Emerging research tests the impact of United States Medicaid home and community-based (HCBS) waiver policy on outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; however, this body of work has yet to be synthesized. We conducted a scoping review to establish what is known about the impact of Medicaid HCBS policy on the lives of…

Access to scholarly information in the disciplines of education and medicine occurred primarily through the simultaneous development of two bibliographic databases. The Education Resource Information Center (ERIC) originated as a resource designed to be comprehensive in its inclusion of peer-reviewed and unpublished literature for the entire…

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a Census Bureau program that provides annually updated information on demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics of U.S. households at every level of geography, from the nation to the neighborhood. ACS data are used by public and business decision-makers to more clearly identify issues and…

This report offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs, and practices across the life cycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief,…

Reports on conference resolutions and President Carter's recommendations to Congress concerning the future of libraries. (MKM)

Describes mental health service needs in rural America and barriers to improving its quality and availability. Federal programs, especially the Office of Rural Health Policy, are described and policy recommendations for improving rural mental health care are presented. (DM)

The author reviews the history of federal input in special education and cites the Reagan administration's attempts to decrease funding for special education services. Senator J. Randolph's beliefs about the need for a strong federal role is noted. (CL)

This paper synthesizes available research regarding the residence patterns of refugees in the United States. Information is presented on both initial placement and secondary migration. The first section traces the evolution of U.S. policy and outcomes from 1945 to the start of the Indochinese resettlement program in 1975. The second section…

This paper isolates critical rural economic development issues and identifies needed federal policy interventions. Despite a long history of federal efforts to improve rural economic conditions, recent policies and programs aimed at stimulating rural development have had little impact. Reasons include: (1) narrowly focused economic development…

The education evaluation efforts of the federal government are discussed, focusing on the question of their effectiveness in informing the policymaking process. Successful evaluation criteria are outlined. An evaluation must provide useful information to policymakers to be a success. (DWH)

This report identifies factors that influence a rural area's economic success or failure, and evaluates whether federal programs efficiently address rural economic problems. Data collection included a review of federal programs that provide funding to rural areas, and interviews with federal and state agency officials involved with rural…

This report traces the historical development of federal housing policy that has promoted a 40% decline in substandard housing and a 20% increase in homeownership over the past 50 years. It presents emerging national and rural housing policy concerns: the proper role of federal, state, and local governments in the mortgage credit and insurance…

The rate at which retarded children are deinstitutionalized is being slowed by this country's failure to emphasize programs supportive of these children's families. The author proposes changes in policy to increase assistance and support to the family as a unit. (Author)

Discusses enactment, implementation, feedback, and reformulation of P.L. 93-638, permitting tribes to assume control of federal Indian programs. Focuses on 1975-80, during which policymakers addressed the lack of responsiveness by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service to tribal takeover demands. Contains 26 references. (SV)

The social security system in the United States is becoming increasingly unstable, as the amount of benefits paid to an ever larger number of retirees grows and the number of younger workers paying taxes to the system decreases. The problem will become especially acute in the years 2011 and after, as the members of the "baby boom"…