Texas is one of 30 states chosen to receive federal funding to help persons who are elderly or who have disabilities move from institutional settings back into their communities.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) will receive approximately $33.6 million in new funding over the next five years, which will be paired with existing state and federal funding for a total of $143 million. The agency will use the money to enhance its successful Money Follows the Person (MFP) initiative and expand its effort for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and persons with behavioral health needs.

The MFP initiative helps people who are receiving long-term services and supports in a nursing facility return to the community to receive their services without having to be placed on a community services interest list.

The program was begun in September 2001 and since that time has helped more than 20,300 Texans transition back to the community to receive their long-term services and supports. The program took first-place honors in the Council of State Governments 2006 Innovations Awards competition last summer.

Marc Gold, DADS Promoting Independence manager, said the state proposed using the project money to build on its existing success to help transition up to 2,600 more people into the community over the next five years. “Our focus will be on people in nursing facilities who have complex or mental health needs and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are residing in medium to large intermediate care facilities.”

DADS and HHSC have convened an external advisory committee to assist the state in implementing the project.