Thursday, January 30, 2014

List of Medicaid Waiver Programs


I am sure you have heard that  you need to add your child's name to the waiver list, which in many cases is a 10 year wait or so. However, what does it mean to be on these lists and how do you know what list you should be on? Here is a comprehensive look at the programs that are available to you and the services that they offer once your child is selected. Although the wait is long, there are rumors saying Texas is going to a well managed system that will cut these wait times in half. However, your child has to be on the list now because you will not be able to add it after the system changes. Thank you to Elaine Himes with the Resource Guide for compiling the information.
 
1. Medically Dependent Children Program (MDCP)

Community Care Services, TxDADS

1-877-438-5658, 713-967-7597

www.dads.state.tx.us/services

This Medicaid waiver program provides qualified children with a variety of services that allow the children to live at home. MDCP provides respite, adaptive aids and supports to enable eligible children to participate in child care. To qualify, only the child’s income is considered. A physician must agree that your child meets medical necessity criteria for admission to a nursing home. MDCP is limited to a certain number of children on a first-come, first-served basis. Once accepted, your child also qualifies for Medicaid benefits.

Note: Long waiting list.

A number of MDCP slots are reserved for children who reside in Texas nursing homes, enabling them to return home with support. The MDCP ends when a child reaches age 21. After that the Community Based Alternative (CBA) continues most services, but the change from MDCP to CBA is not automatic. You must apply for CBA separately, but the eligible child will access CBA services directly without being placed on a waiting list. State that the child is reaching 21 and on the MDCD. For more information, call 713-692-1635 (intake line).

2. Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS)

Community Care Services, TxDADS

www.dads.state.tx.us/services

To be placed on a waiting list, call 1-877-438-5658 (state office); for information only, call Vita-Living, Inc., 713-271-5795.

CLASS provides home and community services such as therapy and personal-attendant care, limited nursing care, job training, daily living skills, adaptive aids, psychological counseling, home medication and respite care for persons with disabilities other than the primary diagnosis of mental retardation.

CLASS is funded by Medicaid through a waiver that allows participants to live in the community with a degree of freedom and choice. Qualification is based on approved needs. Applicants for CLASS services must have demonstrated needs for and be able to benefit from habilitation assistance and support services. Once accepted, the child also qualifies for regular Medicaid benefits.

Note: Long waiting list. Program is not statewide.

 

3. Home and Community-Based Services (HCS),

Mental Retardation Services Dept. (MRSD), TxDADS

Under contract to MHMRAs

www.dads.state.tx.us/services

The HCS program is a Medicaid waiver program that provides services to individuals with mental retardation who either live with their families, in their own home, in a foster/companion care setting or in a residence with not more that four individuals who receive services. HSC services include residential assistance, day habilitation, respite, nursing, attendant care, adaptive aids, counseling, therapy, minor home modification, and supported employment. Call for eligibility. Telephone numbers:

Harris County

For waiting list, 713-970-7799

For information, 713-970-7649

Gulf Coast Center – MR Division, 1-800-643-0967

(in-take) or 281-585-7490

Texana MHMRA, 281-342-0090 (intake)

Tri-County MHMRA, 936-521-6226

4. Texas Home Living Waiver (TxHmL)

Mental Retardation Services Department

(MRSD), TxDADS

Under contract to MHMRAs

www.dad.state.tx.us/business

The TxHmL program is one type of Medicaid waiver that waives a Medicaid requirement so that a list of services such as respite can be delivered by someone other that a licensed practitioners (doctor, etc.) and paid by Medicaid. Therefore, the family’s income must meet eligibility for Medicaid to qualify. The TxHmL program provides essential services and support so that Texans with mental retardation can continue to live with their families or in their homes in the community. TxHmL services are intended to supplement. TxHmL is limited to an annual cost of $10,000 per participant. This is a new program and MHMRAs contacts families from the HCS waiting list.

MHMRA of Harris Co. - 713-970-8385

Texana MHMRA - 281-342-0090

MHMR Gulf Coast Center - 1-800-643-0967

Tri-County MHMRA - 936-521-6226

5. Primary Home Care (PHC)

Community Care Programs, TxDADS

713-692-1635

PHC provides non-skilled, non-technical, medically related personal care, household tasks, meal preparation, escort, shopping and assistance with self-administered medication. A physician must order the service and a nurse must supervise delivery. There is an income limit, and your child must be Medicaid-eligible. A case manager will assess the needs to determine eligibility and service delivery.

