This episode of the Nonprofit Report features Developmental Pathways, which supports folks with disabilities. People with disabilities represent a significant part of every community, yet too often they face barriers to accessing services and leading meaningful lives.
Guests:
Matt VanAuken, Executive Director & CEO of Developmental Pathways
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Key Points:
- Developmental Pathways is one of 20 community-centered boards in Colorado, serving nearly 9,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities each year.
- The organization coordinates services, case management, and advocacy rather than providing direct services, connecting families with Medicaid, county mill levy funds, and local providers.
- Early intervention programs support children ages 0–3, while service navigation extends across the lifespan.
- Funding comes from federal, state, and county sources, allowing access for those who qualify for Medicaid and for those who do not.
- Medicaid-funded services include transportation, home health care, and direct support professionals, though shortages in staffing remain a national challenge.
- Colorado is restructuring its system to create single-entry points, eliminating silos between physical and developmental disability services.
- Developmental Pathways will nearly double its caseload from 9,000 to 17,000 individuals as part of this statewide redesign.
- The organization maintains low administrative costs (around 12–13%) while channeling resources directly to services.
Other Points on Supporting Coloradans with Disabilities:
Developmental Pathways emphasizes advocacy and empowerment, ensuring individuals and families understand available resources and can navigate complex systems with confidence. Knowledge is viewed as a source of power, helping people secure the services they need.
Colorado’s locally based model enables community-centered boards to tailor services, making them more efficient and relevant than statewide systems. This approach has placed Colorado among the top states in disability service outcomes despite lower overall per-person funding.
The state’s consolidation plan will streamline access by replacing multiple entry systems with a single coordinated network. This will reduce duplication, strengthen efficiency, and increase support for both intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as physical disabilities.
Looking forward, Developmental Pathways is preparing for rapid growth. While scaling up requires new investments and training, the long-term impact will be expanded access, stronger service coordination, and better outcomes for thousands more Coloradans with disabilities.