Mental Retardation Funding Sources

As is apparent from the preceding discussion, a rather full range of services is available to American mentally retarded individuals throughout their lifespan. Providing such services is quite expensive. Fortunately, most if not all of the more necessary services are underwritten by the federal and local government through a variety of mechanisms. Some services qualify for federal funding under the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver Program. The Social Securities Act allows funds to be distributed to support services (housing, personal care) that are provided to individuals who would otherwise be institutionalized. Some individuals may apply for additional funds through Medicaid to cover expenses for adult optional services such as case management and personal assistance services. This funding has to go through an approval process every couple of years, during which time it must be shown that the services to be funded replace a more expensive institutionalization process or service.

In addition to primary governmental sources of program funding, private insurance also helps to pay for some services when it is available. Families who have means may have to fund some of the services themselves depending on their specific state's program.

Local programs for mentally retarded populations, such as those run by Easter Seals and Goodwill Industries typically are funded by state Departments of Mental Retardation or similar offices, which themselves receive state and federal funding. Easter Seals programs provide a number of services, among them helping individuals with mental retardation and other disabilities to find gainful employment. Easter Seals also receives funds from the private sector and local school districts.

Program funds, provided by the private sector, typically surface through charitable organizations such as the United Way. This organization takes surveys to determine which programs need the greatest support. It runs fundraising campaigns to generate funds for community programs that are in need and distributes the funds it collects according to their survey findings.

Much of the funds provided by the federal and state governments come from taxes. Community support programs that benefit from these funds are fundamentally designed to save taxpayer money by providing the least costly forms of necessary services. Home and community-based service programs are less costly to provide than large state institutions that might otherwise perform support services. As relatively inexpensive alternatives to institutionalization, community support programs have an added benefit of allowing mentally retarded individuals to live as independently as they possibly can.