In December 2024, the Maine Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) started a project to improve the quality of home and community-based services (HCBS). OADS worked with a group called Alvarez and Marsal (A&M). This project was meant to identify opportunities to help many groups that interact with HCBS, including people with an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder and the people who support them.
OADS has now shared its final report and next steps with groups involved in keeping people safe and held town halls to inform everyone about the report and potential changes that might happen to continue trying to keep people safe and healthy. In those town halls, DHHS talked about:
- Summary of the HCBS Quality Assurance project.
- Ideas that could make incident management better.
- What OADS plans to do next.
- Questions & Answers.
In case you weren't able to attend or if you are interested, here are the resources:
- the report (PDF) and
- a recording of the town hall.
OADS will keep talking to members, self-advocates, families, guardians, advocates, providers, case managers, care coordinators, and other groups as they start to make these changes – especially OADS’ commitment to the HCBS Quality Improvement Collaborative as a method for continued partnership with these groups. That group will be announced soon, and the positions will likely be appointed by the DHHS Commissioner.
If you have any questions or feedback in the meantime, you can email: HCBSQA.OADS@maine.gov.