We care about the people who use services for behavioral health, disability or aging. Just as important are the families and loved ones serving in caregiving roles.
As experts in your role, we need your help.
Community-Based Services Overview
Hope and Opportunity in Many Environments (HOME) is a project in Iowa that is working to improve and ensure that everyone has access to high-quality behavioral health, disability and aging services in their communities.
To achieve this, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) collaborated with partners at Mathematica and The Harkin Institute. They conducted an evaluation of community-based services and published a final evaluation report in early 2023. The report provides recommendations on how Iowa can improve these services.
Based on those recommendations, the team created a transformation plan to guide the next steps and implement the suggested improvements.
You can help shape the future of this project by sharing your thoughts and ideas through virtual and in-person community feedback opportunities.
How to Get Involved
Iowa HHS is rebuilding its community-based services (CBS) to support Medicaid members in finding Hope and Opportunity in Many Environments (HOME).
Our goal is to enhance services, allowing people to remain in their communities with their loved ones, and making it easier for them to access the help they need.
We've teamed up with the Mathematica-Harkin group to host feedback sessions across Iowa where dedicated Iowans can voice their thoughts and ideas. Your involvement in HOME will shape the future of CBS in Iowa.
You can get involved in multiple ways:
Join virtual or in-person group discussions about the CBS system.
Share your personal experiences through one-on-one interviews.
Provide feedback through online surveys on specific services and support.
Share additional suggestions through online public comments to improve the CBS system.
We want input from various groups of Iowans, including:
Individuals receiving CBS services, caregivers, and advocates
CBS service providers
Case managers and supervisors
Community-based organizations and advocacy groups
Together, we can make a difference and create a HOME that supports health, social connection and quality of life.
Other ways to get involved:
Stay updated by checking this website regularly, as well as Iowa Medicaid's Twitter and Facebook pages. They share progress updates, milestones, resources, upcoming activities and more.
The Hope and Opportunity in Many Environments (HOME) team is working to improve systems for all Iowans accessing community-based services. This system redesign will take place through December 2024 and is an opportunity for Iowans to share their feedback and improve community-based services. Recent updates, resources and current project timeline can be found here. The timeline below includes opportunities for feedback from community members, providers, case managers and supervisors and community-based organizations and advocacy staff.
We will begin doing interviews with individuals to help us better understand individual’s lived experience on HCBS waiver waitlists. The information provided will be important to help us understand opportunities to improve based on Iowan's lived experience.
We have been mapping out the waitlist process that Iowans currently navigate to get home and community services. This has helped us understand how Iowans interact with IA HHS and the waitlist process. It has also given us a clearer view of the internal systems used to support the waitlist. We now have a much clearer picture of how Iowans experience the process today - from application to a waiver program, through waiting for services, to waiver enrollment. This review that will allow us to identify where we can improve the process to make it easier to use in the future.
We surveyed Iowans who use community-based services, their caregivers, case managers and service providers. This helps us better understand your experiences with services and supports. We use the information you provided to identify opportunities to improve how you receive services and supports. We want to thank everyone for the tremendous response in helping us understand how we can make services better for you. Well over 600 Iowans responded! Between July 10 and July 28, 254 people who use services and caregivers, 146 case managers, and 240 providers completed the survey. Findings from the survey results include:
Home-delivered meals, interim medical monitoring and treatment and nutritional counseling were the top services that people who use services and caregivers reported not being able to access.
Home and/or vehicle accessibility adaptations, assistive devices and nursing were the top services that people who use services and caregivers reported as not fully meeting their needs.
Lack of providers and staff turnover was one of the top barriers to accessing services, and the leading concern reported by people who use services and caregivers, providers and case managers.
HOME put out a survey to learn about people’s experiences with community-based services. These services and supports help people live, work and help in their communities. Examples of these are case management, personal care and home health care, medical equipment, assistive devices and other services and supports. Through July 28, 2023, the survey was open for individuals who use community-based Medicaid services, caregivers (like family members or natural supports), service providers and case managers. The HOME team will use the information gathered from this survey to inform ways that HHS can make it easier for people to access the services they need to be healthy and independent.
HOME will be coming to communities across Iowa soon. To help us connect with invested Iowans, Iowa HHS will be hosting events across the state to share information, provide HOME updates and hear community voices to inform the project. We need and value your perspectives and feedback to inform HOME decision-making and to make community-based services better. These in-person events are a great way for you to voice your challenges and discuss solutions. More information is coming soon on dates and locations. Please be sure to check back for details or fill out the interest form so we can reach out to you with more information.