6. Blind and Visually Impaired Services,

TxDARS

713-802-3100

The Texas Commission for the Blind provides an array of services to blind and legally blind children. The services include eye restoration services, eye medical care, parent counseling, educational and training opportunities, and case management.

7. Youth Empowerment Services (Yes) – New program

Texana

281-239-1485

YES waiver to provide a continuum of appropriate services and supports for families with children who have severe emotional disturbances. The program is designed to help families, when they have reached or exceeded their financial, emotional, or health care support resources. The YES waiver was developed and implemented to assist in the prevention of custody relinquishment of youth with serious emotional disturbances.

Texana Center and YES expect to;

·         provide a more complete community based services plan with supports for children with serious mental disturbances (SED)

·         prevent or reduce inpatient psychiatric admissions

·         prevent entry or recidivism into the foster care system or juvenile justice system in Fort Bend County

·         improve the overall potential of youth and their families, through the waiver funding.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

New Medicaid Waiver Program - YES




The Health and Human Services Commission and Department of State Health Services received approval by the federal government to implement a 1915c Medicaid Waiver. The program, called Youth Empowerment Services or YES, allows more flexibility in the funding of intensive community based services and supports for children with serious emotional disturbances and their families.

Texana Center has adopted the YES waiver to provide a continuum of appropriate services and supports for families with children who have severe emotional disturbances. The program is designed to help families, when they have reached or exceeded their financial, emotional, or health care support resources. The YES waiver was developed and implemented to assist in the prevention of custody relinquishment of youth with serious emotional disturbances.

Texana Center and YES expect to;
provide a more complete community based services plan with supports for children with serious mental disturbances (SED)

prevent or reduce inpatient psychiatric admissions

prevent entry or recidivism into the foster care system or juvenile justice system in Fort Bend County

improve the overall potential of youth and their families, through the waiver funding.


An Interest list will begin January 1, 2014.

Only parents or the legal authorized representative (LAR) can call for placement on the interest list and the assessment appointment.
Call the Interest Hotline at 281-239-1485
No outside referrals will be accepted.

Medicaid eligibility is determined based on child need, and not on family income.

Be sure to sign up right away, as many of the waiver program waiting lists are up to 10 years now.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Exploring ABA Therapy with a Verbal Component


Many parents of children with disabilities want to know how they can help their child communicate when they are at home. For young children most of their time is spent with their family, so “therapy” should become a lifestyle.  There are lots of different ways they can work with their child in a fun and engaging way.   At the Viridian Center we combine Applied Behavior Analysis and Verbal Behavior to focus on language development.

             From the point of view of someone who has merged Verbal Behavior and Education for many years, it is especially important to gather as many favorite items that really excite a particular child.  Having a well-stocked fount of ideas from which to gather new ideas that will motivate your child is a great idea.

In ABA therapy, these highly preferred items are known as reinforcers.  A reinforcer is never defined as an item or activity, but only by whether it is associated with an increase in the targeted behavior. Reinforcers are used to help develop a child’s use of language by encouraging them to mand  (think ‘demand’ to help you remember that manding is requesting).  A simple example of a mand that an early learner would use would be a reinforcer  such as a fun toy, movie, music or edible.  If the child mands by using the name/sign/approximation of the item, then the reward (reinforcer) is immediately provided.  Motivation drives the response. The child learns quickly through this process that, despite their natural inclination not to rely on speech, language really is the quickest way to get any item that he/she wants.  In a therapy setting the language goals are accelerated and the rewards are faded, only to reappear in a random manner, to keep a child’s motivation to participate high.  At home parents can work on manding by “holding back” items that their child wants until they get a response.  This reply is then shaped into the most appropriate response.  A child should really be manding up to 50 times an hour!

 

Erin Breen, MS

Viridian Center for Early Intervention

Thursday, January 9, 2014

What is an IEP?

