On January 7, 2019, The Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the launch of the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS). NCAPPS was established to:
- Provide in-depth, practical technical assistance to States, Tribes, and Territories
- Establish communities of practice to promote broad-based learning and sharing of best practices
- Hold educational webinars that will be open to the public
- Develop a national clearinghouse of actionable, up-to-date resources
NCAPPS is being administered by the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) with guidance from expert groups in our field including, the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA), the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services (NASDDDS), the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Directors (NACBHDD), and the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD).
Prior to the creation of this initiative, there were no national standards for person-centered practices, despite various statutory requirements for it’s implementation. Instead, states and organizations that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have relied on researching and sifting through their channels to find best practices to follow. We created a Person-Centered Planning Resource Guide in 2018, which provides the regulatory history and guidance of person-centered planning and links to several well-regarded resources. The launch of NCAPPS will provide invaluable knowledge to ensure that our industry is engaging in practices that empower individuals to live the lives that are meaningful to them.
