Human Services Research Institute

Intellectual and developmental disabilities, aging, and disability:since 1976, we've been working with self-advocates and families to Research and shape effective community-based Services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities ("idd"). We've been honored to assist agencies in moving consistently in the direction of higher-quality, more person-driven, self-directed Services: - building policy and practice in support of self-directed models of service delivery- supporting the expansion of integrated community living options as people with idd move from public institutions - applying medicaid waiver funds efficiently and effectively to achieve person-centered policy objectives in community based settings-working with stakeholders to build capacity for person centered practice-growing the availability of practices to support families-enhancing quality assurance and improvement systems including the development of nationally recognized quality measures-supporting the self-advocacy movement including grassroots work to build an expectation of person-centered practice-reviewing and modifying service planning and delivery in order to provide culturally and linguistically competent Services -teaming with government agencies and national organizations to promote the well-being of older individuals and people with physical disabilities by improving the Services and programs designed to help them live independently in their homes and communitieswe collaborate with national organizations in these efforts, including the national association of state directors of developmental disabilities Services to support the national core indicators - an outcome measurement system that spans nearly all 50 states. We also have longstanding partnerships with the Institute on community inclusion at the university of Massachusetts and the Research and training center on community integration at the university of Minnesota. We also assist idd agencies around the country to allocate resources more efficiently, effectively, and equitably. This process often involves systems changes to alter the Services available, rebase reimbursement rates, assess individual support needs, and assign personal supports budgets to each individual.in addition to hsri's 20-year commitment to national core indicators, the organization has teamed with the national association of state units on aging and disability to launch the national core indicators for aging and disability ("nci-ad"). Nci-ad entails a survey of adult participants in aging and disability home and community-based Services waivers, older americans programs, and state plan medicaid Services.

Population health:the population health team builds data systems to collect, analyze, and report health care data to improve the quality of health information available for Research, policy, and practice. Our data helps health policy makers improve population health and health care delivery and aids consumers in choosing where they receive care. For 20 years, we've analyzed health claims data to generate high-quality insights into population health. Combining that experience with our expertise working with stakeholder groups to collaboratively develop and define quality measures and data metrics (including consumer outcome measures), we now help agencies develop non-proprietary data collection and reporting systems. With our deep understanding of models and systems across the health and Human Services sectors, we help leverage and enhance existing health claims and other datasets wherever possible. Hsri works closely with a variety of federal, state and private entities to design, implement, and evaluate health data systems with the goal of providing high-quality data for both system management and Research functions. Hsri prides itself on creating health data systems that are responsive to the needs of all stakeholders: funders, data submitters, data users, and the general public. Based on this principle, our health data systems are designed so provider organizations and states can manage their information assets; to facilitate retrieval of relevant information quickly and efficiently; to ensure the reliability of data submitted; to meet the needs of multiple data users related to program oversight, cost monitoring, quality assurance and program evaluation; and to quickly provide those data back to stakeholders in a user-friendly fashion. We are promoting more effective use of healthcare data to inform and transform public and population health, improve the effectiveness of healthcare markets, and address persistent inequities and disparities in healthcare. To advance equitable solutions, we are working towards health data systems that can disaggregate data by race. When we disaggregate health data by race, our goal is to show the effects of policies and practices that have been shaped by structural racism and other forms of discrimination - and to envision solutions that can create an equitable future for all communities.

Behavioral health:we work with government agencies, community-based organizations, and other partners to identify sustainable ways to promote wellness and advance the quality of life for people and communities.our projects include program evaluation, intervention Research, needs assessment, systems planning, and technical assistance. The methods we employ range from community-based participatory Research to advanced data analysis, and we frequently use mixed methods approaches that integrate qualitative and quantitative data to inform our findings and recommendations.our values are front and center in all that we do: people with lived experience of receiving mental health and substance use Services should drive change, as external partners (e.g. Advisors, advocates) and internal leaders (e.g. Service providers, executive leadership). We embrace and promote person-centered, trauma-informed, culturally responsive practices, and we hold that good and modern behavioral health systems should emphasize equity, self-determination, and inclusion.the behavioral health team has: conducted needs assessment to identify service needs at the national, state and local levels; identified, implemented and evaluated evidence-based practices and promising practices in the areas of housing, employment, case management, integrated Services, peer-operated Services, etc. ; evaluated the cultural competency of Services; developed computerized budget simulation and resource allocation models for projecting the costs and potential cost offsets of implementing jail or prison diversion programs for offenders with mental illness; and have conducted synthetic estimations and other techniques to assist states and counties prepare for health care reform. The behavioral health team also works with health data in building data warehouses and working with states on using this data to track utilization, cost and monitoring quality.

Child, youth and family:we provide program evaluation, consultation, training and technical assistance to child-serving agencies to promote best practices. We also support cross-agency approaches to address the whole needs of child welfare-involved families, including children and families with developmental disabilities and families living with mental health or substance use issues.our approach hinges on strong communication and collaboration, making sure our work is grounded in the reality of the current service environment as experienced by children and families. We also find value in sharing findings as a project progresses, so everyone involved can see the value of the effort and make ongoing adjustments as needed.verity analytics:verity analytics helps policy makers and others improve workflows and make informed policy decisions to drive person-centered outcomes - all while staying compliant with data security requirements. Verity analytics is a cloud-based business intelligence software that enables users to work more efficiently to monitor system performance and improve workflows. Built to be easily consumed and shared, verity analytics provides the foundation to answer big predictive questions, examine policy implications, and coordinate strategies across agencies. Whether interacting with the data from your own dashboards, publishing point-in-time extracts, or providing a live interactive demonstration with key stakeholders, this data can help you make data-driven decisions that best serve people.