News & Information > News Releases

APD to Hold More Community Meetings

Tallahassee - The Agency for Person with Disabilities has scheduled a second round of public meetings across the state to receive more feedback on the new individualized budget concept called iBudget Florida. The agency has been hosting meetings with stakeholders and the public over the past several months to gather comments for developing a draft plan to be submitted to the Legislature on February 1. APD Director Jim DeBeaugrine will lead the meetings and be available to talk with those interested in iBudget and other new initiatives.

Individualized budgeting is a concept that is being used in many other states for people enrolled in developmental disabilities Medicaid waivers. The idea is to give each individual an amount of money based on a formula or algorithm. The calculation takes into consideration a person’s characteristics and other factors. iBudget Florida is being designed to make the funding process fair and equitable for all Medicaid waiver customers. It will provide for more self-direction for the person to direct their care. The new system will also allow the agency to have more budget control and financial predictability.

Some of the customer benefits from iBudget are:

• Greater ability to choose services that matter to them, given their unique situations.
• Greater flexibility for customers to respond to changing needs.
• Reduced bureaucracy and "red tape."
• Support coordinators freed to focus on providing help that makes a real difference.
• Confidence that funding is fair compared to other customers who are similarly situated.
• Reduced likelihood of policy changes that cause significant disruption due to budget deficits.
• Security of a financially stable system that will be there to serve customers down the road.
• Greater control over their lives.
• Greater opportunity for APD to use new funds to serve the waiting list rather than resolve deficits.

The upcoming iBudget meetings are scheduled as follows:

• Jacksonville Meeting on January 15
  9 a.m.–Noon
  Department of Children and Families
  Roberts Building Auditorium
  5920 Arlington Expressway
  Jacksonville
  Contact: Area 4 Office, (904) 992–2440



• Tampa Meeting on January 19
  1 p.m.–4 p.m.
  Children’s Board of Hillsborough County
  1002 East Palm Avenue
  Tampa
  Contact: Suncoast Area Office, (813) 233–4300



• Orlando Meeting on January 21
  9 a.m.–Noon
  Hurston Building
  Conference Rooms A, B, and C
  400 W. Robinson Street
  Orlando
  Contact: Area 7 Office, (407) 245–0440



• South Florida Meeting on January 22
  9 a.m.–Noon
  Lucanus Center
  6411 Taft St.
  Hollywood
  Contact: Area 10 Office, (954) 467–4218



• Panama City Meeting on January 25
  9 a.m.–Noon (Central time)
  Gulf Coast Community College
  Sarvin Lecture Hall
  5230 West Highway 98
  Panama City
  Contact: Tasha Tubbs, (850) 872–7652

If you are unable to attend the scheduled meetings, you may learn more about the iBudget plan on the APD Web site at http://apdcares.org/ibudget/.

The agency annually serves about 35,000 Floridians with developmental disabilities of mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information on the agency, call 1-866-APD-CAREs or visit http://apdcares.org.