DETECT is a program that supports healthcare providers and patients in Mississippi as our state transitions to community-based healthcare for people with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities).
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires all states to place qualified individuals with IDD in community settings instead of institutions.
When people with disabilities can see doctors and dentists in their own communities, they get more than healthcare. They get a choice in basic activities, like when to eat, what to watch on TV, and when to be social. That’s not always possible in institutional settings.
Nothing fosters a sense of belonging like being part of a community. Making sure people with disabilities can get their healthcare needs met outside an institutional setting is the critical first step toward the benefits of community-based living.
A nationwide shift toward community-based healthcare is well underway. And the driving force behind this change is not just the power of public opinion, but the law. This is a significant development in IDD patient care.
As one of a unique group of programs in the nation, DETECT seeks to make community-based healthcare for all a reality in Mississippi.
For healthcare providers in Mississippi who are interested in caring for patients with IDD, DETECT provides unprecedented educational, training and clinical support services.
For Mississippi patients with IDD, DETECT offers help finding community-based healthcare providers, and offers education and consulting for those providers on the medical and dental issues patients with IDD may face.
Now more than ever, patients with IDD depend on community-based healthcare providers for their medical care, just like other community members do. DETECT exists to support Mississippi doctors, dentists and other providers as they work to meet their healthcare needs.
Many community-based healthcare providers are new to caring for patients with disabilities, because until the recent change in ADA regulations, most of these patients received care in institutional settings. If you are a healthcare provider who wants guidance in caring for patients with IDD, DETECT can provide a wealth of educational resources and one-on-one clinical consulting.
The community-based healthcare world can seem fragmented and confusing. Until now, there has been no clear path for these patients to find the physicians, dentists and other healthcare providers who can meet their special needs. The DETECT program is building that path.
As Mississippi shifts its model of care for patients with IDD to community homes in compliance with the Title II mandate and U.S. Department of Justice directive, DETECT seeks to make this transition smoother and simpler for everyone involved—providers and patients alike.
Funding for DETECT is made possible through a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). DETECT is administered by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and managed under the guidance of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.
