The Bringing People Home initiative includes the named plaintiffs, their families and supporters, the Dignity Alliance, and six workgroups (ASAPs, Independent Living Centers, families and guardians, attorneys and advocates, behavioral providers, and cultural competency advocates) that assist in monitoring implementation of the Agreement.
With the support of our monitoring partners, CPR and its co-counsel helped the Commonwealth craft an informed choice policy memorializing, among other things, a robust in-reach program and principles of supported decision making, as referenced in the Settlement Agreement, and a starting presumption that everyone can live in the community. CPR is attempting to ensure that all of the core requirements for informed choice, as found by the federal court in its landmark decision in Steward v. Young (D.Tx), are incorporated in the final version of the policy.
The Settlement Agreement requires the Commonwealth to provide culturally and linguistically competent services and to train staff consistent with the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (“CLAS”). The Commonwealth reports that CLAS is now incorporated into all necessary training requirements. MassAbility and DDS have 3 hours over 3 modules of training incorporated into their training portal, and the entire DMH Nursing Facility team has completed the training. ASAPs and BH CPs are aware of the requirement and working towards compliance.
CPR and its co-counsel continue to work closely with the Commonwealth to ensure meaningful and informed choices for people in nursing facilities. Community Transition Liaison Program (CTLP) teams visit every nursing facility weekly to offer in-reach and informed choice to everyone, and transition assistance to those who choose to leave the facility. CPR continues to press for clear, detailed, and consistent CTLP requirements to ensure that all nursing facility residents can make a knowing and informed choice about whether they want to remain in the institution or move to a new home in the community, as required by the Steward decision.
People are coming home!
At the end of July, named plaintiff Richard Caouette moved out of his nursing facility placement and into a new, provider operated home. Richard, a U.S. Army veteran, entered a nursing facility following a stroke in 2020. For five years, he endured living in a small room shared with a roommate, with little natural light, and large amounts of unstructured time. He spent his days walking the hallways or watching television where he thought about all he was missing. Richard said, “For me, living in a nursing home is like living under martial law.” After his approval for the MFP-RS waiver program, Richard moved to his new home in Northborough—with his own room.