Community Supports Waiver Announcement and Important Dates
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is pleased to announce the development of a new Community Supports Waiver program. The Community Supports Waiver program will provide individual and family supports for persons with developmental disabilities on the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) Waiting List. The goals of this new program includes providing: (1) Innovative service options that support Maryland’s Supporting Families Community of Practice; (2) Community-based service options offered under the current Community Pathways Waiver (e.g. Supported Employment, Employment Discovery & Customization, Personal Supports, Respite, Assistive Technology, Behavioral Supports, etc.) with the exception of residential services; (3) Self-direction opportunities; (4) Flexibility to move dollar amounts among line items within the approved person-centered plan to meet emerging and changing needs; and (5) Short-term exceptions to the overall budget caps of $25,000 based on exceptional needs. All services must be provided in settings that meet the federal Community Settings requirements.
Important Dates and Next Steps
- August 1, 2017 – DDA Community Supports Waiver webpage established
- August 9, 2017 (1:30 – 3:30) – Community Supports Waiver Overview Webinar
- August 14, 2017 – Community Supports Waiver federal application will be posted to the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) website
- August 14, 2017 through September 12, 2017 – Public comment period. Public comments can be submitted to wfb.dda@maryland.gov
- October 1, 2017 – Submission to CMS
- January 1, 2018 – Community Supports Waiver program implementation