The Community Living Exchange
The
Community Living Exchange (The
Exchange) is a joint effort
of Rutgers Center for State
Health Policy (CSHP) and the
National Academy for State
Health Policy (NASHP). The "Exchange" is
funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) through
grants awarded under the
Systems Change Community
Living Initiative launched
in September 2001.
The
Exchange is a vital hub of information
sharing, training and technical assistance
for more than 180 recipients of Systems
Change Grants for Community Living in 48
states, two territories and the District
of Columbia. Through a variety of activities,
The Exchange is breaking down long-standing
barriers that often prevent news of community
living innovations and ideas from traveling
from one organization, city or state to
the next. With easy access to technical
support and a wealth of information about
proven practices, grantees are freer to
focus on the important work of changing
systems to the benefit of people with disabilities.
The
Exchange is uniquely suited to provide
technical assistance in whatever form or
fashion an individual grantee may need.
TA services are included in three broad
categories:
- Information
Collection, Dissemination and Resource
Development-quantitative and qualitative
information on resource tools, consumer
information materials, policy briefs,
etc.;
- Training-on-site,
regional and national forums, audio conferences
and webcasts; and
- Individualized
Technical Assistance-the most customized
form of TA to help reduce barriers to
systems change and advance coherent strategies
for sustainable change.
Using
tools from any or all of these categories,
The Exchange works with individual Systems
Change grantees to create customized TA
strategies focused on accomplishing specific
goals. With assistance from The Exchange,
a number of states are making impressive
headway toward the day when people with
disabilities of all ages will have real
choice in where and how they live.
2007 The Community
Living Exchange