Project Description:
The Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) Project represents a collaborative effort between the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, with grant funding from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council to identify ways to better supports persons receiving state DD funding.
Project administrators will be training interviewers from across the state to conduct interviews using the Supports Intensity Scale (Thompson et al., 2004). The SIS is a semi-structured interview between a trained SIS interviewer and a respondent. The respondent - who can be the parent or support staff of the person with a disability, or the consumer themselves - will provide the interviewer with information regarding the support needs of the consumer.
Using the SIS, consumers' support needs will be assessed across six domains including: (1) Home Living, (2) Community Living, (3) Lifelong Learning, (4) Employment, (5) Health and Safety, (6) Social. The level of intensity of support need for each activity will be assessed based upon frequency of support, daily support time, and the type of support required (i.e. physical support vs. monitoring support). In addition, the SIS contains supplemental sections devoted to (a) protection and advocacy issues as well as (b) exceptional medical/behavioral support needs.
For the present study, approximately 900 consumers with significant challenges will be identified statewide, assessed using the SIS, and subsequently tracked for a three year period. Participants will be selected for the study amongst consumers identified with exceptional support needs (waiver costs exceeding $130,000), consumers admitted to developmental centers, consumers with Developmental Disabilities diagnosis but living in mental health facilities, and consumers diagnosed with DD currently in a correctional institution. Service delivery mechanisms and cost of services at the time of the initial SIS interview will also be obtained.
In Year 3 the same 900 consumers will again be assessed using the SIS. Characteristics of intensity and pattern of support needs, individual support costs, and service delivery methods for the sample will be obtained and compared to data collected during Year 1. Successful, cost-effective service characteristics will be identified. The service profile of consumers with exceptional challenges will be compared to a random sample of waiver and ICF/MR consumers.
The aim of the project is to use the SIS to identify consumers' areas of strengths and needs, and use this information to create more personalized support programs tailored to each consumer's needs. As a by-product of personalization, supports should also become more cost-effective, and their delivery mechanism more efficient.
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Health-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities, Housing-Related Activities, Quality of Life, Other - Assistive Technology
