February 13, 2025 By CDHD A blueprint for change on Idaho's HCBS system The Idaho Living Well project recently wrapped up six-years of work on researching and developing strategies to improve Idaho’s home and community-based services (HCBS) system. The project set off with a goal to build an innovative, self-advocate led and collaborative health and safety monitoring system designed to protect adults living in HCBS settings against abuse, neglect and exploitation. This was to be achieved through key objectives: Create a single, integrated community-based reporting and monitoring system. Develop a sustainable self-advocate train-the-trainer model to carry out statewide training on topics like self-advocacy, self-determination, principles of person-centered thinking and more. Establish direct support professional qualifications, competencies and training requirements, and propose a reimbursement model guided by evidence-based practices and quality indicators. Deliver sustainable, accessible training for direct support staff taught by self-advocates, family member advocates and professionals. Develop a culturally and linguistically competent service system for the Latino community in Idaho. This collaborative project included support from Disability Rights Idaho, Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, Community NOW! and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The project focused on bringing people with disabilities and family member advocates to the table to provide invaluable input and feedback on Idaho Living Well’s work. Through an Advocate Advisory Committee and a Culturally Responsive Advisory Committee, Idaho Living Well effectively gathered and incorporated lived experience that helped form strategies to improve and build effective systems. Among many achievements, the Project was able to: make recommendations to enhance and improve Idaho’s abuse and neglect reporting and monitoring system develop self-advocacy training modules and create certified, Idaho-based person-centered thinking trainers establish workgroups to address system changes in the direct care workforce develop and grow meaningful connections with Idaho’s Latino disability community create and share countless resources in both English and Spanish. The work of Idaho Living Well resulted in the 2024 Idaho Living Well Blueprint – a comprehensive document on lessons learned and goals achieved over the course of six years. Not only does this document provide a detailed overview of the Project’s work, but it can also be used by other states and organizations to develop their own strategies and system improvements. Review the Idaho Living Well Blueprint to fully understand the scope of this incredible work. Note that a Spanish translation is coming soon and will be available through the Idaho Living Well website.