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The Division of Mental Health / Developmental Disabilities / Addictive
Diseases Administers a waiver program called the Mental Retardation Medicaid
Waiver Program (MRWP). The MRWP has a menu of different services
within it. The average cost of the MRWP is $20,400 per person.
Services Available Under the Mental Retardation Medicaid Waiver
Residential Options
Residential Training and Supervision - This service is provided in an
agency operated site like a group home or personal care home. It is usually
a 24 hour /
7 day a week service. The training offered is tailored to the individual
consumer.
It can include training in self care (dressing, bathing, tooth brushing,
hair care, etc), independent living skills (cooking, shopping, vacuuming,
laundry, making
the bed, etc), communication skills (answering the telephone, understanding
multi-step instructions, answering questions, carrying on a conversation,
etc),
leisure skills (exercising, going to the park, playing sports, accessing
community
recreational facilities like movies, game rooms, etc), enhancing self
direction
(making choices, decreasing inappropriate behaviors, etc)
Personal Support - This can be a similar service to Residential
Training and
Supervision, but it occurs in the family’s home or the individual’s own
home.
It can also be an a home provider’s home. Personal support can be from 1-24
hours a day depending upon what the individual needs. Personal support can
provide the same training opportunities as Residential Training and
Supervision.
Day Services Options
Day Habilitation – This is a service that is offered in a facility or
in the community. It is non-work in nature. It can target training in the
areas of
communication skills, social skills, leisure skills, mobility skills, or
self
help skills. There is a daily rate or an hourly rate.
Day Support Services – This service option has several variables. It
can be
30 hours of community based day habilitation activities. It could offer 20
hours of facility based services and 20 hours of community based services.
It could offer 60-120 hours of facility based services with 6-12 hours of
that
being community based services. Day Support Services can be a combination
of day habilitation, prevocational, or supported employment.
Supported Employment – This service offers individuals the
opportunity to
work a minimum of 80 hours a month in the community. It can provide job
development, job coaching, and long-term follow-up to make sure the job is
going well.
Other Support Services
Specialized Medical Supplies – This can provide a range of supplies
such as
disposable diapers, chux pads, latex gloves, wipes, disinfectant cleaners,
etc.
There is a yearly cap of $1,659.84.
Specialized Medical Equipment – This service can provide equipment
that is
not otherwise covered by Medicaid. It might include certain types of bath
chairs,
ceiling track lift systems, communication systems, customized molded chair
seats, etc. There is a $13,474.76 lifetime cap.
Personal Emergency Response Systems – The waiver will pay for
installation and the monthly fee for a lifeline type emergency response
system.
Environmental Modifications – The waiver can pay for home
modifications
that are not permanent structures. It could pay for a ramp, widening of
doorways,
etc. There is a $10,400 lifetime cap.
Vehicle Adaptation - This service can pay for vehicle adaptations
such as
wheelchair brackets, special seat belt harnesses, portable ramps. There is a
cap of $3,120 which means it usually is not enough to pay for a wheelchair
lift.
Respite Care – The waiver will pay for up to 52 days a year of
respite care. The
Respite can be done in the person’s home or away from home. Respite can
be done on a daily or hourly basis.
Home Based Services - The regular state Medicaid plan covers some of
these
services, but if a person receiving the waiver needs more than is offered in
the
regular state Medicaid plan then they can receive them through the waiver.
This
could include up to 290 visits a year of any combination of skilled nursing,
physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or home health aide.
Natural Support Enhancement – This is a new service under the waiver.
It can
pay for supports for the individual to become more linked into their
community.
For example, it could pay for a YMCA membership, an art class, swimming
lessons, or karate classes. It could pay for a support person to go along to
assist
the individual so they could participate in the activity. If the person is a
sports
fan, it could pay for tickets so they could attend the sporting event. It
can also
pay for in-home supports so other people are more familiar with the care
involved
other than just family. It can pay for respite care without the 52 day
limit. It is a
flexible service that is targeted at getting people out into the community.
Natural Support Therapies – If a person needs special therapies or
behavioral
or nutritional interventions, it can be paid for through Natural Support
Therapies.
For example, if you needed a speech therapist to teach the Sunday School
teacher how to use the communication system, it could be funded through this
service. If you needed a physical therapist to work with the YMCA swimming
instructor to show them how to support a child with cerebral palsy in the
swimming pool, it could be paid for through this service. If a person had
challenging behaviors and you needed someone with expertise in behavior
support plans, it could be arranged for and paid through Natural Support
Therapies.
For more information on the waiver or to apply, contact your local Regional
Board. Search the online
Special Needs Database for information on your local regional board
office.
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A special needs
trust is the only estate planning option that protects assets, enables the
beneficiary to receive goods and services from the estate, and still
preserves eligibility for government benefits. |
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