Joan Deschamps, BA

Consultant

descha14@msu.edu
Phone: 517-432-9821

965 Wilson Rd.
A539 East Fee Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824

Biography

Joan Deschamps is a Consultant at the Institute for Health Policy where she and her colleagues coordinate and conduct reviews of residential and non-residential settings for individuals on the Habilitation Supports Waiver, according to Federal requirements for Home and Community Based Services. IHP Specialist-Outreach Coordinators are responsible for submitting documentation and compliance recommendations to the Michigan Department of health and Human Services, based on the site review findings.

Joan's work experience spans five decades. With the exception of time-out for two retirements (2002-2004 and 2015-2018), all of her work experience has been in the public or nonprofit service sector. Her focus for the past 34 years has been on planning, developing or coordinating community-based services and programs for children, youth and young adults with special health care needs and with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and for the families with which they live: first as Policy Specialist for Children’s Special Health Care Services (Michigan Department of Public Health), and most recently as Policy/Program Specialist for the Children's Waiver Program and the Waiver for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (Michigan Department of Mental Health).

In addition to her formal job responsibilities, Joan has served on numerous local and State Advisory Committees and Taskforces, representing the interests of children, youth and adults who were vulnerable by virtual of their legal status, age or special needs.

Joan completed her undergraduate degree at Kalamazoo College in 1966 with a dual major in pre-medical studies and anthropology. During 1987 and 1988, she attended the University of Michigan’s On Job-On Campus graduate program and completed the course work for an MPH in Health Services Management and Policy. Some place in the middle of Joan’s bucket list is completing her thesis to earn her MPH.

Joan joined IHP in May 2018 for what she refers to as her "post-second-retirement dream job."