Partners II—Serving Older Persons with Developmental Disabilities: Obstacles and Inducements to Collaboration Among Agencies

Abstract

Neither the aging nor the disabilities services system is prepared for the rapid growth in the numbers of persons who are older and who have a developmental disability. The Partners II Project in Virginia worked simultaneously to enhance service coordination and capacity building at the local level, while providing policy direction to address barriers to efficient service provision at the state level. A survey of the several state and local service provider organizations identified operational structures and procedures that impede or facilitate service delivery. Methods used to identify potential clients, to establish client needs, to appropriate human and material resources, and to evaluate achievement of service objectives were investigated. Policy recommendations to improve service coordination were based on the results of these surveys. Service practices do not yet routinely include proactive initiatives for adults who enter later life with lifelong disabilities. The study outlines a policy-making process that is based on quantified procedures, logically derived from direct observations, and tied to pragmatic need.