As services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities become more individualized and self-directed, provider agencies are making the switch to more community-based, person-centered supports. While many providers have successfully transitioned to self-directed services, many others still face internal and system-wide barriers limiting their capacity to change.

The Spark! Initiative, an Optum supported initiative, is conducting a nationwide survey of professionals who work with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to better understand how to support service agencies that are navigating the shift to self-directed services.

If you work for an agency that directly provides services and supports to people with IDD: please follow the link below to fill out the survey. Please also forward this email to others in your organization who may be interested in responding. Optum would like to hear the perspectives of all provider agency employees.

If you do not work for an agency that directly provides services and supports to people with IDD: please consider forwarding this link to providers who may be interested in responding.

Please click on the Link below for more information and to participate in the survey!

Survey Link: Self Directed Services and Supports

This survey will take about 30 minutes to complete. After completing the survey, you can enter in a drawing to receive free registration to attend a national conference for service providers. Any personally identifying information that is asked in this survey or used to contact you (such as email and agency name) will be kept confidential. The information being collected in this survey will not be used to evaluate the performance of your agency. Your individual responses will remain private while adding to the overall understanding of supports and barriers that agencies face.

This research is funded by Optum, developed by the research team at the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities, and directed by the Spark! Initiative. The Spark! Initiative is comprised of representatives of more than 25 organizations focused on developing a variety of resources for the general public to support and empower adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to live a self-directed life. Optum developed the Spark! Initiative to bring together leaders in government, nonprofits, and private sectors to discuss solutions to better support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Any questions, comments or concerns? Please email NationalProviderSurvey@udel.edu.