News

Partners Help DADS Help Others

Every year, DADS offers a number of volunteer programs and community involvement efforts along with providing opportunities for public/private partnerships, all of which aim to help the most vulnerable Texans — those who are aging and who have intellectual and developmental disabilities — retain their ability to choose how they live their lives…  | continue this story

People Who are Older, Disabled Urged to Register for Help Evacuating During Hurricanes

Claudette, Rita, Erin, Humberto, Ike and Hermine — what do these names have in common? They are all deadly hurricanes that have made landfall in Texas in the past 10 years…  | continue this story

Veronda Durden Named DARS Commissioner

Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek has selected Veronda Durden as the next Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) commissioner. She will assume her new role on July 1…  | continue this story

President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities Releases Managed Care Report

Across the country, states are starting to change how they pay for and provide long-term services and supports. The 2012 Report of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) provides background information on this change and recommendations to federal agencies…  | continue this story

Volunteers Recognized for Supporting, Promoting Choice

Everyone likes having options. Whether it's clothes or food or living accommodations, who doesn't want to make his or her own decisions…  | continue this story

Data Collection for the 2013-2014 Long-Term Services and Supports Quality Review is Under Way

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has contracted with NACES Plus Foundation Inc. to collect data for the 2013-2014 Long-Term Services and Supports Quality Review…  | continue this story

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DADS quick links About DADS Agency legislative presentations Agency pressroom Budget American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Budget reductions Compact with Texans Consumer Rights and Services Contact DADS Employment Bars to employment with DADS Fact sheets and FAQs File viewing information Map of service areas (PDF) Organizational chart (PDF) Our Texas Report abuse State supported living centers Advisory committees and councils Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee Money Follows the Person Demonstration Advisory Committee Nursing Facility Administrator Advisory Committee Texas Aging and Disability Services Council (DADS Council) Texas Council on Autism and PDD Find and compare long-term care providers DADS Quality Reporting System Initiatives Aging Texas Well Boarding Home Model Standards Culture Change in Texas long-term care Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Employment Services Home and Community-based Services Case Management Transition Promoting Independence Reducing Administrative Requirements Single Service Authorization System Take Time Texas Texas Autism Research and Resource Center Texercise News and information Agency pressroom American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Forms and handbooks Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting requirements Publications Regulatory Services Annual Report (Data on facilities and agencies regulated by DADS) Senior Wellness Texas Quality Matters Volunteer opportunities Silver Lining State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Surrogate Decision-making Program Texas Benefits Counseling Program Volunteer with DADS

Related links Federal Administration on Aging Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Federal Register Social Security Administration USA.gov U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Interagency Interagency Coordinating Council for Building Healthy Families Medicaid Long-term Care Services Office of the Independent Ombudsman for State Supported Living Centers Own Your Future — Texas Long-Term Care Partnership Statutorily required reports for health and human services agencies (Draft list) State Disaster response information (Texas Online) Homeland Security Office of the Governor Office of the Secretary of State Statewide search Texas Health Compare Texas Health and Human Services Commission Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Online (State of Texas homepage) Texas state agencies list Texas Veterans Portal Other stakeholders Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes Texas Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Texas Medicaid Healthcare Partnership

Website usability and accessibility

Website usability and accessibility encompasses all disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive and neurological. Two rules became effective on Sept. 1, 2006, that are related to the accessibility of content on state of Texas Internet and intranet websites, including non-HTML documents such as PDFs, PowerPoint presentations and others. These rules are:

• TAC Title 1, Part 10, Chapter 206, State Web Sites
• TAC Title 1, Part 10, Chapter 213, Electronic and Information Resources

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services strives to ensure that its web pages display properly in the current and two previous versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox. When linking to other file types, such as PDFs, website users need to ensure they have downloaded the appropriate file viewing software. The following are some file types that you may find on the DADS website with links to downloading viewers or players.

• Adobe Acrobat reader and Flash player
• Audio players
  • Windows Media
  • RealPlayer
• Microsoft Office product viewers including Excel, PowerPoint, Word and converters for Macintosh users

Site policies

• Accessibility Policy
• Disclaimer
• File viewing information
• Homeland Security
• Link Policy
• Privacy and Security Policy
• Public Information Policy and Procedures (Open Records)

How to report abuse or make complaints about a DADS service provider

Consumer Rights and Services

The Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has identified the Office of Consumer Rights and Services as its centralized source for the receipt of complaints by people who receive services from DADS, family members and the public.

To report a complaint about the treatment of older Texans and people with disabilities, including people with intellectual disabilities, who receive services in facilities or from agencies regulated by DADS click here to contact Consumer Rights and Services or call 1-800-458-9858.

 

Independent Ombudsman for State Supported Living Centers

If you are concerned with the treatment of someone living in a state supported living center (SSLC), call 1-877-323-6466, or 1-877-648-2233 if you use TDD, to speak to an independent ombudsman who can help. To learn more, visit the Independent Ombudsman website.

Suspected cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation of SSLC residents should be reported directly to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400.

 

Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Long-term care ombudsmen work to resolve complaints about the quality of life and quality of care of people who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and to protect their rights. If you have concerns, call 1-800-252-2412. To learn more, visit the Long-Term Care Ombudsman website.

 

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Ombudsman Office

Contact the HHSC Ombudsman Office if you have complaints or issues related to health and human services programs not administered by DADS.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Office of the Ombudsman, MC H-700
P.O. Box 13247
Austin, TX 78711-3247

Toll-free: 1-877-787-8999
Fax: 1-888-780-8099 (Toll-free)
TTY: 1-888-425-6889 or 1-512-438-3087
Email: contact@hhsc.state.tx.us

Report fraud

Report suspected waste, fraud or abuse in health and human services programs to the Texas State Auditor's Office at 1-800-TX-AUDIT and to the HHSC Office of Inspector General at 1-800-436-6184.

State supported living center monitoring

Consistent with requirements set out in the Settlement Agreement between the state of Texas and the U. S. Department of Justice, three teams of professionals in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities have been assigned responsibility for conducting a baseline review and subsequent on-site compliance monitoring visits at each of the 12 state supported living centers in Texas as well as at the ICF/IID component of the Rio Grande State Center.

Click here to learn more about this process.

Subscribe to email updates

If you want to subscribe to this page, click here. DADS contracts with a company called GovDelivery, Inc., to provide email updates. When you sign up for email updates, you are giving your information to both DADS and to GovDelivery. When DADS has your information, it is subject to the DADS privacy policy. When GovDelivery has your information, it is subject to their privacy policy. Read the GovDelivery privacy policy.