About the Florida Freedom Initiative

The long-term goal of the FFI is to demonstrate Florida's momentum toward self-determination for citizens with disabilities. The objectives are straightforward: training, technical assistance and support. These activities must build a lasting, in-state capacity to train and support self-advocates and families as well as support consultants grounded in all aspects of a new support delivery system. The success of the FFI is the first step in what will become a durable and lasting policy change.

Why Florida Freedom Initiative is Important

Current disability benefits, employment, and welfare programs interact in complex ways that often discourage consumers from seeking employment, increased earnings, and the acquisition of assets. People with disabilities who wish to work or increase their assets often fear they must choose between giving up benefits and support in favor of achieving more independence through earnings and asset building.

Almost 75% of persons with disabilities remain unemployed in an economy that has experienced growth in employment opportunities for all workers. Of the people with disabilities who do work, the number of hours worked and employment opportunities are significantly restricted by program eligibility, income and asset limits and other complex human service program interactions. Only 32% of people with disabilities work full or part-time compared to 81% of the rest of the population.

The Intent

The Florida Freedom Initiative will build on the current 1115 Waiver (CDC+) and the unique Florida Social Security Waiver to explore opportunities to reform the system. This is accomplished by raising the income and assets limits to allow persons with disabilities to work and explore typical housing ownership, transportation ownership, additional education opportunities or purchase of a micro enterprise.

The First Steps to Personal Freedom

The FFI is about helping people plan and move toward control of their personal future. True freedom requires that a person can plan and make choices and have the resources to achieve their goals. In the simplest terms, you are freer with every dollar you control. The FFI is about expanding the value of the dollars you control in making a good life.

Public dollars in Medicaid and Social Security are limited and there is great competition for those funds. Many people who need help are waiting and living in frustration as their needs are not met. Even when people are receiving some services they may not have the things that make a life freer, healthier, safer, and more interesting, and they may still live without more friends and a better quality of life.

It is not enough to simply live in separate, substandard conditions and depend entirely on others for the basic things all Americans want. FFI is a way to make a change in a life without the loss of benefits a person may need for the rest of their life. FFI isn't about just making choices from a list of services. It is about making and shaping a life that a person wants.

FFI may not be for everyone. The benefits come with responsibility and the possibility of learning new ways of doing things. FFI is a demonstration project, testing a new way of providing long-term care. Because it is a demonstration project it is limited to people who have been on CDC+ or in the control group, receive SSI and want to work or own a business. The new enrollee is guaranteed the ability to return to the CDC+ Program if FFI does not meet their needs and expectations. There is no risk!

As a result of consumers using the 1115 wavier (CDC+), they have been able to make many more choices regarding who provides their services and how services are provided. Their quality of life has improved by gaining more control over resources. FFI provides a new way for consumers to create greater buying power. With more financial power comes more control of things that are important. It is the first step to self-determination.

Savings: Breaking the Poverty Barrier

Most people choose the places they live, what they want to learn, the jobs they do, how they travel in their community and what recreation they enjoy. Too often when a person needs assistance, rules and policies make it difficult to have the same choices as everyone else. In many cases, laws require that consumers of public funded services have very little money and often must live in poverty to obtain critical help. FFI is a way for a person with disabilities to begin to break some of the barriers of poverty and policy.

In most cases, if a person receives Social Security benefits and requires Medicaid services there are very low limits on how much money a person can earn before those benefits are lost or reduced. In these cases, there is no money to save to achieve higher goals. It is a day to day existence.

The FFI program is possible because the unique Social Security waiver melded with the 1115 waiver allows people to save and plan for the future without jeopardizing their critical benefits.