a women with cerebral palsy.
Following these lawsuits, the state has implemented two brain injury Medicaid Home and Community-based (HCBS) Waiver programs. In 2013, the Hutchinson Settlement was revisited, and a Money Follows the Person Demonstration project and two additional HCBS waivers were written, approved, and linked to the settlement. An enhanced education and outreach program to ensure class members are aware of opportunities to leave institutional settings and reside in the community was also implemented.
Speaker: Sandy Biber, Director, Community Based Services
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
Questions? Contact training@nashia.org