Researching Provider Solutions in Florida—Executive Summary

The widespread shortage of direct care service providers adversely affects people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The inability to access direct care can compromise the health and well-being of these individuals.

Mathematica conducted the Researching Provider Solutions project for FDDC to identify ideas and strategies for recruiting and retaining paid direct care. We used multiple work streams—an environmental scan, an online survey, interviews, and a work group—to examine how Floridians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families experience direct care.

This executive summary describes the final report of the Researching Provider Solutions project. The findings include several recommendations for FDDC, state agencies, policymakers and residents, the intellectual and developmental disabilities community, and other interested groups that might work in tandem to improve access to direct care.