Shawn Terrell

Background

About Shawn Terrell

I am a seasoned leader in Medicaid and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) with 25+ years of experience driving innovation in disability, behavioral health, and older adult policy. My career has focused on advancing person-centered planning, self-direction, and recovery-oriented systems to improve outcomes for people with disabilities and older adults. At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), I have led cross-agency efforts to implement person-centered planning policy, develop HCBS quality measures, and guide the development and adoption of the Medicaid HCBS Settings Rule. I created and served as COR for the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Planning and Systems (NCAPPS), and the Grassroots Project. I have collaborated with CMS, SAMHSA, AHRQ, ONC, NCQA, and national self-advocacy organizations to embed lived experience into federal policy and programs. I’m recognized for visionary leadership, strategic thinking, and dedication to supporting individuals to live in their communities with choice, dignity, and respect. I specialize in: • Medicaid Policy & Financing: HCBS waivers, state plan, managed care, and demonstrations. Supporting states in ongoing efforts to comply with the HCBS Settings Rule. • Behavioral Health & Recovery: Promoting services and supports that align with principles of non-coercion, person-centered practices, and civil rights, driving integration of recovery principles into Medicaid policy and programs. • Person-Centered Practices: Training, technical assistance, and systems change for disability, behavioral health, and older adult programs. • Self-Direction: Supporting the continued development, implementation, and expansion of self-direction into underserved populations. • Quality Measurement & Outcomes: Developing HCBS measures, advancing National Core Indicators, and linking outcomes to value-based care. • Stakeholder Engagement: Deep listening and support of people with lived experience to address system improvement and responsiveness. • Native American HCBS Access: Supporting Tribal nations and their allies to navigate the complex intersection of Indian Health Services and Medicaid HCBS policy. I am passionate about building bridges between policy and direct service, ensuring that programs are designed with equity and lived experience at the center. If you are working to strengthen Medicaid HCBS, or recovery-focused systems, or any other area listed above, let’s connect — I bring both the federal policy expertise and the community-level perspective needed to drive meaningful change.