November 17, 2011

Addition of 11 more counties means 1,300 Missourians will receive home- and community-based services under innovative county/state/federal partnership

Gov. Nixon announces expansion of Partnership for Hope to serve 300 more Missourians with developmental disabilities

OZARK, Mo. - Gov. Jay Nixon today visited the Christian County Developmental Disability Board to announce that the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has given approval to expand Missouri's successful Partnership for Hope to include 11 more counties and an additional 300 individuals with developmental disabilities.

With the expansion, the Partnership for Hope will provide home and community-based services to 1,300 individuals in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis. Because families can receive these services sooner, the need for residential or institutional programs is delayed or avoided in many cases. The counties approved to be added include Barry, Christian, Grundy, Morgan, Oregon, Perry, Randolph, Reynolds, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard and Wayne. They join the 73 counties and the City of St. Louis currently participating in the program.

The Partnership for Hope began enrolling an initial group of 470 individuals in October 2010. Last February, the federal government approved a request by Gov. Nixon's administration to expand the partnership to 500 additional individuals. In June, Gov. Nixon authorized the Department of Mental Health to seek approval for a further expansion of Partnership for Hope by an additional 300 individuals; that additional request has now been approved by CMS.

Prior to implementation of the Partnership for Hope, demand for home- and community-based services resulted in a large backlog of Missouri families waiting for help. Because of the backlog, many families waited years to receive the services they needed. Priority had been given to individuals in crisis, such as individuals who were homeless or whose primary caregiver had passed away. In many of those cases, residential or institutional treatment became the only option. 

"I've met with families from around the state whose lives have been changed for the better by the Partnership for Hope," Gov. Nixon said. "Hundreds of Missourians with developmental disabilities are living up to their fullest potential, and families are able to stay together. It has been an unqualified success."

Through the Partnership for Hope, individuals receive up to $12,000 in services per year.  Funding for the program comes from the DMH, county developmental disability boards and CMS. The county boards are contributing $2.9 million annually for the program, which is matched by $2.9 million in existing state funds and up to $9.4 million from the federal government. 

The partnership began enrolling Missourians in October 2010. Already, approximately 1,090 individuals have enrolled and are receiving services, and more individuals are moving through the enrollment process.

"In just the first year of Partnership for Hope, the developmental disability boards in almost three-fourths of our counties are working closely with the Department of Mental Health to provide services to people in their homes and in the communities where they live," Gov. Nixon said. "I look forward to continuing to work together with our county and federal partners to bring support, encouragement and hope to families in every corner of our state."

Counties already participating in Partnership for Hope include:

• Adair
• Audrain
• Barton
• Benton
• Boone
• Buchanan
• Caldwell
• Callaway
• Camden
• Cedar
• Clark
• Clay
• Clinton
• Cole
• Cooper
• Crawford
• Dade
• Dallas
• DeKalb
• Dent
• Franklin
• Gasconade
• Gentry
• Greene
• Harrison
• Henry
• Hickory
• Holt
• Howard
• Howell
• Jackson
• Jasper
• Jefferson
• Johnson
• Knox
• Lafayette
• Lawrence
• Lewis
• Lincoln
• Linn
• Livingston
• Macon
• Maries
• Marion
• McDonald
• Mercer
• Miller
• Moniteau
• Monroe
• Montgomery
• Newton
• Osage
• Ozark
• Pettis
• Phelps
• Pike
• Platte
• Putnam
• Ralls
• Ray
• Saline
• Schulyer
• Scotland
• Shelby
• St. Charles
• St. Clair
• St. Francois
• St. Louis City
• Stone
• Sullivan
• Taney
• Vernon
• Washington
• Worth

Missourians with developmental disabilities can learn more about the Partnership for Hope at MO.gov.