1. Advancing Olmstead

2. Strengthen and Advance the Independent Living (IL) Network.

3. Improvement for the Underserved and Underrepresented.

4. Increasing capacity for educating policy makers.

For all activities that describe compiling and interpreting data, the community wanted to ensure measurable outcomes - evidence based strategies that work.

During the process of writing the SPIL, participants developed measurable indicators for all of the objectives which can be used by DSU and the SILC to monitor and evaluate progress on the SPIL. Of the fourteen objectives put forth in this SPIL, the IL Network will systematically evaluate five and will observe changes in the others through less-structured ways.

Objective 1.2: Key stakeholders and policymakers partner with the IL Network to implement strategies, including a transition fund, to increase affordable, accessible, and integrated housing for people with disabilities.

Activities:
The DSU will contract with a university-based evaluator to define data collection for a revised transition fund offering mini-grants to assist individuals leaving nursing homes.

The DSU will fund an analysis which documents a baseline report of available accessible housing and a second, best practices report, about strategies within the IL Network that have been effective at helping people secure housing. In particular, the IL Network will look at communities like Fresno with Universal Housing ordinances.

Unspent SPIL resource plan funds will be spent to analyze the role Assistive Technology plays in helping people with disabilities obtain and maintain housing.

Measurable Indicators will include new partnerships developed and a revised transition fund.

Objective 1.4: Stakeholders receive a re-designed model for providing effective personal assistance services to all people in California.

Activities:
DSU will fund researchers to measure the effectiveness of IHSS and different personal assistant services options in California as well as synthesizing the large volume of literature around the current program: what works, what doesn’t?

The IL Network will convene stakeholders and engage a strategic planning process. Measurable indicators will include the publication of reports and the existence of a model plan.

Objective 2.3: IL Network members are more knowledgeable regarding best practices for supporting employment outcomes within the network.

Activities:
DSU will fund a grant so that a focus group of employment organizations and agencies can be convened.

In year one, the group will identify obstacles and ways to overcome them.
In the second year, the group will link ILC?s to existing workforce resources.
In the third year, the group will use funding from AmeriCorps or other sources to fund pilot projects at one or more Independent Living Centers.

Measurable Indicators: The focus group facilitator will take a pre-test and post-test of IL Network members to measure knowledge of best practices; after the activities there will be new reference materials and new employment projects at ILC?s.

Objective 3.2: Stakeholders and policy makers are more knowledgeable about the progress made to increase diversity within the IL Network and highlighted needs of specific populations.

Activities:
DSU will fund a research team to annually review, analyze and update the ?gaps analysis? in the Diversity Plan required by the DSU for the AB 204 grant. In addition, the IL Network will annually review and update the list of unserved and underrepresented populations to identify emerging needs.

A first-year step to creating data with integrity will be to develop a standard tool for capturing the required data from each Independent Living Center, to include what data is needed, how it is to be reported, and what it will be used for.
During the second year, policy makers and stakeholders will be educated with the findings from the data analysis completed so far.

During the third year, members of the IL Network will provide briefings and ILC?s will be recognized and rewarded for implementing best practices.

Measurable Indicators: The research team will conduct pre-test and post-tests of stakeholders and policy makers to measure knowledge about progress to increase diversity.

Objective 4.1: The IL Network receives guidance for coordinating policy education at the local, state, and federal level from a funded Systems Change Network Hub.

Activities:
California will represent at least three national policy advisory and development bodies, and the ILC community will provide education on key national policy issues.

The California IL community will represent at least six state policy advisory and development bodies, and the ILC community will provide education on key state policy issues.

The California IL community will educate policy makers about key national and state policy issues. Finally, three best practices of local policy and systems change initiatives will be identified and shared with the IL community.

Indicators/Outcomes:

The DSU funds a Systems Change Network Hub. California IL Community contributes to policy development through its participation in the systems change network, conferences, summits, and educational forums.

Policy change is tracked and reported The California IL Community contributes to policy development through its national and state representation and educational efforts.

Three best practices are implemented.

1st year the state and national advisory bodies are identified for representation.

1st and 2nd year, California is elected to respective advisory bodies.

1st, 2nd, 3rd year policy awareness and impacts are demonstrated.