Connecticut Releases Committing to Excellence: Our Vision Story

Connecticut Department of Disabilities (DDS) Director, Morna A. Murray released Committing to Excellence: Our Vision Story.  The vision story explains that “Connecticut has a long and complex history of ever-changing structures and supports.  In an effort to respond to the needs of individuals and families, DDS has found itself reacting to new schools of thought by constantly shifting resources, building up new programs, and tearing down old ways of doing business.  With each new approach, DDS has felt foundational shifts, both in how to deliver supports and how the agency itself operates.  These approaches have often turned into “specializations,” creating a false sense of separation among DDS team members.”   

“In an effort to streamline, responsiveness has also been continuously pulled into Central Office and out of the field in recent years.  With the shifting trend toward more integrated and individualized supports for those supported by DDS, this is no longer the optimal way to operate.  Those in the field with direct contact and knowledge of the individuals we support are vital to person-centered planning and supports, and must be given the tools and opportunities necessary to best respond to individuals’ needs and desires.  In the same vein, these needs and desires most often cross between the “specializations” that have been built up into silos, which must now be better blended in the field.”

FMI:  You can find information here about the Committing to Excellence story here http://www.ct.gov/dds/cwp/view.asp?Q=570444&A=2645.