Transitioning People with Disabilities from Crowded, Congregate Facilities to Protect Them from COVID-19

Currently hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities continue to be housed in state-run or state-contracted institutions, or nursing homes, making them very vulnerable to the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centers Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a 66-page toolkit to encourage and help states rebalance long-term care offerings for people with disabilities to favor home and community-based services over large institutions.  We need federal and state authorities to act quickly on these guidelines to protect countless lives of people with disabilities

Community Options CEO Robert Stack sent a to letter calling on further action from CMS

He also sent a letter to states with the worst problems of warehousing people with disabilities in institutions or nursing homes, urging them to take action to quickly transition their residents out of these facilities. The letters went to NJ, NY, PA, SC, NC, TX and IL.

View more articles about how Community Options has supported deinstitutionalization here.

Disability Advocacy and Mindset – Meet a Trailblazer

July 11, 2024 | americannonprofitacademy.com online article Community Options empowers individuals with disabilities through innovative programs, person-first language, and meaningful employment opportunities. Learn about the transformative impact of inclusive living…

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Let’s Talk Legacies: Breaking Barriers: The Community Options Legacy: Valley Bank

April 25, 2024 Dive into the inspiring legacy of Community Options and witness how this extraordinary organization has been breaking barriers and reshaping lives since its founding in 1989. From…

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New Jersey young adults should not live in nursing homes

October 19, 2023 | Online article northjersey.com The insightful report from Disability Rights New Jersey confirmed advocates’ suspicions that New Jersey sanctions placing individuals with disabilities into nursing homes against…

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Fixing Pennsylvania’s 12,000 Person Waiting List for Disability Services

Nonprofit Executives Meet with Secretary of Human Services to Address Critical Needs for People with Severe Disabilities September 18, 2023 | Press Release.pdf Philadelphia, PA – Executives from Community Options,…

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Letters to the Editor | July 21, 2023

July 21, 2023 | inquirer.com online article Inquirer readers on historic district designations, taking action on climate change, and what justice means in the case of the Tree of Life…

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New nonprofit hopes to fill gaps left by closure of Glenwood Resource Center

December 20, 2022 | iowapublicradio.org online article Council Bluffs is expanding its treatment options for Iowans with developmental disabilities, after the announcement that the nearby Glenwood Resource Center would be…

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Murphy administration needs to stop warehousing people with disabilities

January 04, 2021 | nj.com The Murphy administration needs to act now to protect the lives of thousands of New Jerseyans largely forgotten during the pandemic. More than 9,000 state…

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Non-profit urges state to pull residents who are disabled out of long-term care centers

December 16 2020 | newjerseyglobe.com A Princeton-based non-profit urged Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson to pull more than 9,000 state residents with disabilities out of New Jersey’s long-term care centers.…

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Letter urging transitioning people with disabilities during COVID in TX

Robert Stack letter to TX.pdf December 14, 2020 Honorable Cecile Erwin YoungExecutive CommissionerTexas Health and Human ServicesBrown-Heatly Building4900 Lamar BoulevardP.O. Box 13427Austin, TX 78751-2316 Dear Commissioner Young, Thank you for…

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