Persons with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

A variety of supports and services are offered and available to persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities and­ their­ families.­ The focus of these services is to promote individual choice, community inclusive opportunities and innovation, effectiveness, and efficiency in all practice.

Programs, Services, and Resources

Supports Coordination is a core service­ provided. This service­ assists­ consumers through the person-centered planning process to design and implement strategies for­ obtaining­ services­ and­ supports­ that­ are­ goal-oriented­ and­ individualized. There are five core components:

• Planning and/or facilitating planning using person centered planning principles

• Developing an individual plan of service using the person-centered planning process

• Linking to and coordinating with other services

• Assistance with access to entitlements and/or legal representation

• Coordination with health care and other services­­­­­­­­­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Psychiatric Services are offered to those individual’s who would benefit from medication to address a psychiatric condition.­ Typical psychiatric services include psychiatric evaluation and medication review.

• Psychiatric evaluation is a ­comprehensive evaluation, performed face-to-face by a psychiatrist that investigates a consumer’s clinical status, including the presenting problem; the history of the present illness; previous psychiatric, physical, and medication history; relevant personal and family history; personal strengths and assets; and a mental status examination.­ This examination concludes with a written summary.

Medication Review is the process of evaluating and monitoring medications, their effects, and the need for continuing or changing the medication regimen.­­ This service is typically provided by a psychiatrist but on occasion may also be provided by a registered nurse or physicians assistant.

Health Services are typically provided by a registered nurse (RN) and include an initial review of a person’s health-related needs and coordination with the individual’s primary care physician. Other health services provided include: injections; lab tests; monitoring of medication-related conditions, side effects or reactions; and health education to the individual, family, and care givers.

Individual/Group Therapy is offered to individual’s who would benefit from­ individual­ or­ group­ therapy. ­Such treatments­ are designed­ to reduce­ maladaptive­ behaviors,­ maximize­ behavioral­ self-control­ or­ restore normalized­ psychological­ functioning,­ reality­ orientation,­ re-motivation,­ and emotional adjustment, thus enabling improved functioning and more appropriate interpersonal and social relationships. Individual and group therapy are conducted by licensed mental health professionals.

Respite Services are provided to temporarily relieve an unpaid primary caregiver of supervision or the provision of personal care.

Community Living Supports are intended to facilitate an individual’s independence, productivity and promote community inclusion and participation.­ The supports can be provided in the home or in community settings.­

Community Ties Program is to support consumers as they fully experience life by providing opportunities for meaningful activities, exercising choice, building relationships and community partnerships. 

Supported Employment Services­ provides support to individuals to secure and maintain employment­ in­ the­ community.­ Services­ include­ but­ are­ not­ limited­ to­ job development,­ job­ coaching,­ follow-along­ support,­ job­ carving,­ and­ equipment purchase that would enable a person to perform a particular job.

Housing Services provide rental assistance and housing assistance through HUD and SAMHSA grants intended to end and prevent homelessness. Permanent Supportive Housing supports those who are disabled and homeless with Peer Support Services and Community Living Supports that promote housing stability in a safe, decent and sanitary environment.

Fiscal Intermediary Services (or ­fiscal­ management­ agencies)­ hold­ individual­ budget allocations­ for­ consumers­ and­ pay­ bills,­ taxes,­ and­ benefits based­ on­ approved individual budgets. They provide regular reports to SCCMHA and consumers, and relieve­ consumers­ of­ concerns­ about­ federal,­ state­ and­ other­ tax­ and­ benefit liabilities.­ Typically utilized by individuals living a self-determined life.

Enhanced Health Services address health conditions related to the person’s mental health or intellectual disability.­ These services include the following:

• Applied Behavioral Services are offered to­ address or ameliorate­ behaviors that interfere with the consumer’s functioning in the community, impede interpersonal relationships, or are harmful to self or others.

• Psychological testing is­ conducted­ by­ a­ fully­ licensed­ or­ limited-licensed psychologist and includes a pre-testing interview, standardized projective tests, IQ tests,­ and­ interpretations of­ test­ results.­ Testing may also­ conducted for­ Probate Court procedures such as guardianship.

• Physical Therapy services include assessments of physical therapy needs performed by­ a­ licensed physical­ therapist­ and­ professional­ recommendations­ for intervention­ and­ related­ equipment­ needs­ (e.g.,­ wheelchair­ assessments­ and fittings).

• Occupational Therapy­ services include assessment­ of­ occupational­ therapy needs performed­ by­ a­ Registered­ Occupational­ Therapist­ and­ professional recommendations­ for­ intervention­ and­ adaptive­ equipment­ needs.­ Services provided must be beyond the scope of the qualified health plan.­ The­ occupational­ therapists­ also­ work­ closely­ with­ the­ Psychologist­ in behavior reduction through sensory desensitization interventions.

• Speech Therapy­ services include an assessment­ of­ speech­ and­ language­ needs,­ are performed­ by­ a­ certified­ speech­ and­ language­ pathologist,­ including­ professional recommendations­ for­ intervention,­ including­ adaptive­ equipment­ needs.

• Nursing­ services­ and assessments­ are­ performed­ by­ a­ registered­ nurse­ for­ the purpose of identifying a consumer’s need for nursing or health-related­ services and­ include professional­ recommendations­ for­ treatment.­

• Nutritional services include assessments­ performed­ by­ a­ registered­ dietician­ for the­ purpose­ of­ assessing­ the­ consumer’s­ past­ and­ present­ nutritional­ status, nutritional­ problems,­ effects­ of­ medications­ on­ nutritional­ status,­ and­ a recommended course of treatment.­ Services­ must­ be­ beyond­ the­ scope­ of­ the consumer’s Medicaid health plan.

Crisis Services are mental health crisis intervention services with a response capacity 24 hours a day, seven days a week.­ Services are designed to ensure consumer well-being and dignity, community safety, and access to inpatient care for persons experiencing acute episodes of serious mental illness or emotional disturbance.­