By law, children with diabilities — whether physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioral — are entitled to a “free and appropriate education” in the least restrictive environment possible. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a document — created jointly by the school and the student’s parents or guardians — that contains a plan for the supports your child will receive so he or she can succeed in school.
In preparation for your child’s IEP meeting, the school district will have a multidisciplinary team of professionals observe and evaluate your child’s academic and developmental skills and status. You should prepare by talking with physicians and therapists who can describe the effect of your child’s strengths and weaknesses on his or her schooling.
The IEP meeting will include the school district team, you, your child (if desired) and any trusted advisers or experts you want to bring along, including therapists and other professionals familiar with your child and his/her condition. (If you plan to bring a lawyer, advise the team before the meeting so they can have their own lawyer present.) These meetings usually occur in a cordial, give-and-take atmosphere and can lead to helpful relationships with school personnel.
The school’s multidisciplinary team will present a tentative plan to help your child achieve measurable short-term and annual goals, and will propose supports to help your child achieve those goals. If you have questions that are not answered or concerns that are not addressed, you have a right to get those handled before signing the IEP. It does not become a binding document until you and the appropriate school personnel have signed it — so don’t sign it until you’re satisfied. Once it has been signed, the school district can be held accountable for providing what is needed to enable your child to meet the written goals.
Be careful when the IEP calls for an out-of-class service. For example, are you willing to have your child miss math three days a week to go to occupational or physical therapy? If not, state this in the IEP document. If possible, try to get extra services provided after the school day, so no academic time is sacrificed.
The progress your child is making on his or her IEP goals must be reviewed and updated no less than annually. You or the school district can call for an earlier review if your child’s needs suddenly change or if there are any problems in the implementation of the current plan.
For more detailed information, visit U.S. Department of Education OESP's Idea website. For a list of MDA publications and articles about IEPs (and 504 plans, which also provide for school accommodations), see Resource Roundup: IEP and 504 Plans, Quest, April-June 2012, or ask your local MDA office for a printout.
Donna Albrecht is a writer based in northern California. She gained personal experience with school accommodations thanks to her daughters Katie and Abby, who each had type 2 spinal muscular atrophy. Donna lives with her husband and their border collie.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Brain Growth and Repair

There is a growing trend of using movements to help heal and re-train the brain for cognitive development. Here is a great resource that is offering several different workshops to see if this is something that could be helpful for your child.

www.growthandrepair.com
There is increasing concern with the growing number of students on medication because of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder),Hyperactivity, ADHD, inability to read (Dyslexia), or Autism (neurological involvement). These students have less ability to listen attentively, focus on the task, understand and remember directions and what they are being taught. Usually there is poor test performance and often behavior concerns.
Movements, simple and easily learned, grow the new brain connections required to enable such students to accomplish those tasks without medication. These movements, patterned after the crawling stages of the baby, are... permanent and enable results to be noticed very soon.
Workshops offered will teach how to do the movements, how to use them with one student or a group, and how to teach others how to do the same. These methods also work with adults at any age.

Free Workshops at Brain Growth and Repair Office,
7934 Turquoise Lane, Houston, Texas 77055

Wheelchair accessible.
Please reserve space: louise.hayes@att.net or 281-787-2451

Wed, Jan. 8, 9-10 ADD, ADHD 1-2 Memorizing Math Facts
Mon. Jan. 13, 1-2 Getting Out of Bed and Chair Independently 3-4 Relaxation
Fri. Jan. 17, 9-10 Depression 11-12 Whole Brain Study and Test Taking

Sat. Jan. 18, 9-10 Dyslexia 1-2 ADD, ADHD 3-4 Autism 5-6 Dyslexia
Sun. Jan 19, 1-2 Autism 5-6 ADD, ADHD
Wed. Jan. 22, 10-11 Health and Healing 2-3 Anger Management
Sat. Jan. 25, 9-10 Autism 11-12 Dyslexia 3-4 Emotional Health
Fri. Feb. 7, 10-11 The Compromised Brain: Dementia, Alzheimer’s, etc.
Sun. Feb.9, 1-2 Better Athletes 4-5 Fix the Brains = Fix the Schools
Sun. Feb. 23, 1-2 Balance, Gait, Posture, Back Comfort
4-5 Severely Involved Infants 5-6 Memory