Our evaluation and quality assurance work had included multiple projects for the state of Oregon Office of Developmental Disability Services. Projects have provided data analysis, process and methods review, and recommendations for the Oregon Needs Assessment tool; evaluation of service quality, access and cost under the 1915(b) Medicaid Waiver; and implementation of an independent review of the Lane vs. Brown Settlement Agreement.

Oregon Needs Assessment

The Oregon Needs Assessment tool was developed at the instruction of the Oregon Legislature to have a single tool for evaluation of service needs for people entering the DD system or continuing with state Medicaid services. Our work has been to analyze pilot data on inter-rater reliability of the instrument, guide additional data collection and conduct further analyses of inter-rater reliability, and review and provide recommendations on quality assurance plans for implementing the Oregon Needs Assessment.

Medicaid waiver evaluation

Oregon uses Medicaid funding to provide home and community-based services (HCBS) to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who would otherwise need care in an institutional setting. In order to meet federal requirements, Oregon restricts the kinds of entities that can provide case management for people receiving HCBS through a 1915(b) Medicaid waiver. We partnered with OHSU’s Center for Health Systems Effectiveness to conduct an independent evaluation of access to services under the waiver, quality of services under the waiver, and cost effectiveness of the waiver to facilitate another five year renewal of the waiver program.

National Core Indicators

National Core Indicators is a project that gathers health information and a standard set of performance and outcome measures. Four hundred adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and receive one other state service beyond case management are personally interviewed annually in order to find out how services and support affect overall health and quality of life.

Lane vs. Brown settlement agreement

We conducted 348 in-person interviews with youth and adults with disabilities who were impacted by this class action lawsuit around employment practices in the state of Oregon. The UCEDD provided technical assistance to the court monitor in survey development, and joined with the Court Monitor, the state of Oregon, and Disability Rights Oregon to train surveyors and implement the independent review. Findings from the Lane Independent Review interviews will inform Oregon’s work to move more people towards competitive, integrated employment.