Bridges to Health Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waiver Program for Children in Foster Care (B2H)

Program Goal

To provide certain services to children in foster care who have significant mental health, developmental disabilities, or health care needs to help them to live in a home or community-based setting.

Eligibility

Children must be:

  • Under the age of 21 years.
  • In the care and custody of a Local Social Services District (LDSS) or the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS).
  • Be Medicaid eligible.
  • Have significant mental health, developmental disabilities, or health care needs, and
  • Require a medical institutional level of care.

Children discharged from foster care may remain in the program if they are otherwise Medicaid eligible based on the child's own income and resources and continue to meet all other eligibility requirements.

Description

The B2H Waiver allows Medicaid to pay for some services not normally provided through Medicaid. The B2H program will provide the following services:

  • Accessibility modifications.
  • Adaptive and assistive equipment.
  • Crisis respite.
  • Crisis avoidance, management and training.
  • Immediate crisis response services.
  • Day habilitation (help with activities of daily living, such as dressing, feeding, bathing).
  • Family caregiver supports and services.
  • Health care integration (coordination and care management).
  • Intensive in-home supports.
  • Planned respite.
  • Prevocational services (services that teach the person work habits that will help him/her to get and keep a job).
  • Skill building.
  • Special needs community advocacy and support.
  • Supported employment (a job coach assists the individual's adjustment to the new work location and works closely with the supervisor to understand the person's needs, etc.).

For More Information

Program information is available at www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/b2h. You can also call the Office of Children and Family Services at (518) 408-4064.

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Publication 0548
Revised 10/2013