The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) awarded a $100,000 grant to Management Support Solutions to develop a comprehensive report examining the availability and usefulness of culturally and linguistically tailored information that helps people with developmental disabilities and their families access community services and supports. The report will include recommendations and strategies to improve how information on accessing the community service system can be made more easily available and relevant.“People with developmental disabilities and their families have difficulty accessing reliable and understandable information about the system of services and supports that are available in Virginia. The Board is delighted to work with Management Support Solutions in developing strategies and recommendations that provide concise information on best practices for supporting people with developmental and other disabilities and their family members in accessing accurate, high-quality information on community services and supports,” said Teri Morgan, the Board’s Executive Director. “We appreciate Management Support Solutions’ commitment to serving our Commonwealth’s diverse citizens and helping us strategize on developing culturally appropriate messaging about community services.”Mary Lou Bourne, Management Support Solutions’ President, said the organization looks forward to working collaboratively with all aspects of the Virginia DD system, particularly family members and self-advocates, to carry out the grant activities.“Our goal is to identify examples of promising practices, find opportunities for improving practices and identify innovative strategies which result in useful, equitable and user-friendly methods to distribute meaningful information to all who need it,” Bourne said.“This partnership will help develop a deep understanding of current practices underway in Virginia, aimed at distributing information to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and about community-based services available across the Commonwealth,” she added. |
