How can i use Waiver Funds?

Residential Home and Community Habilitation

Residential services provided in licensed community homes to assist individuals in acquiring, retaining, and improving self-help, socialization and adaptive skills.

Lifesharing and Everyday Living Options
Lifesharing, also known as Family Living, supports individuals with intellectual disabilities to live with qualified unrelated adults who provide support in their home. Up to two individuals with a disability can live in a lifesharing home and be supported by ODP funding. Most lifesharing homes are licensed and inspected to ensure the health and welfare of individuals being served. Individuals in lifesharing also have supports coordinators to monitor the quality of services on a regular basis.  Lifesharing means living with and sharing life experiences with supportive persons who form a caring household. Lifesharing is recognized as both a close personal relationship and a place to live. Lifesharers offer individuals the opportunity to be part of a family and to participate in community life. Lifesharers and individuals are carefully matched and supported by qualified professionals to achieve the person’s program objectives. Birth families are encouraged to be part of the matching process and continue to have close relationships with individuals who choose a lifesharing option.

Respite Services
Respite services are direct services that are provided to supervise/support individuals on a short-term basis due to the absence or need for relief of those persons normally providing care.

Employment Services (Competitive Employment)
Supported Employment Services are direct and indirect services that are provided in community employment work sites with co-workers who do not have disabilities for the purposes of finding and supporting individuals in competitive jobs of their choice. Services include but are not limited to interview skill training, resume preparation, SSI and SSDI benefits counseling and job searching.Job Support Service is a periodic follow-up with individuals and their employers to support them in maintaining competitive jobs in their community

Prevocational services This service is provided to assist individuals in developing skills necessary for placement in a higher level vocational program and ultimately into competitive employment. The service may be provided as facility-based employment, occupational training, vocational evaluation, a vocational facility, or a work activities center.

Companion Services
Companion services are provided to individuals living in private residences for the limited purposes of providing supervision and minimal assistance that is focused solely on the health and safety of the adult individual (18 and older) with Intellectual Disabilities.

Community Habilitation
Adult training facilities provide services that assist individuals in meeting personal needs and performing basic daily activities.

Transitional work services
Transitional work offers work experience in a real work environment that is highly supervised. These environments are often known as enclaves, mobile work force, affirmative industry, work station in industry, and transitional employment.

Specialized Therapies and Related Clinical Services
Specialized support services are services provided by health care and other professionals that enable individuals and families to increase or maintain their ability to perform activities of daily living. Examples of such services are physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, visual and mobility therapy, behavioral therapy, and visiting nurse services.

Home and Community Services
Habilitation is designed to assist individuals to gain, maintain, and improve skills in the areas of self-care, daily living activities, social skills, and to enable the person’s involvement in community activities. These services help people live in their home; participate in local community activities; use community resources such as parks, pools, movies etc.; and access informal supports such as service clubs, senior programs, and other community opportunities. Services can be provided by a service agency that provides trained individuals to provide assistance or by someone the person and family already knows who is qualified and willing to provide assistance.

After I apply for Waiver Funding, What Happens Next?

If you are found eligible for waiver services and there is sufficient funding and capacity, you will begin to receive services. If there is not sufficient funding and/or capacity to serve you, you will be placed on a waiting list.  Your county will determine your place on the waiting list based upon the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) form that you complete with your Supports Coordinator.

How Long Will it Take to Get the Supports and Services That I Need?

The primary factors that determine when you receive services are whether your county has capacity within their Waiver allocation and the urgency of your need..  Counties must prioritize people in the emergency and critical categories and enroll them in services up to the limit of their capicity.

Your urgency of need for services is determined from your completed PUNS form. There are three categories of need. The first, "Emergency Need" means you need support immediately. The second, "Critical Need" means you need support within one year. The third, "Planning for Need" is when your need for supports or service is more than a year away.

The number of people on Emergency and Critical lists ahead of you also influences how long you will have to wait for services.

Completing a PUNS form annually is important because it establishes your need and enables the county and state to prepare a budget request for expansion.