Loughlin DM, Simon-Rusinowitz L, Mahoney KJ, Desmond SM, Squillace MR and Powers LE
Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 14(4): 229-240, April 2004
As an alternative to traditional agency-delivered health services, cash and counseling offers more flexibility for families planning services for their children. This article reports findings from a survey of preliminary interest in the cash option among families of children and adolescents with disabilities in Florida. This effort is part of the Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation project, co-sponsored by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The researchers drew data from 399 participants in a telephone survey measuring their satisfaction with current service, their perceptions of the cash and counseling alternative, demographic information on the respondents and their children as well as other perceptions respondents may have. Seventy-nine percent of respondents expressed great interest in the cash and counseling option and a majority of respondents believed a cash option would be easier to use than their present arrangements. Because interest in the cash option was associated with a respondent's satisfaction in current services, these results may not be generalizable outside this survey area to places where service quality differs. Nevertheless, this study provides critical information on how states can identify families who would be most interested in the cash option, what messages states should emphasize in communicating information about the program and where further research should be directed.
Associated Grant ID: Cash and Counseling
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