Adults with Developmental Disabilities

The Adults with Developmental Disabilities waiver provides services and individualized supports to persons 18 years of age or older with a developmental disability who are at risk of placement in an Intermediate Care Facility for persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (ICF-I/DD).

• The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is the state Medicaid Agency (MA) and responsible for administration and oversight of this Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver.
• The Illinois Department of Human Services – Division of Developmental Disabilities (IDHS-DDD) is the Operating Agency (OA).

Eligible Population for the Adults with Developmental Disabilities waiver includes:

Individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability who are age 18 or older and are at risk of placement in an ICF-I/DD.

To be Eligible for the Adults with Developmental Disabilities waiver, you must be:  

• A U.S. citizen or legal alien;
• A resident living in the State of Illinois;
• Age 18 or older;
• Enrolled in Medicaid, including individuals enrolled through the Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) program.  Interested individuals may download an application from the HBWD Web site.  Services may still be available for those not eligible for Medicaid;
• Assessed, using the Determination of Need (DON) assessment, as eligible for an institutional level of care for persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities;
• Not in need of 24-hour nursing care;
• Able to be safely maintained in the home or community-based setting with the services provided in the plan of care;

• Adaptive Equipment
• Adult Day Care
• Assistive Technology
• Behavior Intervention and Treatment
• Behavioral Services
• Community Day Services
• Emergency Home Response Services
• Home Accessibility Modifications
• Non-medical Transportation
• Occupational Therapy
• Personal Support
• Physical Therapy
• Remote Support
• Residential Habilitation
• Self-Direction Assistance
• Skilled Nursing
• Speech Therapy
• Supported Employment—Individual Employment Support
• Supported Employment--Small Group Supports
• Temporary Assistance
• Training and Counseling Services for Unpaid Caregivers
• Vehicle Modification
• 24-hour Stabilization Services

Medicaid waiver funding does not pay for room and board.

To see if you are eligible for services:

• The Point of Entry for possible services is through (1) a Preadmission Screening (PAS) Agency or (2) an Independent Service Coordination (ISC) Agency (PAS/ISC):
  • These agencies can be contacted through the Developmental Disabilities Helpline at 1-888-DD-PLANS or at 1-866-376-8446 for TTY.
• You can also contact your local IDHS-DDD office by using the DHS Office Locator link.
• You can also call 1-800-843-6154 (#3 on menu) or 1-800-447-6404 for TTY.

Service Descriptions:

• Adaptive Equipment: Includes devices, controls, or appliances that enable customers to perceive, control, access, and/or communicate with the environment in which they live, as well as perform activities of daily living.
• Adult Day Service (ADS):  Provides direct care and supervision in community-based settings for the purpose of providing personal attention and promoting social, physical, and emotional well-being.
• Assistive Technology:  Includes an item, piece of equipment, or product, whether bought, made, or modified, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve a customer’s functional capabilities.
• Behavior Intervention and Treatment: Includes ongoing behavioral assessment, functional analysis, development of positive intervention strategies and techniques, participation in individual support plan development, training of family and other workers on the specifics of the customer’s plan, and monitoring the effectiveness of the interventions.
• Behavior Services (Psychotherapy and Counseling): Psychotherapy is a treatment approach that focuses on a goal of reducing symptoms of emotional, cognitive, or behavioral disorder and promoting positive emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development.  Counseling is a treatment approach that uses relationship skills to promote the customer’s abilities to deal with daily living issues associated with their cognitive or behavioral problems using a variety of supportive and educational techniques.
• Community Day Services:  offer adult skill-building activities, including opportunities for community exploration, inclusion, and integration, based on the customer’s current, emerging, and newly discovered interests and preferences.  Activities support skills for self-determination, relationships, and community contribution.
• Emergency Home Response Services:  A two-way voice communication system providing a 24-hour emergency communication link to assistance outside of a customer’s home for customers with health and safety needs and/or mobility limitations. 
• Home Accessibility Modifications:  Physical adaptations to the private residence of the customer or the customer’s family, required by the customer’s support plan, that are necessary to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the customer or enable the customer to function with greater independence in the home.  Examples might include the installation of ramps and grab-bars, widening doorways, or modifying the shower.
• Non-Medical Transportation: Services are offered to enable the customer to gain access to waiver and other community services, activities, and resources, as specified in the customer’s service plan.
• Occupational Therapy:  Includes services provided by a licensed therapist that focus on the long-term therapeutic needs of the customer.
• Personal Support:  Includes teaching adaptive skills to assist the customer to reach personal goals; providing personal assistance in activities of daily living; offering services on a short-term basis because of the absence of or need for relief of those persons who normally provide care.
• Physical Therapy:  Includes services provided by a licensed therapist that focus on the long-term therapeutic needs of the customer.
• Remote Support:  Includes the use of video, audio, door and window monitoring devices, or other technology which enables a customer to be more independent and less reliant on staff being physically present when receiving CILA supports and services.  This service requires prior authorization, is limited to CILA customers, and is only used with full consent of the customer and anyone else residing in the same living space. 
• Residential Habilitation:  Includes services for persons living in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA), as 24-hour, Intermittent, Host Family settings, and Community Living Facilities (CLF) for 16 or fewer persons.
• Self-Direction Assistance:  Assistance is provided to the customer (and his/her family or representative, as appropriate) in arranging for, directing, and managing services.  Practical skills training is offered to enable families and customers to independently direct and manage their services, including hiring, training, supervising, and firing service providers.
• Skilled Nursing:  Include services listed in the customer’s service plan that are within the scope of the State’s Nurse Practice Act and are provided by a registered professional nurse, or licensed practical nurse under the supervision of a registered nurse, licensed to practice in the State.
• Speech Therapy:  Includes services provided by a licensed therapist that focus on the long-term therapeutic needs of the customer.
•  Supported Employment—Individual Employment Support (SEI):  Includes ongoing supports that enable a customer, for whom sustained competitive integrated employment is unlikely due to the nature of the customer’s disabilities and absent of the provision of supports, to maintain competitive employment in an integrated setting and at an employer identified by the customer through informed choice.
• Supported Employment—Group Employment Support (SEG):  Includes ongoing supports that enable customers to engage in provider facilitated integrated group employment which supports the acquisition of skills and knowledge which lead to a successful transition into individualized competitive integrated employment or self-employment.
• Temporary Assistance:  Includes services provided on an emergency, temporary basis because of the absence or incapacity of the persons who normally provide unpaid care.
• Training and Counseling Services for Unpaid Caregivers:  Includes providing instruction about treatment regimens, use of equipment, or other services included in the customer’s service plan, and counseling is aimed at assisting the unpaid caregiver in meeting the needs of the customer.
• Vehicle Modification:  Includes adaptations or alterations to an automobile or van that is the customer’s primary means of transportation to accommodate the special needs of the customer, enable the customer to integrate more fully into the community, and help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the customer.
• 24-hour Stabilization Services:  Designed to meet the needs of customers who require short-term, temporary services outside of their existing homes, including customers experiencing an acute behavioral condition that results in difficulties in helping the customer to stabilize in his/her current setting.
• Therapies: Provided by a licensed therapist.  Therapies includes occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. May be approved under the waiver if the customer is no longer eligible for therapies under the State Plan but continues to need long-term habilitative services.

Operating Agency Contact Information

Division of Developmental Disabilities
Phone: (888) 337-5267
Email:  DHS.DDDComments@illinois.gov