HSRI launches center to expand person-centered systems nationwide

Human Services Research Institute has launched CAPS@HSRI, a new center aimed at helping states, providers and community groups build disability, aging and behavioral health systems shaped by the goals of the people they serve. The initiative adds technical assistance, evaluation and engagement support as demand grows for more person-driven services.

Why it matters: - CAPS@HSRI is designed to help systems serving people with disabilities and older adults move from person-centered language to person-centered practice. - The center targets policies, planning and service delivery that affect real-world outcomes in disability, aging, behavioral health and long-term services and supports.

What happened: - Human Services Research Institute launched the Center for Advancing Person-Centered Systems, known as CAPS@HSRI, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on July 13, 2026. - The new center will support states, service providers and community organizations that want systems guided by the voices, priorities and goals of the people they support. - Bevin Croft, Ph.D., senior research associate at HSRI, said person-centered approaches work because people are the experts in their own lives.

The details: - CAPS@HSRI will provide technical assistance, evaluation, facilitation and community engagement services. - The center will focus on strengthening person-centered practices, planning and systems across disability, aging, behavioral health and long-term services and supports. - HSRI said the center’s mission is to ensure that systems for people with disabilities and older adults are guided by lived experience and aspirations. - Croft said CAPS@HSRI is intended to help organizations move beyond the idea of person-centeredness and put it into practice through policies, processes, quality measures and systems change. - CAPS@HSRI will serve state and local government agencies, disability and aging service systems, behavioral health providers, managed care organizations, community-based organizations and advocacy groups. - The work will span intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health, substance use, aging, brain injury and other service systems. - Organizations can request a free one-hour consultation with CAPS@HSRI experts. - During the consultation, the team will help identify challenges, explore opportunities and determine which services or resources may best support an organization’s goals. - Consultation requests and additional information are available on the CAPS@HSRI website.

Between the lines: - The launch extends HSRI’s longstanding focus on person-centered thinking and systems transformation. - HSRI said its 50-year history includes helping state and local governments implement person-centered thinking, planning and practices, while building learning communities and elevating voices of people with lived experience. - The initiative reflects a broader push to make service systems more responsive to the people using them rather than to institutions alone.

What's next: - HSRI is positioning CAPS@HSRI as an entry point for organizations that want help improving person-centered systems. - The free consultation offer suggests the center will use direct advising to convert interest into ongoing technical assistance and system change. - More organizations are likely to evaluate CAPS@HSRI as they look for ways to improve outcomes and quality of life across disability and aging services.