TWELVE STEPS POLICYMAKERS CAN TAKE TO REDUCE REGULATORY EXCESS AND ENCOURAGE QUALITY

1. Treat different kinds of services differently; regulate agency- operated facilities, but permit flexibility for family-centered and person-centered supports.

2. Encourage phase-out plans for institutions and community-based facilities as an alternative to costly compliance plans.

3. Organize and support consumer, parent, and citizen monitoring communities AND act on their findings.

4. Specify rights and establish procedural safeguards for individuals with disabilities and families to challenge agency decisions.

5. Recognize quality services; highlight innovative agency practices.

6. Fund citizen advocacy programs.

7. Create funding mechanisms to enable adults with disabilities to rent or own their own homes.

8. Promote agency self-evaluations and external evaluations.

9. Provide funding to enable families or adults with disabilities to purchase services directly.

10. Disseminate information on innovative and promising practices.

11. Require agencies supporting people in their own homes to develop quality of life guidelines and plans as an alternative to certification.

12. Establish parent and consumer advisory committees and involve them in all aspects of decision making.

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