Are you or a loved one living with a developmental disability and residing in the state of Louisiana? Life-changing resources and support services could be available to you through the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD). In this article, we’ll walk you through the Louisiana Medicaid resources you or your loved one could be privy to.
Home and Community-Based Services
Home and community-based services are need-based waiver programs provided for people with disabilities who prefer to live in a home or community-based setting rather than in an outside institution. They are mainly centered on delivering the care and services the individual needs to survive and thrive in as unrestricted a setting as possible. Here are the waivers available as of the time of this writing:
- Children’s Choice Waiver (CCW)
- New Opportunities Waiver (NOW)
- Residential Options Waiver (ROW)
- Supports Waiver (SW)
EarlySteps
EarlySteps is an LA Medicaid program that provides specialized services to children up to 3 years old who have a qualifying disability. The goal of the program is to enhance that child’s quality of life and improve their developmental outcomes in the short term and the long term. Some of the services provided through this program include nursing services, vision services, certain therapies, and more.
Learn more about EarlySteps in this blog.
Individual and Family Support (IFS)
The Individual and Family Support (IFS) program comes into play as an extra LA Medicaid resource for those with disabilities who need assistance that’s not provided through other home and community-based resources. Some of the benefits beneficiaries may get as a part of this program include crisis intervention, personal assistance services, and respite care.
Flexible Family Funds
LA Medicaid Flexible Family Funds is a program in which people ages 0 to 18 receive a monthly stipend to help offset the cost of disability-related care. To qualify for the program, the individual must have a severe or profound developmental disability. Not everyone who qualifies for this program will receive assistance because funds are limited and only provided on a first-come-first-served basis. So, it’s very important to contact a human services district or authority as soon as possible if you want to take advantage of this help.
Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID)
ICF/ IID helps beneficiaries with disabilities through services and supports provided in a 24-hour residential setting. Under this program, members may receive services and supports for health and habilitative services to keep them from going into the hospital or a nursing facility. These facilities come in several sizes, from smaller private community homes to large public institutions.
My Place Louisiana
My Place Louisiana is Louisiana’s main program for the CMS Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration. The goal of this program is to provide assistance for members needing to transition out of a qualified institution. Depending on need, beneficiaries may receive any of the following:
- Pre-move supports (transition coordination, family counseling, funding for pre-move activities, interpreters).
- Post-move supports (transition coordination, transition maintenance, and post-move visits)
OCDD Resource Center
The OCDD resource center aims to help certain people with developmental disabilities remain in the community. This LA Medicaid resource is only available to those who need services, resources, or support that aren’t available through any other OCDD program or service. You must be referred to the resource center to be considered for inclusion. Call 225-567-1254 or email resource.center@la.gov to get started.
Support Coordination
Support coordination is a program where support coordinators assist Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries in gaining access to the developmental disability resources and supports they need. They perform a wide range of services, from care plan development to regular welfare checks to service provider meetings. It’s important to know that support coordination is only available to those who receive home and community-based waivers, as well as Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) and EarlySteps beneficiaries. They provide one-on-one person-centered assistance, greatly improving the quality of life for those with disabilities.
