The Community Living Exchange Collaborative

The Community Living Exchange Collaborative (The Exchange) is a joint effort of ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization), a program of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), and Rutgers Center for State Health Policy (CSHP). The Exchange is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) through grants awarded under the Systems Change Community Living Initiative launched in September 2001. The Exchange is a vital hub of information sharing, training and technical assistance for more than 180 recipients of Systems Change Grants for Community Living in all 50 states, two territories and the District of Columbia. Through a variety of activities, The Exchange is breaking down long-standing barriers that often prevent news of community living innovations and ideas from traveling from one organization, city or state to the next. With easy access to technical support and a wealth of information about proven practices, grantees are freer to focus on the important work of changing systems to the benefit of people with disabilities.

The Exchange is uniquely suited to provide technical assistance in whatever form or fashion an individual grantee may need. TA services are included in three broad categories:

• Information Collection, Dissemination and Resource Development - quantitative and qualitative information on resource tools, consumer information materials, policy briefs, etc.;
• Training-on-site, regional and national forums, audio conferences and Web casts;
• Individualized Technical Assistance-the most customized form of TA to help reduce barriers to systems change and advance coherent strategies for sustainable change.

Using tools from any or all of these categories, The Exchange works with individual Systems Change grantees to create customized TA strategies focused on accomplishing specific goals. With assistance from The Exchange a number of states are making impressive headway toward the day when people with disabilities of all ages will have real choice in where and how they live.

There are many examples of the effective and enduring changes that are occurring throughout the nation to the benefit of people who do not want to spend their lives in institutions. They demonstrate the deliberative work that it takes to change decades-old policies and programs that have reinforced the institutional bias that-through the Systems Change Grants for Community Living-CMS seeks to reverse.

This is an exciting time in our country's history-an optimistic time for millions of Americans with disabilities who are finally realizing real choice in where and how they live. Our work is far from done-and all of the people and organizations associated with The Exchange look forward to contributing our expertise, energy and enthusiasm to the overall effort.