Since the passage of the Community Mental Health Act of 1963, there has been many changes to how the states and federal government fund behavioral health and services targeted to people with Intellectual and Other/Developmental Disabilities (IDD)  The Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois is building on their 50 years of equipping members with critical information and best practice working to help achieve community goals and objectives.   Smart Policy Works LLC is presenting on Wednesday, November 9^th on emerging federal and state trends for behavioral health and IDD services and share opportunities for ACMHAI’s membership to braid and blend resources to improve services and supports in their communities.

Speaker: Barbara Otto, CEO Smart Policy Works, LLC

Barbara Otto launched Smart Policy Works LLC after dedicating more than 30 years as a change agent in the nonprofit sector. She was the CEO of Health & Disability Advocates and the nonprofit Smart Policy Works from 1994 to 2020. HDA/SPW was a driving force behind building smarter systems of health and social determinants of health for vulnerable people and places across the nation. Ms. Otto is a policy analyst with extensive expertise in Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security as well as other public benefits programs for older adults, children, and adults with disabilities. She was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative Public Health Council (2011-2017). She is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) and is an author of several publications including the No Nonsense Guide Series on Medicaid, Medicare, and employment and disability.