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OACPDS > DS > MaineCare > Supports waiver > Information for persons recieving DS

Developmental Services - Support Waiver

Information for People receiving Developmental Services and their Families or Guardians

Developmental Services has developed a new waiver program. It has services that assist you to be an active member of your community. There are five areas that this waiver can help you with, if you want support in these areas. If you are now in a day hab program, we will help you to switch to this new program. Nothing has to change unless you want it to.

What are the five areas of service?

1. Community Supports - Community Supports is availabe to assist you in being an active, healthy community member. Some examples are:

  • Learning safety skills (crossing streets, getting help, self-protection)
  • Learning what it means to be an adult community member
  • Learning how to take care of your health, be active, and healthy
  • Use public transportation (busses and taxis)
  • Become involved in community activities, clubs, social events
  • Learn what is in your community and how you can get connected- the library, the Y, adult education, etc.
  • Volunteer

Community Supports can also help you on your “Path to employment”. There are things that you can do to get ready for a job and that will help you with Vocational Rehabilitation. There are also things that Community Supports can do to help you after you get your job. Some examples are:

  • Be part of a job club where you can learn about what it takes to get and keep a job
  • Obtain state I.D. and other things you need for a job.
  • Volunteer in places that you think you might be interested in working someday.
  • Create a resume/references/employment portfolio
  • Take classes at the Career Center
  • Explore what types of jobs there are and what your employment goal might be.

2. Employment Supports - Employment Services Support is available to you after you work with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). VR will help you to decide what type of job you want, will help you find a job, and then will help train you to do the job. This has to happen in a job in the community and you can have up to 300 hours of support a year. You need to work with your case manager and VR Counselor to decide if you need help and how much. Some examples of what Employment Supports can do are:

  • Train you on new parts of your job
  • Talk with your employer about things that you may need help with
  • Help you to improve how you do your job
  • Learn how to get to work on the bus
  • Help you with medical needs
  • Help you get along with co-workers
  • Make sure you are safe at work
  • Help you to not need help in the future

3. Home Accessibility Adaptations: If you live at home with your family or you live in your own home and you need to make changes to your home to be more independent and to be safe and healthy this program may be able to help you. These changes have to be to help you and have to be ordered by a Doctor. Some things that this program may be able to do are:

  • Bathroom modifications
  • Widening of doorways
  • Light, motion, voice and electronically activated devices
  • Fire safety adaptations
  • Air filtration devices
  • Ramps and grab-bars
  • Lifts (can include barrier-free track lifts)
  • Specialized electrical and plumbing systems for medical equipment and supplies
  • Unbreakable windows
  • Specialized flooring (to improve mobility and sanitation)

4. Transportation service - Some transportation can be paid for if you need to get to activities that are not paid for by other programs. We want you to try to find transportation in other ways first, but if you cannot, then you can talk with your case manager and discuss it at your planning meeting

5. Respite Services – If you live at home and your family needs to go away or you need to get away and you need someone to be with you, then money can be given to you to pay for someone to help The amount of money depends on how much help you need, how long you need it, and how much money the program has. You can work with your case manager and talk about it when you have your planning meeting.