Monday, January 22, 2007
Governor Culver Announces $51 million Human Services Grant
Grant among largest in Iowa Department of Human Services history
(DES MOINES) – Governor Chet Culver announced today that Iowa has received a five-year $51 million federal grant to fund home and community based alternatives for people with mental retardation now living in institutional settings.
“This is an enormous step forward in our effort to help people with mental retardation and their families to live in more home-like residences,” said Culver. “The idea is to use Medicaid dollars as flexibly as possible to give people more choices and independence.”
Among the largest ever received by the Iowa Department of Human Services, the “Money Follows the Person Grant” will allow 528 people to transition out of public and private institutions over the next five years. Iowa is one of 17 states to receive the awards, which are the first round of grants that will total $1.75 billion over five years.
Iowa ranks seventh among the states in per-capita use of intermediate care facilities for people with mental retardation. Currently, about 2,230 people live in these facilities across Iowa, including about 590 who live in the two state facilities for the mentally retarded at Glenwood and Woodward.
To receive the money, the state of Iowa must provide a $218,000 match this year and a total of $13 million over five years. The enhanced federal funding is available for Medicaid services to people for one year after they transition. The state must commit to on-going support of these individuals after the first year at the normal federal match rate.