Self-Determined Health Care

The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD) has released a Request for Applications (RFA) to fund a grant focused on enhancing self-determination among individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) within the health care system. The funder, TCDD, is supported by the U.S. Administration for Community Living, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. TCDD is committed to funding initiatives that improve the lives of individuals with DD through advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change. This particular grant seeks to develop strategies, tools, and educational resources that support people with DD in articulating their health care needs and accessing medical services more effectively. The goal of the grant is to empower individuals with DD to become active participants in their health care by improving communication with providers, understanding health care rights, and identifying when additional support is needed. Projects may incorporate peer support, skill-building in self-advocacy, training on health care systems, and tools that help users articulate preferences and needs. Grantees are encouraged to adapt existing curricula or develop new resources, which may be delivered through in-person, virtual, or hybrid models. Examples of existing resources referenced include those from the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and the American Association of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry. The grant provides up to $125,000 annually to one selected organization for a period of up to five years. Matching requirements are based on geography: projects in federally designated poverty areas must contribute a non-federal match of at least 10% of total project costs, while those outside these areas must contribute at least 25%. The grantee must translate project materials into Spanish and other relevant community languages and submit all developed curricula and tools for TCDD approval before use. Additionally, at least one self-paced learning module must be made available, potentially via TCDD’s learning management system, Oasis. The grantee is required to implement a robust data collection and evaluation system. This includes pre- and post-training assessments to evaluate knowledge gains, as well as collecting demographic data on participants, including individuals with DD, family members, and providers. Follow-up with participants is required to document long-term impact, including increased advocacy and healthcare system navigation. Stories capturing participant experiences before and after training are also part of the required deliverables. Projects must be inclusive of participants from diverse backgrounds, including different racial, cultural, and gender identities across Texas. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. The extension was granted due to technical issues with the application system. Interested applicants must email [email protected] to request access to the application portal. Once submitted, applications will be reviewed by the TCDD Council, likely at the November 2024 meeting, though this date is subject to change. Late applications will not be accepted, and applicants facing technical submission problems are instructed to provide a detailed explanation via email. For additional questions, applicants may email [email protected]. TCDD will answer submitted questions through August 21, 2024, with the final day for submission of questions being August 16. The program contact address is TCDD, 6201 E. Oltorf St., Ste. 600, Austin, TX 78741-7509. This grant is part of TCDD’s broader effort to support innovative approaches that advance the goals and objectives in the TCDD State Plan, emphasizing equity, accessibility, and systems change for the DD community.