Columbia becomes first Missouri city to recognize self-directed supports in proclamation Monday
Haley Swaino
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe issued a proclamation Monday afternoon recognizing the value of self-directed supports.
The proclamation made the city the first in the state to recognize SDS.
Part of a Medicaid-funded program for Missourians with developmental disabilities, SDS is a service that allows individuals to directly hire their own care staff.
“Rather than putting the decision making in the hands of an agency to send their staff out, they become the employer and can direct their care,” Executive Director of Acumen Fiscal Agent, LLC Laura Brownlee said.
“In Columbia and Boone County, many residents with developmental disabilities rely on Self-Directed Supports to remain in their homes and stay engaged in their communities,” a spokesperson from Acumen said in a press release. “The model puts the individual-not -not an agency-at the center of care decisions.”
Acumen has partnered with the City of Columbia in this effort, the release states.
In 2023, about 3,031 Missourians were using SDS to fund their at-home caregivers, according to the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
People with a developmental disability waiver who live in their own home or with family may choose SDS. It can empower individuals with disabilities, as it gives more choice and control over supports. Without the Medicaid option, some of those individuals would likely require inpatient care.
“Individuals with disabilities, like all Missourians, are entitled to the pursuit of happiness, freedom and self-determination, embodying the spirit of independence and choice,” Buffaloe said.
Brownlee said that by formally acknowledging the impact and importance of self-directed care, Columbia becomes a leader in promoting independence and decision-making for people with disabilities.
“Columbia is a city that’s always led with compassion and inclusivity,” Brownlee said.
The SDS program is overseen by the Missouri Division of Developmental Disabilities.
Acumen and the MDDD told ABC 17 News their hope is that within a year, they will be able to connect with Governor Kehoe and make this a statewide proclamation.
The first-of-its-kind proclamation was delivered inside the Council Chambers of Columbia City Hall at 12:15 p.m. on Monday.