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.
Grantmaking for the program will take in two phases. The first round of applications closed in November 2022. The second round of grants is currently accepting Requests for Applications (RFA) until February 24, 2023. 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" - May 19 & 20, 2025
Please join the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for the 2025 Innovation Summit: "A Path for ME", May 19 & 20, 2025, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in downtown Portland, Maine.
This state and national-level conference will provide a chance to showcase innovation 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 will:
- Showcase local and national-level innovations and new thinking
- Explore how to manage change
- Feature a tech expo so attendees can see, try out, and learn about new technologies and resources.
Schedule:
- Keynote speakers will be announced in the fall of 2024
- A call for presentation proposals will be announced in September 2024
- Conference registration is expected to open in January 2025
If you would like to be on the mailing list for potential presenters, vendors, or attendees, please email info@innovationsummitme.com. Conference website: www.innovationsummitme.com/.
Innovation Grants Webinar Series - Summer 2023
The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) is offering three webinars during the summer of 2023. The webinars will explain the 19 projects awarded to 14 provider awardees. The sessions are organized by three groupings by type of project – Technology, Employment and Training and Community Inclusion.
We invite you to attend these sessions to learn about the innovative projects that have begun in Maine and will continue through December 2024. The links below will allow you to register for the events and to receive a link to the Webinar.
We are offering accommodations for American Sign Language (ASL) and Communication Access Real Time Transcription (CART). If you require additional accommodation, please see information in the Zoom registration form.
| 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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| Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_faTPJB9jQG6J2ntfbgjegA | ||
Project Timeline
Project maintenance
Project monthly meetings, developmental evaluation, and funding: Spring 2023 to Fall 2024
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