Press Releases
07/08/2019
Governor Lamont Announces the Renaming of the Department of Rehabilitation Services
Agency Will Be Known as the Department of Aging and Disability Services
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed legislation renaming the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) to the Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS). The change is being implemented in order to better reflect the services the agency now provides, most notably the recent consolidation of the entire Department on Aging into DORS.
“Connecticut is proud to align our aging and disability services programs together in one agency to better serve the citizens of Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “The new name reflects our continued efforts to eliminate red tape, coordinate services within agencies, and focus on better delivery of services, particularly with these important communities.”
“This new agency name better represents the work that we do and our agency mission of maximizing opportunities for the independence and well-being of all people with disabilities and older adults in Connecticut,” Commissioner Amy Porter said.
DORS was originally created in 2011 by Public Act 11-44, which brought together a myriad of existing disability programs into one office. This grouping created the opportunity to better align existing resources and improve services to Connecticut residents with disabilities. In 2017, the Department on Aging was brought under the umbrella of DORS utilizing an aging and disability model. That transition was formalized with the passage of Public Act 18-169, which included the creation of both the State Unit on Aging and the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program within DORS. This began the foundation upon which DORS has started to build a strong aging and disability network.
The agency has a vision for a model that focuses on functional need rather than solely on an individual’s age or specific disability. Over the past year, DORS has engaged in an active strategic planning process to ensure that the agency is responding to both the challenges and the opportunities arising from the addition of aging services. Key stakeholders within both the aging and disability communities were identified and consulted about a vision for the new aging and disability services model. As part of these discussions, stakeholders were engaged about agency services, mission, and identity.
The name change does not require any funding.
The legislation is Public Act 19-157, An Act Concerning the Department on Aging and Disability Services and Meals on Wheels.
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