Health Equity Review Initiative at the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services

Mathematica is conducting a health equity review for DDS. This review will culminate in a roadmap for DDS that distills relevant evidence and provides recommendations to guide progress toward DDS’s objectives of creating a more equitable service delivery system for adults with I/DD and/or ASD. To support the health equity review and development of the roadmap, our team will:

1. Review DDS materials, including current data collection systems
2. Conduct an external scan to identify best practices for building an equitable delivery system for adults with I/DD and/or ASD
3. Administer a survey to elicit input from the DDS provider network on perceived barriers to health equity in DDS operations
4. Interview key informants within DDS to understand the agency’s context and perceived barriers
5. Assemble an advisory committee to obtain the perspectives of experts, self-advocates, and local practitioners who are attuned to the local context
6. Hold listening sessions and offer a web-based survey to gather input from the I/DD and ASD community