DDS says 65 people have moved under STEP; 21 provider transformation plans approved and $78.6 million spent from ARPA

The Department of Developmental Services told its ARPA advisory committee that 21 private providers have approved STEP (Supporting Transformation to Empower People) transformation plans and that 65 individuals have moved to more independent day, employment or residential settings under the initiative.

The update, delivered during the committee meeting, outlined the range of transformation plans — from a recent Resources for Human Development plan to move a single person from a congregate residential setting (CRS) to an individual apartment, to larger plans such as Kennedy Collective’s effort to move dozens of people into more independent employment settings. Department staff also reported $78,600,000 in ARPA expenditures tied to STEP, provider stabilization payments and related initiatives over the past two to three years.

Why it matters: STEP is part of Connecticut’s use of American Rescue Plan Act funds to expand community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The department framed the work as both a service-delivery shift and a communication effort to make options clearer to…