Project Description:
Disparities based on race, ethnicity, and languages spoken (other than English) are well documented across this nation's human, health, social services, and education systems and are the product of inequities. Such disparities are not unique to California nor to developmental disabilities systems. What is unique to developmental disabilities systems is how they lag far behind in defining exactly what equity means, how equity is manifested in supports and services, how to measure efforts to achieve equity across the complex array of supports and services within these systems, and how to advance equity in partnership with those disproportionately impacted by disparities and other stakeholders. A comprehensive evaluation of and quality improvement recommendations for the California Service Access and Equity grantee program will require an analysis of not only per capita purchase of service expenditures, but also an examination of the root causes of disparities resulting from structural inequities that affect persons with developmental disabilities across racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups. Commensurate with accepted evidence about disparities and inequities in health and human services, a comprehensive evaluation must include queries to ascertain the extent to which discrimination, racism and other "isms", and power differentials are contributing factors. The Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC), which shares faculty and staff with the Georgetown UCEDD, in partnership with Mission Analytics, Inc., is conducting an independent evaluation of the state of California's Department of Developmental Services, Service Access and Equity Grant Program.
The evaluation is designed to conduct a comprehensive assessment and make recommendations to California DDS on ways to strengthen the program. Project tasks include: (1) Analyze the impact of the Service Access and Equity grant program using data generated by the grantees and administrative data from DDS to identify changes that would improve the grant program's effectiveness in increasing access and reducing disparities; (2) Develop qualitative and quantitative measures designed to assess the impacts and outcomes for future Service Access and Equity grants administered by California Department of Developmental Services; and (3) Develop recommendations for metrics that can be used to prioritize areas of focus, populations, and interventions that will have an impact on disparities reduction at the individual, family, community, organization, and systems levels. The expected benefits of this project is to increase the efficacy and impact of DDS to decrease disparities and increase equity within its system of supports and services including Regional Centers and community-based organizations. The expected benefits for this project, while specifically affect the state of California, may have implications for other state DD systems to their efforts to reduce disparities experienced by persons with IDD and their families from racial, ethnic, linguistic, and other groups who are marginalized, underserved, unserved, and/or inappropriately served in the current systems.
Keyword(s):
equity, disparities, cultural competence, linguistic competence
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote, Urban
