Developmental Disability Care
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| What is a Developmental Disability? Meeting the Long-Term Care Needs Funding |
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What is a Developmental Disability?
Developmental disabilities means a severe, chronic condition that:
- is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments, such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism
- is first manifested before the person attains age 18;
- is likely to continue indefinitely;
- results in substantial functional limitations in three or more areas of major life activities; and
- reflects a need for care, treatment, or services of extended duration.
Mental retardation refers to significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning originating during the developmental period and associated with maladaptive behavior.
Meeting the Long-Term Care Needs
Intermediate Care Facilities for Individual with Developmental Disabilities (ICF/DD) or Mental Retardation (ICF/MR) are facilities providing 24-hour residential care to three or more individuals with developmental disabilities. These facilities are licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as ICFs/DD and are certified for Medicaid participation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as Intermediate Care Facilities for Mentally Retarded (ICFs/MR).
ICFs/DD provide specialized services encompassing everything from personal care to intensive nursing, depending on the setting. ICFs/DD offer a variety of services to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities while enhancing their quality of life. Supports and comprehensive training in practical life skills such as mobility, socialization, employment, and recreational opportunities are designed to help individuals acquire skills necessary for maximum independence.
The comprehensive approaches to helping individuals residing in ICFs/DD acquire the skills necessary for maximum independence is referred to as "active treatment." Active treatment refers to aggressive, consistent implementation of programs of specialized and generic training, treatment and health services.
ICFs/DD must adhere to an extensive set of state and uniform federal regulations and are subject to unannounced on-site inspections, as well as on-site surveys when complaints are filed with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs) provide supports to persons with developmental disabilities in the person's own home or other community setting where eight or fewer individuals live together. CILA programs are administered through the Medicaid Home and Community-Based waiver, which allows Illinois the flexibility to develop alternative services and programs for, targeted groups by waiving certain Medicaid statutory requirements. CILAs are certified by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and are required to be accredited by independent national accreditation organizations.
The individual with developmental disability or guardian chooses a home from among those living arrangements available to the general public and/or housing owned or leased by an agency certified by DHS to provide services. Based on their needs, individuals living in CILAs receive supervision and an array of supportive services, which may range from continuous to intermittent. CILA programs are designed to promote maximum independence in daily living, economic self-sufficiency and integration into the community.
CILAs are subject to a comprehensive accreditation process to demonstrate compliance with nationally accepted standards of service delivery. Accreditation may be granted for one, two or three years. DHS oversees the accreditation process and conducts annual on-site licensure surveys.
In addition to community ICFs/DD and CILAs, there are eleven State-Operated facilities.
People with developmental disabilities experience a wide range of needs requiring a range of service and living options. Depending upon the needs of individuals, services may be offered through:
- Developmental Training (DT) Programs that prepare individuals 18 years of age or older to live and function in social setting with people with developmental disabilities and promotes independence in daily living and economic self-sufficiency.
- Supported Employment offers supervision, training, counseling, coaching and follow-up services to maintain individuals with developmental disabilities in competitive jobs at an integrated work-site.
- Vocational Development offers time-limited supports including, but not limited to work adjustment training, vocational evaluation, skills training, and placement.
Individuals and their families have the opportunity to make choices regarding how their needs can best be met to ensure an environment where individual potential is maximized and personal needs are thoroughly assessed and fulfilled. Professional staff and government oversight are working together to help ensure individual choice and high quality of services to meet the needs of individuals in the most appropriate setting.
Medicaid is the primary payer of services for individuals living in ICFs/DD, CILAs and State-Operated Facilities. Because individuals with developmental disabilities require lifelong support, they are highly dependent on public programs to finance their long-term care needs. The Illinois Department of Public Aid is the state agency responsible for administering the federal Medicaid program (Title XIX), and is responsible for determining an individual's Medicaid eligibility. Illinois Medicaid dollars are federally matched at 50/50.
For more information contact:
Illinois Health Care Association
1029 South Fourth Street
Springfield, IL 62703-2224
800-252-8988
217-528-0452-fax
info@ihca.com
© 2004 Illinois Health Care Association, All Rights Reserved