Official DDRS announcement about caregiver support/respite

To: Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services’ (DDRS) consumers and stakeholders

From: Nicole Norvell, Director, DDRS 

Re: Caregiver Support Services Application Process

Date: August 30, 2013 

The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services would like to announce that Caregiver Support 

Services funds will be available for fiscal year 2014 starting September 1, 2013. 

Applications no longer have to be made in-person at the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services 

(BDDS) district office. You may apply online, by mail or in-person. 

To apply online, please click on the following link: 

https://ddrsprovider.fssa.in.gov/BDDS/ConsumerInfo/CaregiverSupportRequest.aspx. 

You may also call your BDDS District Office and request an application be sent to you or apply in-person 

at the District Office. Addresses and telephone numbers for each District Office are available here. A 

Caregiver Support Services’ FAQ has also been posted to the BDDS’ webpage.

Caregiver Support Services is 100 percent state funded and is available on a first-come, first-served 

basis. Previous applications during fiscal year 2013 for Caregiver Support Services do not carry over to 

fiscal year 2014. An application must be completed for each fiscal year’s Caregiver Support Services 

funds. 

As long as the Caregiver Support Services funds are available, the Caregiver Support Services may be 

approved when 1) an individual meets the state definition of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 

level of care and 2) the primary caregiver selects a provider. Caregiver Support Services will not be 

available to the primary caregiver if the individual is receiving or begins to receive other services from 

BDDS or programs such as (but not limited to) as Vocational Rehabilitation Services, First Steps, CHOICE, 

Division of Aging waiver, etc.