The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) is providing the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Innovation Pilot Grants program to provide grants of up to $500,000 to programs to support development of pilot projects in alignment with HCBS goals for current HCBS waivers 18, 19, 20, 21, and 29.
The goal of the grant program is to develop innovative services that can be demonstrated through pilots and evaluated to identify those that are effective. The services piloted through this program may be incorporated into to the A Path for ME HCBS Lifespan Project, a new waiver being planned for launch in 2025.
See below for information on the project timeline and the RFA.
Partnering with the National Disability Institute
OADS is partnering with the National Disability Institute (NDI) to support the awardees in the pursuit of quality outcomes and project support. NDI will:
- Act as a fiscal agent to distribute the funds and monitor grant activity;
- Provide technical assistance to awardees as needed to support skill development, including subject matter experts’ experience and insight; and
- Support individual project evaluation as well as provide overall project evaluation and final reporting.
Innovation Summit: "A Path for ME"
The 2025 Innovation Summit: "A Path for ME", was held on May 19 & 20, 2025, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in downtown Portland, Maine.
This state and national-level conference showcased innovations in delivery of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities or autism as well as those with conditions such as cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, or other similar conditions.
The conference:
- Showcased local and national-level innovations and new thinking
- Explored how to manage change
- Featured a tech expo so attendees could see, try out, and learn about new technologies and resources.
View the recordings at the Conference website: www.innovationsummitme.com/.
Innovation Grants Webinar Series - Summer 2023
The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) offered three webinars during the summer of 2023. The webinars explained the 19 projects awarded to 14 provider awardees. The sessions were organized by three groupings by type of project – Technology, Employment and Training and Community Inclusion.
| Meeting Dates | Meeting Slides | Meeting Presentation Videos |
|---|---|---|
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June 27, 2023: Technology
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July 18, 2023: Employment and Training
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MaineHealth Benefits Counseling MaineHealth Employment Liaison Woodfords Family Services |
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August 14, 2023: Community Inclusion
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Project Timeline
Project closure:
Conclude projects and final evaluation: September-March 2025
Contact Us
Please send us your questions, comments, or feedback to: Innovation.HCBS.DHHS@maine.gov