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Office of Adult, Disability, and Rehabilitation Services (ADRS)

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	Susan R. Hunt Interim Director

Vision:

The vision of the Office of Adult, Disability, and Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) is to be the Nation's Leader in service delivery, customer service, and quality of life through a primary focus on:

Prominence/Visibility
Integration/Coordination
Effectiveness
Modeling

Mission:

The mission of the Office of Adult, Disability, and Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) is to ensure safety for Colorado's adults and individuals with disabilities and rehabilitation needs. The Office promotes personal choice, independence, and improved quality of life.

Core Values:

Treat all people with dignity and respect.
Demonstrate compassion for the diversity of our clientele.
Provide honest communication and opportunity.
Practice high ethical standards in our work and community.

FY 08-09 Budget: $622,986,391 (total of all divisions/facilities)

Number of Employees: 1277.2 (total of all divisions/facilities)

Number of Clients Served in FY 07/08: 125,238 (total of all divisions/facilities)

Overview:

The Office of Adult, Disability, and Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) consists of the following divisions and facilities:

Aging and Adult Services
Division for Developmental Disabilities
Three Regional Centers
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services

The Division of Aging and Adult Services (AAS) mission is to assist recipients to live safely with maximum personal independence by planning and promoting an effective, integrated, accessible delivery system. The Division provides a variety of programs including: Adult Protection, Aid to the Needy Disabled, Old Age Pension, Nutrition Services for the Elderly, Home Care Allowance, Adult Foster Care, Transportation Services for the Elderly, Elder Abuse Prevention, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Services, In-Home Services for Frail Elderly, Long Term Care Ombudsman, Senior Community Services Employment. For more information regarding any of these programs, please contact Aging and Adult Services at 303.866.2800 or 888.866.4AGE (4243).

The Division for Developmental Disabilities (DDD) mission is to join with others to offer the necessary supports so all people with developmental disabilities have their rightful chance to:

Be included in Colorado community life
Make increasingly responsible choices
Exert greater control over life circumstances
Establish and maintain relationships and a sense of belonging
Develop and exercise competencies and talents
Experience personal security and self-respect

The Division provides Adult Comprehensive Services, Adult Supported Living Services, State-operated Regional Centers and Child and Family Services, which include: Early Intervention Services, Children's Extensive Support, Family Support Services, Family Support Loan Fund and Case Management Services for individuals who are developmentally disabled. For more information regarding any of these programs, please contact the Division for Developmental Disabilities at 303.866.7450.

Three State-operated Regional Centers located in Grand Junction, Pueblo and Wheat Ridge which proved 24-hour care programs for individuals with developmental disabilities who have very significant needs and for who adequate services and supports are not available in the community-based system to safely meet their needs. These individuals have complex medical needs, intensive therapy needs, “dual diagnosis” (those with mental health issues as well as developmental disabilities) and those who pose a community safety risk. Services include a wide variety of residential, day program, and health services. Services are provided through community Medicaid waiver group homes and on-campus in the Intermediate Care Facility for the mentally retarded. These three state-operated Regional Centers account for less than 5% of adults with developmental disabilities served. For more information regarding any of these programs, please contact the Division for Developmental Disabilities at 303.866.7450.

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVR) mission is to assist individuals whose disabilities result in barriers to employment to succeed at work and live independently. DVR’s staff is committed to assisting consumers to obtain vocational success and independence through evaluation, planning, and provision of services necessary to be successful in employment and comprehensive support during the process. DVR provides counseling, guidance, referral to expert vendors, assessment, training, and job preparation and job placement to help an individual with a disability to get and keep a job. DVR offers many programs including a Teaching Program, Youth Unit, Business Enterprise Program, Independent Living Program, Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, Self Employment Program, Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund Program, Business Outreach Program, and the Disability Program Navigators. For more information regarding the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, please call 303.866.4150 or 866.870.4595.

This Office is currently identifying ways that the divisions can work together to provide the most consistent and supportive services to Colorado residents. If you have questions about this office or programs available, please contact us at 303.866.2557 or by email.

