DDRS quarterly update: info on waiting list and more
Family Voices shares the following info from the DDRS quarterly report. The report is embedded below in its entirety.
Medicaid Waiver Wait List Update
Over the last eight months, the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) has been working to
make some positive changes in its service delivery to consumers, including its effort to ensure its Medicaid
Waiver Wait List is as up to date as possible. As of March 2012, the Wait List was over 19,000 names long.
Through its efforts to update these individuals’ contact information and desire to remain on the Waiver Wait
List, the Division has had a very positive response. As of October 1, 2012, staff has updated 17,031 records.
There have been names removed from the Waiver Wait List due to:
An indicated desire to be removed
An individual was already on the Waiver for which he/she was on the Wait List
An individual was no longer living at the address DDRS had on file, and/or there was no other address
in our system
An individual moved out of state or is deceased
An individual did not return a response form to DDRS (these individuals’ names are placed into
another list for retrieval, if necessary, by application date)
Further, as of the same date, removal of these names has resulted in a much lower and accurate DDRS
Medicaid Waiver Wait List of 8,486, as of October 1, 2012.
If you did not receive an initial Wait List Letter and believe you should have, please contact your local BDDS
office to determine if you are in our data system. A FAQ about the Wait List letter is available on the
Announcements page of DDRS’ website.
DDRS/BDDS Waiver Data
The Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH) Waiver is for an emergency, needs-based placement, only.
Targeting for this Waiver will no longer occur; there is no wait list, and the Division will only place individuals if
they meet very specific criteria.
Powerful Parents Groups
This fall, DDRS has continued its meetings with parents and families of individuals with disabilities throughout
the state via its Powerful Parents groups. These meetings are intended to be small, informative discussions
with parents and families who do not receive regular updates and information about DDRS’ initiatives through
advocacy groups.
Topics of discussion for the fall include:
Case Management
Housemates/OBA
Transportation
Recap of revised DDRS Medicaid Waivers
o Family Supports Waiver (FSW)
o Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH)
Medicaid Waiver Wait List update
Upcoming meetings include visits to Madison, Richmond, Evansville, Terre Haute, Valparaiso, and South Bend.
For more information on specific dates, which are only listed for the current month, please visit our
information on DDRS’ website. Parents and family members who wish to attend a meeting in their area must
RSVP, as space is limited. Questions and RSVPs may be e-mailed to PowerfulParents@fssa.in.gov.
IUPUI S.I.T.E. Program
The IUPUI SITE program has updated its website. The SITE program is a collaboration of the Indianapolis Public
Schools and IUPUI that enables individuals with intellectual disabilities to participate in postsecondary
programming on the IUPUI campus. SITE is also expanding in the 2012-13 academic year to include the school
districts surrounding Indianapolis. The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University was
awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2010 to create the Indiana Partnership for
Postsecondary Education and Careers project. A key component of the project is partnering with the SITE
program at IUPUI. SITE’s expansion to other school districts will be one way the Partnership can spread the
message of just how life-changing and empowering postsecondary experiences can be for students with
disabilities.
The project is also interested in establishing additional programs at other institutions of higher education to
expand opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. See Think College Indiana for more
information or please contact Jean Updike, jeupdike@indiana.edu , Gwen Chesterfield, jschest@aol.com or
Steve Savage, insack@aol.com
Behavioral Interventions
BQIS identified a high number of reported behavioral incidents (e.g., self-injurious behavior, pica, elopement,
etc.) and use of restrictive strategies in response to serious events (e.g., physical restraint, PRN medication
use, etc.). Through collaboration with the Indiana Association for Behavioral Consultants (IN-ABC) and the
Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA), a survey was conducted to determine areas for further
discussion and remediation. Results from 68 behavioral clinicians indicated inconsistencies in the identification
and use of behavioral strategies considered restrictive.
As a result, BQIS / Liberty of Indiana Corporation developed, and posted to the BQIS website, a Behavioral
Intervention Guide with definitions of restrictive and non-restrictive interventions IN-ABC and HABA have
reviewed and provided input into this guide. Teams working with individuals who display challenging
behaviors which necessitate the development of a behavior support plan (BSP) should use this guide as a
resource. The clarification provided should facilitate a more consistent understanding of strategies requiring
informed consent and Human Rights Committee (HRC) approval prior to their implementation.
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