This is the 2011 edition of the State of the States in Developmental Disabilities study—a thorough and one-of-a-kind investigation on public spending, revenues, and programmatic trends of intellectual and developmental programs and services within the United States since 1977. This edition  documents data from 2007-2009, a time of major financial crisis in the U.S. economy.

“The State of the States is still the most important and often-used reference at the Council.  It is an indispensable tool for anyone involved in shaping public policy in our field and disappears from my desk regularly.” Ethan B. Ellis, Former Executive Director, New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council

It is exceptionally well-researched, well-written, and represents the best of knowledge in the disability field today.” Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

“This resource is well organized, easy to read, has useful references at the end of each chapter; and is pitched for audiences from general readers to professionals.” Choice, Current Reviews for Academic Libraries

“In recent years, we have used…the data to: (1) support development of a settlement agreement for the Lelaz federal class-action lawsuit against the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation; (2) educate policy makers regarding our state’s dismal ranking among states in funding for key services; and (3) educate members of the Texas Congressional delegation regarding the need for expansion of federally funded supports and services.  Your reports provide credibility for our public policy advocacy efforts in behalf of Texans with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities.”
G. Michael Bright, Executive Director, Arc of Texas

“Our department is constantly being asked by legislators, families and various advocacy groups how we in Connecticut compare to other states.  We invariably find the information we need in your published data.” Peter O’Meara, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation

Features
The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities is the single source of objective and hard-to-obtain data on intellectual and developmental disability spending in every U.S. state. Over a 100 pages of statistics, graphs, and analyses focus on these issues and more:
-National trends in spending on institutional versus community services
-People with intellectual disabilities living in nursing facilities per state
-Analysis of ICF/MR, HCBS Waiver, and local/county funding sources
-Waiting lists and litigations in each state
-Rise in aging caregivers and increased longevity of people with intellectual disability and state services

Plus, a 4-page report card on each state’s (and the District of Columbia) expenditure on developmental disability programs and services, including the following information: Trends in Spending; Trends in Revenue; Intellectual and developmental disability revenue sources; and Federal intellectual and developmental disability Medicaid revenue.

Usefulness of the Study
-Essential reference on disability policy for decision makers as they implement cutbacks in disability services, given the current economic slowdown.
-Share reliable, hard data with legislators when working on systems changes, strategic planning, and budget appropriations.
-Report card on each state’s disability spending performance allows comparisons to be made across U.S. states.
-Advocacy groups can use individual state data to increase requests for waivers or secure matching federal funds.
-The study benchmarks state performance in implementing the community living mandate of the U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) decision.
-The book is a valuable historical treasure on the evolution of disability services in the United States.