Affiliations: 22820 Peach Tree Road, Boyds, MD 20841, USA | Center for Outcome Analysis, Havertown, PA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Ron Conley, Ph.D., Consultant, Tel.: +1 301 428 0362; E-mail: rwconley@wildblue.net.
Abstract: The Florida Freedom Initiative (FFI) was an innovative demonstration project that utilized Waivers from the Medicaid program and the Supplemental Security Income Program, and greatly expanded counseling to increase integrated employment and independence among persons with significant disabilities. Although the FFI Waiver was not renewed at the end of three years, a subsequent assessment provided significant insights as to needed future program directions. It was clear that enrollees were as interested in being able to save for items such as car, home, or starting a business, as they were in improving their earnings. Unfortunately, many obstacles were encountered. There was considerable resistance from families due to: the prospect of low earnings; transportation problems; fear of losing benefits; and a lack of trust in the continuity of the FFI. In addition, some local agencies were not fully conversant with the FFI, some resisted efforts to place certain people in employment because of prior negative assessments of capability to work, and some responded very slowly to requests from FFI participants on such issues as program eligibility or the effect of employment on benefits. Ultimately, for these and other reasons, one must conclude that current programs to assist persons with significant disabilities to achieve vocational and other goals are dysfunctional, and significant changes are needed.