Key Achievements:

The Division for Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance completed a new rate methodology system for the Home and Community Based Services comprehensive services waiver for people with Developmental Disabilities. This new rate methodology is the culmination of more than two years work to come into compliance with requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide a consistent and transparent uniform rate methodology for all individuals receiving services.
The legislature appropriated a significant number of new resources last fiscal year to address the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities waiting for services. Over 750 new resources totaling approximately $15.4 million dollars was made available.
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation’s (DVR) Business Enterprise Program (BEP) opened a new entity at one of the locations managed by a blind manager. For the first time in Colorado and one of the first times in the nation, a DVR agency, a blind manager, a federal agency whose building is the host site and a national company opened a franchise. Einstein Brothers Bagels opened its first BEP-franchised store at Federal Center Building #41 in Lakewood. The General Service Administration occupies this building and is excited to have this store in its building, as is the rest of the federal complex.
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Trust Fund (TF) Program worked with the Department as well as the TBI community to create a new Executive Order that will be signed by the governor on December 8, 2008. The Executive Order asks many of the State’s departments to work together to develop a plan to eliminate the barriers to service for people with TBI, as well as suggesting what needs to be put in place to provide services not yet existing in Colorado.
The number of people with developmental disabilities served by DVR continues to increase annually. The pilot project undertaken collaboratively with the Division of Developmental Disabilities to serve clients in the Community Centered Boards was a success and has been incorporated into the general program of DVR.
DVR has opened or reopened offices in places in the state that have not received services or were without service for a long time. The new or reopened locations are in Rocky Ford, Fort Morgan, Sterling, Trinidad, Edwards and Frisco. In many cases DVR shares space with The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Workforce Centers. Opening offices allows potential clients to more easily access DVR’s services. DVR currently has 42 offices in the state.
A new pattern of service was developed by DVR and reached its one-year anniversary in the past fiscal year. The Business Outreach Specialists have been effective in their first year at reaching out in their communities, making contact with potential employers and educating them about DVR’s services and the benefits of hiring DVR clients. During the current year, they will be working more directly on placing clients and working with counselors and employers to find the right fit for DVR’s clients.
The annual E3 Job Fair, which occurs in Denver in the fall, was integrated for the first time this year. In the past DVR held a separate job fair for its clients with disabilities looking for work in this area. This year, DVR and its partners mobilized a cadre of volunteers to assist any person with disabilities wanting to attend the E3 Job Fair.
DVR met 100% of its federally required Standards and Indicators.
DVR began a Veterans Initiative. This initiative was designed to include any and all organizations who serve veterans. It includes members from state and federal government agencies as well as Fort Carson’s Wounded Warriors Unit. The group decided to create a website to make it easy for veterans, their families and their care providers to find information they needed. The group has contacted a unit in the Department of Defense that is creating a comprehensives website for veterans, their families and care providers and will model its website after this one. The group has also launched a group in the Front Range area that meets monthly for professionals providing job placement to veterans. This group allows professionals to share ideas, job leads and clients ready for work with one another. DVR hopes to begin similar sharing groups in other parts of the state.
DVR piloted a new technology for both staff and clients. Videophones allow people who are deaf to more easily communicate via telephone. DVR was so pleased with the results that it has placed more of the phones in offices throughout the state that need them.
Silverprint Colorado – This initiative is still going strong, by providing national and local best practices in the area of aging. The silverprintcolorado.org website continues to help reduce fragmentation and duplication by acting as a clearinghouse for a wide range of materials and information about aging.
Senior Source – The Colorado Commission on Aging received approximately $370,000 in grants from the Rose Community Foundation, Colorado Health Foundation, and Caring for Colorado to support “Senior Source,” a multi-media campaign to provide health and well-being information to baby boomers and older adults.
Seniors and Civic Engagement – Colorado was one of just eight states selected to participate in the National Governors’ Association’s Center For Best Practices Policy Academy, “Civic Engagement: Engaging Seniors in Volunteering and Employment.” From this initiative came the website, coloradoexperiencebank.com which connects seniors with locating a new career, enrolling into lifelong learning and contributing to their community through volunteering opportunities.

Contact Information:

Colorado Deparment of Human Services
Office of Adult, Disability, and Rehabilitation Services
1575 Sherman Street, 8th Floor
Denver, Colorado 80203
303.866.2557 - Telephone
303.866.5652 - Fax

Revised December 31, 2008