Center for Disabilities and Development

The Community Circle of Care (CCC) is a regional Systems of Care site comprised of a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that is organized to meet the challenges of children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. CCC uses a medical model along with a family team, wrap-around approach to provide clinical services and assures families that there is no “wrong door” to access supports. CCC serves children and youth from birth to 21 years old from the following counties: Allamakee, Buchanan, Clayton, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard, Jackson, and Winneshiek.

The guiding principles of CCC assure that all services are:

• Family-driven and youth-guided
• Community-based
• Collaborative
• Individualized
• Culturally-competent

The Career Connections Transition Program works with students with disabilities and attempts to:

• Assist high school seniors to develop specific career goals and action plans;
• Establish a model Super Seniors, 5th year vocational preparation program resulting in competitive employment matching student career goals;
• Foster replication through local, state, and national dissemination and technical assistance;
• Evaluate the program and modify procedures based on findings and Oversight Committee input; and
• Sustain the program with local resources.

The Conner Training Connection’s mission is to support Iowans with disabilities to live as fully participating members of their communities through the provision of training resources and technical assistance to consumers, their family members and service providers, and other disability advocates. The mission in short, advancing community living.

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CDD Employment and Asset Development/Self-Sufficiency Initiatives

The Center for Disabilities and Development partners with the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise of the Department of Human Services to implement Iowa’s Medicaid Infrastructure (MIG) grant. The purpose of the MIG grant is to:

• Increase in number of Iowans with disabilities employed in competitive jobs.
• Increase in earnings of Iowa’s Medicaid members with disabilities.

Iowans with disabilities and stakeholders, working in partnership with other state and local government and service agency staff, will achieve project outcomes by focusing on the following goals:

1. Improve the administrative infrastructure of Iowa’s Buy- In [Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities (MEPD)] by streamlining the premium determination process; exploring automated payment systems; and increasing dissemination of MEPD marketing materials.
2. Improve and increase awareness of other Medicaid services that support employment such as Iowa’s self-direction waiver service option being used for PAS in the employment setting; facilitating opportunities for MEPD members to become employed as Individual Support Brokers or PAS workers for Medicaid member who self-direct; and using the DRA to add workplace personal assistance services to Iowa’s Medicaid state plan.
3. Facilitate and enhance linkages between Medicaid and other employment-related services by strengthening collaboration with Iowa’s seven state agency “Governance Group” for employment related services; facilitating outreach and training with employers and consumers; and developing a peer network for youth with disabilities seeking employment).
4. Investigate financial planning and saving issues, attitudes and roadblocks to increased self-sufficiency within the community of persons with disabilities, using the data to inform policy and practice (e.g. survey Medicaid members to assess their knowledge attitudes and barriers related to financial resources; use data and results to develop policy recommendations).

Specialized Information and Referral

Iowa Compass has information about programs and services for Iowans with disabilities, their families and service providers. Access thousands of local, state and national programs for people with health-related conditions and disabilities. Call, email, chat, text or search the website for answers to your disability-related questions.

Learn more about Iowa Compass services and resources

The Used Equipment Referral Service (UERS) is an resource to buy or sell used adapted equipment or assistive technology. It works much like a want ad and is available for Iowans. It is now being hosted by Easter Seals Iowa. Visit eastersealsia.at4all.com for the most current listings of used equipment for sale.