At the end of last year, Iowa’s UCEDD was awarded a grant from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to serve as the Technical Assistance and Call Center for Iowa’s new Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Network. The UCEDD assembled a staff to establish the new ADRC Network, bringing together aging and disability partners across the state to provide specialized training and technical assistance. After months of preparation, Iowa’s ADRC Network launched on July 1, 2025.
The three-part ADRC Network now serves as Iowa’s first “No Wrong Door” system, providing people with disabilities and older adults in the state with information and resources, no matter the point of contact. The Network includes Disability Access Points (DAPs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), and the Technical Assistance and Call Center. It allows Iowans to reach out for support in person around the state, or by phone, email or website.
Iowa Compass, the long-standing call service and community resource database based at the UCEDD, is serving as the ADRC Call Center. Compass staff has grown to meet the increased volume of daily calls and inquiries. And database specialists are working to include more aging-related information and resources. Though Iowa Compass hours changed to align with statewide partners, the phone number remained the same to support consumers through the transition to the ADRC Network.
UCEDD staff are also working with long-time partner at the University of Iowa College of Public Health—the Institute for Public Health Practice, Research and Policy. Together they are developing “The Commons,” an online platform which will include a learning management system to provide training and resources.
