The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies is creating a continuum of support for south Mississippi postsecondary Medicaid-eligible students with disabilities — from high school to community college to university to career using the person-centered planning model. The project provides for training and technical assistance to high school counselors, college and university disability accommodation staff, and career counselors that serve Medicaid-eligible college-bound students with disabilities in Forrest, Jefferson Davis, Hancock, Lamar, Marion and Pearl River counties. Building Futures will follow students during the three-year grant period.

Funding for Building Futures Through Person-Centered Planning is provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Grant # 1L0CMS030221).

Goals Goal 1 - Introduce, train and provide technical assistance to high school counselors using the person-centered planning model so college-bound students can translate their Individual Education Plan into a person-centered plan. Goal 2 - Create a community network for each student by training and providing technical assistance to the disability accommodation staff and career counselors at Pearl River Community College and The University of Southern Mississippi, following students through the postsecondary continuum to a career, allowing them satisfying employment and financial independence from public assistance. Goal 3 – Design and implement a program and outcomes-based evaluation system for identifying, collecting, storing, analyzing and reporting data.

The Building Futures Through Person-Centered Planning goals are supported by the values of self-determination, productivity, independence and self-sufficiency, which are all consistent with the spirit of the New Freedom Initiative. For more information, contact Jerry Alliston at 601.266.5163 or send e-mail to Jerry.Alliston@usm.edu.