As the new year begins, join the Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC) and the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS) for a webinar focused on strengthening the connection between person-centered planning and advancing competitive, integrated employment.

The Link Center’s Policy Academy will assist as many as five state, territory, or tribal teams in creating resources and standard operating strategies that support an inclusive, accessible 988/Lifeline and crisis response system. The Academy will train teams to develop critical in-state, cross-systems strategies that support children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), brain injury (BI), and other cognitive and/or communication disabilities or differences who need 988 or other crisis response services.

This webinar will highlight the successes of two Self-Direction Learning Collaborative teams: Colorado and Ohio. The webinar will also introduce a new publicly available NCAPPS resource, A Guide for Developing Strategic Objectives to Expand Self-Direction, which offers a road map for public managers and advocacy organizations looking to make self-direction more available and accessible in their own states.

ACL’s disability network, people with disabilities, and advocates have until January 29, 2024, to submit comments on the FDA Workshop to Enhance Clinical Study Diversity, which included a session focused on inclusion of people with disabilities (with a focus on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities).

On November 20, a second round of ordering opened, allowing each household to place a second order to receive four more free tests. Households that have not yet placed an order can place two orders now, to receive a total of eight tests.

At the White House event, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that the department, through CMS, is providing additional tools that will help improve access for millions who receive Medicaid HCBS. CMS issued new guidance focused on building and maintaining worker registries so more individuals receiving Medicaid-covered services can receive care in a setting of their choice.

The course is designed for all personnel involved in disaster operations. It provides an introductory overview of information and strategies on how to include people with disabilities during mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) seeks comment on the draft of an update to the agency’s disability policy, which guides its work to advance inclusion of people with disabilities. Submit comments online until 5:00 PM ET on December 15, 2023.

We are sharing this important food safety update from the CDC.

The Aging and Disability Business Institute is seeking participation in the latest Community-Based Organization and Health Care Contracting Survey. They hope to hear about your health care contracting experiences.