The leaders of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico of La División de Servicios a las Personas con Discapacidad Intelectual (DSPDI) and the Office of the Joint Compliance Coordinator (JCC) came to visit us in Kansas this month! We are grateful for the opportunity to welcome them, collaborate with them, show them our amazing programs and services, and to discuss their vision and our vision for the future of care services!

The Commonwealth has been operating under one of the oldest Olmstead consent decrees for over two decades. During this time, it has encountered significant challenges while focusing on shutting down its last three remaining public institutions. In the past five years, they have put forth substantial effort to swiftly establish over 40 community homes, which are similar to group homes.

The Office of the Joint Compliance Coordinator (JCC) is keenly interested in introducing these homes to progressive models that incorporate technology and a person-centered approach. This is aimed at helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and other disabilities attain independent living, advance economically, and be fully integrated into society.

We are so excited to share about our evidence-based service delivery models, including the Neighborhood Network, Family Teaching Model, Shared Living Model and our iLink remote support technology–especially for individuals with complex problem behaviors, multiple/dual diagnoses, and intermittent barriers to independence.