Champions for Inclusive Communities

Project Details

Project Context
The purpose of the Champions for Inclusive Communities National Center was to provide national leadership to the Division of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (DSCHCN) and its constituents in achieving full implementation of the President's New Freedom Initiative (PNFI) that requires that services and supports for persons with disabilities be provided in community settings.

Project Focus
The Champions staff worked with DSCHCN and its other national centers, states, community based programs and family organizations on the following goals and objectives:

1. Identify and work with major national public and private community development initiatives
2. Facilitate linkages between community development initiatives and State programs.
3. Develop and maintain a website linked to relevant community development initiatives,
4. Develop and disseminate materials on inclusion of CYSHCN,
5. Develop and implement a community recognition program,
6. Collect, analyze, expand and apply evidence-based data to integrating community systems.

Project Products/Services Champions for Inclusive Communities developed multiple tools to guide states and communities in their efforts to build integrated systems of services:

1. A State-Level Tool Kit for Building a Community-Based Service System for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs and their Families.
2. Defining a System of Care (a multi-media presentation)
3. Eight Fact Sheets about integrating community services
4. Champions for Inclusive Communities web site
5. Community Recognition Program , recognizing fifteen

"Star Communities" for their efforts to build family-centered, coordinated service systems. These products are all available on the Champions web site: http://www.eiri.usu.edu/projects/champions/

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•