Analysis of Mental Retardation Service Provision for Class Members and Non-Class Members

Abstract

Class action litigation resulted in the closing of Hissom Memorial Center in Oklahoma. Most of the members of the plaintiff class were placed in community based homes and guaranteed a certain level of services. Services provided to these class members were compared with services provided to persons who were not in the plaintiff class. It was found that members of the plaintiff class received more hours of service per month, experienced a stronger staffing ratio, participated more in community integration activities, and received a greater share of the mental retardation dollar. These differences withstood statistically equating adaptive behavior ratings and limiting the analysis to persons with profound mental retardation. Results are discussed in terms of impact on the national waiting list problem. Data have been obtained through a cooperative agreement with the Oklahoma State University Department of Sociology's Developmental Disabilities Quality Assurance Research Project. Since 1989, the Sociology Department at O.S.U. has conducted yearly independent assessments of consumer outcomes for approximately 3700 individuals receiving services from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Developmental Disabilities Services Division.