Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver for Persons, Including Children, with Mental Retardation and/or Developmental Disabilities

Program Goal

To provide services and supports for adults and children of all ages and their families to enable them to remain at home or in community residential settings.

Eligibility

  • Must have mental retardation and/or a developmental disability.
  • Must meet level of care eligibility criteria for an Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded.
  • Must be eligible for Medicaid.
  • Must live at home, or in an Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) sponsored Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA), Community Residence, or Family Care home.
  • Parental income and resources are not considered when determining the child's eligibility for Medicaid.

Description

The HCBS Waiver allows Medicaid to pay for some services not normally provided through Medicaid. These services include: respite; residential and day habilitation; community habilitation, plan of care support services; consolidated supports and services; environmental modifications; adaptive devices; and family education and training. Other waiver services include prevocational services to teach the person appropriate work habits that will enable him/her to obtain and keep employment and supported employment services of a job coach to assist the individual to adjust to the new work location. The job coach works closely with the person's supervisor to understand his/her needs. The waiver is available in all of the State's counties and boroughs of New York City.

For More Information

The HCBS Waiver is administered through the local OPWDD Developmental Disability Services Offices (DDSO). Contact the OPWDD Office of Waiver Management at (518) 474-5647 to obtain the name of the local DDSO or go to the OPWDD website at www.opwdd.ny.gov, click on "Services." Then click on "Map and Resource Directory" at the bottom of the page. Then click on the link, "Developmental Disabilities Services Offices (DDSO)."

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Publication 0548
Revised 10/2013