For famillies in Massachusetts

[Guest guest]

Just so you know, i'm passing along this post from the children's hospital

e-blast there in Boston.

My suggestion: If you haVe trouble with this process, call Children's Hospital

and ask for help. If your child has been diagnosed with autism, and has down

syndrome, you may need a medically based advocate on your side.

take care,

Joan

FYI:

For a limited time period, the Department of Developmental Service's (DDS)

Autism Division will be conducting a new application process for parents of

young children with autism to apply for the Children's Autism Waiver Program.

The open application period is September 1-September 13.

The Autism Division anticipates that initially approximately 60 additional

children may be eligible for the Waiver during this new application period.

The Children's Autism Medicaid Waiver program provides up to $25,000 worth of

services per year of intensive in-home services (such as ABA and DIR/Floor Time)

for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other services that will

support children who are from low-income families in their homes and

communities.

The program is limited to children between the ages of 0-8 who are Medicaid

eligible and at risk of institutionalization now or at some point in the future.

With the limited time to get the word out to families and providers, we hope you

can start identifying families and informing them about the Waiver and the

process for applying.

The one page application for families to submit should be available soon on the

DDS web site www.mass.gov/DDS

Remember even families that are on the current wait list for the Waiver need to

re-apply, so please contact all families that you think may benefit from this

important program.

From the DDS web site:

Autism Division of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

The Children's Autism Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program

The Current Autism Waiver Program (Current):

The Office of Medicaid and the Department of Developmental Service's Autism

Division received approval from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services (CMS) to implement an autism services program in October 2007. This

Program provides services for Medicaid eligible children diagnosed with an

autism spectrum disorder. This Current three year Model Program called the

Children's Autism Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program ends on

September 30, 2010. Currently, there are about 110 children in the model Autism

Waiver Program and these children (unless they turn age 9 prior to October) will

transition into the Renewal Autism Waiver Program that begins on October 1,

2010.

The Renewal Autism Waiver Program (Renewal):

The Renewal Waiver will continue to serve children, birth through age 8, with an

autism spectrum disorder who meet the eligibility criteria for the Waiver

Program. Shortly, the Autism Division will offer an opportunity to apply for the

Renewal Waiver through an open application period. The Autism Division staff

anticipates that approximately 60 additional children may be eligible for the

Program during this initial application period that will last for approximately

12-18 months. After this period, the Department will do another open enrollment

to ensure that this list stays current and allows newly diagnosed young children

access to the Renewal Program.

A new element in the Renewal Program is the reserved capacity for children who

are age 3 and transitioning out of an Early Intervention Program. This means

that the Autism Division reserves 10 statewide slots for children who are age 3.

These children will still need to meet all relevant financial and clinical

eligibility standards required for entry into the Program.

The Renewal Waiver allows children to receive Expanded Habilitation, Education

(In-Home Services and supports, such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and

Floor Time) for a total of 3 years. For children transitioning into the Renewal

Waiver, the existing In-Home Services and supports count toward the overall 3

year period. At the conclusion of the 3 years of the intensive In-Home Services,

a child may access ongoing Supplemental Services (for example respite and goods

and services, etc.) that meet the child's needs and help with the transition out

of the intensive Autism Waiver Program—until the child's 9th Birthday. Waiver

Services remain supplemental to the special education services provided under

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

All waiver services require that the child continues to meet the financial and

clinical eligibility requirements for the Waiver Program.

Program Highlights:

This Renewal Autism Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Program is a

Medicaid program designed to provide services to help children with autism

remain in their homes and actively participate in their families and in their

communities. This Renewal Waiver provides one-to-one behavioral, social and

communication based interventions through a service called Expanded

Habilitation, Education. The service consists of one-to-one interventions

developed and monitored by a trained clinician and is carried out in the child's

home and community. Expanded Habilitation includes, but is not limited to,

behavioral approaches such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Developmental

and Relational Models such as Floor Time and

Autism Waiver Program Renewal Overview Communication Models. Expanded

Habilitation Services, Education should help children develop basic adaptive

skills, elementary verbal skills and appropriate interactive and play skills.

The Waiver Program also provides related support services such as community

integration activities and respite.

The Waiver Program uses a service delivery model called Participant Direction.

In this model, the parent takes the lead in designing the program and selecting

service providers based on the child's assessed level of need. Each family

receives support from a designated staff person, an Autism Support Broker -- at

one of the seven Department of Developmental Services funded Autism Support

Centers and from a Clinical Manager at the Autism Division.

Eligibility: the following requirements are necessary for participation in this

program:

1. The child must have a confirmed diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder,

which includes Autistic Disorder, PDD-NOS, Rhett's Syndrome, Childhood

Disintegrative Disorder and Asperger Syndrome subject to verification by the

Department of Developmental Services.

2. The child has not yet reached his/her 9th birthday. Children birth through

age 8 may participate.

3. The child is a resident of Massachusetts.

4. The child meets the level of care required for services in an Intermediate

Care Facility for persons with Intellectual Disability (ICF/ID) as assessed by

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES.

5. The family chooses to have the child receive services in the home and

community.

6. The child must be safely served in the community.

7. The child must have a legally responsible representative able to direct the

services and supports

of the Waiver.

8. The child must be found by the MassHealth agency to be eligible for

MassHealth Standard coverage, based on family income. For families who have not

yet applied for MassHealth, this must be done at the time of the filing of the

Waiver Program Eligibility Request Form.

There was a mistake in the info I sent out...please read below for correct

dates, etc!

The Dates for Open Enrollment are September 20th through October 1st.

All applications must have a postmark between these dates—DDS will discard

submissions outside of these dates. Applications must be mailed one per envelope

per person, duplicate applications and multiple applications in one envelope

will be discarded.

To download an application visit www.mass.gov/dds under Autism Spectrum Services

Lombardo

Down Syndrome Program Coordinator

Linking Hands Coordinator

LEND Family Faculty

phone -

fax -

pager - #1795

http://www.childrenshospital.org/downsyndrome