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 About the HOME Project
Iowa Medicaid is redesigning its Community-Based Services (CBS) to improve how Medicaid members find Hope and Opportunity in Many Environments (HOME). Through HOME, Iowa Medicaid recognizes the hope that comes with being able to choose where you live and the services you receive that make maintaining health, social connection, and quality of life possible. HOME’s goal is to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality behavioral health, disability, and aging services in their communities.
This newsletter shares updates on the HOME project progress and highlights ways you can engage with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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A Fresh Look to the HOME Website |
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The HOME Project website gets a new look!
We heard your feedback: you want regular updates about HOME and an easy place to find them. In response, Iowa HHS recently refreshed the HOME website with a new look and a simpler layout. These changes will make it easier to find important information, stay up to date on HOME progress, and access new HOME resources as they become available.
The website will continue to grow in the months ahead. Iowa HHS plans to have an announcements page with the latest HOME news. We’re also adding new materials to help providers, case managers, members, and families prepare for HOME, including short videos, waiver-specific guides, FAQs, and other helpful resources. Our goal is to make the HOME webpage a central hub where you can find information in formats that work best for you, whether you're looking for a quick overview or more detailed guidance.
We encourage you to visit the HOME website regularly for the latest updates and resources. As always, we welcome your feedback and ideas as we continue to improve the site.
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Over the last few months, the HOME Project team has made progress on key items.
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Focused on making materials to help case managers guide members through the transition to HOME, including an eligibility checklist for members moving to the new Adults with Disabilities waiver at age 21, service planning guidance, and resources on key topics.
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Tested an assessment questionnaire to make sure members receive an assessment that closely aligns with their strengths and needs. The assessment questionnaire is a short form that directs members to the right interRAI tool for their annual assessment.
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Gathered feedback from Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and the HOME Steering Committee on service planning and used that feedback, along with researched best practices, to draft a universal service plan template and process.
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Began making a roadmap for Supported Community Living (SCL) service redesign recommendations, including plans for stakeholder engagement.
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Discussed recommendations and next steps for launching the new HOME services, Peer Mentoring and Community Transition Services.
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Reviewed the current Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) provider manual and identified areas that need updates to support HOME implementation.
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Announced that CareStar has been awarded the new Core Standardized Assessment (CSA) contract with Iowa Medicaid. Effective July 1, 2026, CareStar will begin completing all assessments.
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We couldn’t do this work without essential partnerships and contributions from people with lived experience and dedicated professionals.
If you’ve spent any time around Iowa’s disability community, chances are you already know Brooke Lovelace. Brooke has served on the HOME steering committee since 2023. With more than 30 years in the disability field, a wonderful sense of humor, and a heart that’s been in this work since childhood, Brooke brings both experience and authenticity to the HOME Project.
Brooke is Iowa through and through. Born in Webster City — home, she insists, to the best pizza in the state at Leon’s — she now lives on an acreage outside Newton with her husband and their two cats, Stevie and Nicks.
She loves the balance of it: it is close to the lake, close enough to Des Moines, and a short drive to family.
Brooke’s path into disability work started early. Her childhood best friend had a sister with Down syndrome, and that early experience shaped how she saw inclusion long before she had a name for it.
As she grew older, she realized not everyone with disabilities had the same acceptance and opportunities that her friend’s sister did. That stuck with her. It motivated her. And it’s what launched her into a career she’s still deeply committed to today.
Over the years, Brooke has worked across the HCBS system, including helping amend waivers to add the Consumer Choices Option (CCO), a change that expanded autonomy and flexibility for Iowans. Today, she brings that same passion to her role as the Executive Director with the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council.
Brooke readily acknowledges that improving HCBS is hard work, and the road hasn’t always been smooth. But she’s stayed engaged because she believes in the purpose behind the HOME Project and because she knows how much the system needs thoughtful, informed voices at the table.
“I’ve been working with — or around — the HCBS waivers for quite a while,” she says. “It’s encouraging to see the state taking steps to improve community services. It’s been a long time coming.”
For Brooke, the goal is clear: This work should never be about saving the state money. It should be about meeting the real needs of people with disabilities.
She also sees the Developmental Disabilities Council’s role as key to helping others understand what’s changing. Staying informed means being able to support individuals, families, and partners across the state as the system evolves.
When she’s not deep in policy discussions or advocating for better services, Brooke is all about fun, movement, and a little bit of adrenaline. She’s a huge Iowa State fan, loves boating and motorcycle rides, and plays what she calls “awful golf.” She’s also a baseball watcher, a scary-movie lover, and a fan of equally scary books. Earlier this summer, Brooke enjoyed a trip to Colorado to recharge, so she was ready to dive back into the work of shaping Iowa’s future HCBS system.
Brooke brings honesty, history, and heart to the HOME Project. We’re grateful for her voice, her experience, and her unwavering commitment to making Iowa’s services stronger and more person-centered for everyone.
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There are many ways to engage with the HOME project!
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Visit the HOME webpage for more information and updates about the HOME project.
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Check the Medicaid Town Hall webpage for a list of monthly Town Halls Medicaid members and providers can join and engage directly with the Iowa Medicaid state team.
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Share your comments, including requests for content you’d like to see, in a Feedback page about the Iowa HHS website.
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