Developmental Disability Waivers
Overview
The state of Virginia currently offers three Developmental DisabilityThe Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes people who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability. waivers. Moms In Motion (Moms) offers the following services (as noted in the table below) under two of the waivers:
- Community Living (CL)One of the three types of developmental disability (DD) Medicaid waivers in Virginia, the Community Living (CL) Waiver is aimed for the minority of our population who have extremely high medical, behavioral, or support needs and provides 24/7 active services.
- Family and Individual Supports (FIS)One of the three types of developmental disability (DD) Medicaid waivers in Virginia, the Family and Individual Supports (FIS) Waiver is the waiver for the majority of people – those who need supports for between a few hours and most hours of the day, including overnight monitoring in some cases.
DD Waiver Services | Community Living (CL) | Family & Individual Supports (FIS) |
---|---|---|
CD Companion Services | ||
CD Personal Assistance Services | ||
CD Respite | ||
CD Services Facilitation | ||
Assistive Technology* | ||
Environmental Modifications* | ||
Click here for a comprehensive list of additional services offered through these waivers. |
The Process


Before Requesting a Developmental Disability WaiverIn Virginia, a collective term for the three types of Medicaid waivers that provide a bundle of support services available to someone with a disability needing assistance with activities of daily living. Screening
- Call the Moms Family Resource Specialist team at (800) 417-0908, option 0 for waiver coaching.
- Waiver coaching includes:
- Explaining the benefits of applying for a DD Waiver.
- DD Waivers have a wait list. While waiting, you are eligible to apply for an annual IFSP grant.
- While CCC Plus Waivers require some medical nursing needs, DD Waivers do not.
- Discussing potential eligibility for the CCC Plus Waiver or EPSDT.
- Reviewing eligibility criteria and how to apply for both.
- What to expect during your screening.
- Defining an ID/DD diagnosis based on Virginia’s definition.
- How to respond to questions based on the VIDES and functional capacity.
- Refer to the Screening section below for more information concerning VIDES.
- After completing the first VIDES, contacting the assigned Case Manager frequently to keep it updated, as well as scheduling annual meetings with them to keep the VIDES updated.
- Waiver slotsJargon for a DD Waiver that has been (or is expected to be) funded by the state, but not yet awarded to a person on the waiver wait list. are assigned during the beginning of the state’s fiscal year (July).
- There are a limited number of emergency slots to be assigned throughout the fiscal year (July – June).
- Explaining the benefits of applying for a DD Waiver.
- Waiver coaching includes:

Screening
- Contact your local Community Services Board (CSB) to schedule an intake appointment.
- A case manager will screen the person using the assessment form called the Virginia ID/DD Eligibility Survey (VIDES) that will measure the following:
- Functional capacity: the level of support needed for ADLsPersonal care tasks such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and eating/feeding. A person’s degree of independence in performing these activities is a part of determining appropriate level of care and service needs. and IADLsTasks such as meal preparation, shopping, housekeeping and laundry. A person’s degree of independence in performing these activities is a part of determining appropriate service needs..
- Meet Virginia’s definition of a developmental disability.
I/DD Definition
- A severe, chronic disability of a person that is:
- Attributable to a mental or physical impairment, or a combination of mental and physical impairments, other than a sole diagnosis of mental illness.
- Manifested before the person reaches 22 years of age.
- Likely to continue indefinitely.
- Results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent livingSupports brought into the home focused on skill building and preparing for greater independence., or economic self-sufficiencyAbility to meet one’s own needs without external assistance; or extreme confidence in one’s own resources, powers, etc..
- Reflects the person’s need for a combination and sequence of special interdisciplinary or generic services, individualized supports, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or extended duration and are 2 of 3 individually planned and coordinated.
- A person from birth to age nine, inclusive, who has a substantial developmental delayA disability (in physical, cognitive, communication, social, emotional, or adaptive development) affecting children ages two through six. or specific congenital or acquired condition may be considered to have a developmental disability without meeting three or more of the criteria described above if the person, without services and supports, has a high probability of meeting those criteria later in life.
Wait List
The DD Waivers (CL, FIS, and BI) are coordinated by the local CSB. Waivers are assigned based on the urgency of need for support. People who meet the eligibility criteria are placed on the needs based waiting list due to the limited number of waivers funded. It is not a chronological waiting list. You do not have to qualify for Medicaid to be put on the DD waitlist. During this waiting period, you are eligible to apply for IFSP.
The CSB staff will assess and discuss the person’s needs and situation to establish their Priority Level of 1, 2, or 3 while on the waiting list. A Critical Needs Summary will be generated which is reviewed and updated annually. If the person’s needs change, a different priority needs score will be generated. The priority needs score is relative to the person’s priority level at the local CSB. Keep a copy of the Critical Needs Summary and contact the case manager/support coordinator when the person’s support needs change or they move. It is recommended to contact the case manager at least annually for the person’s support needs (find your local CSB).
When waiver slots are funded and available for assignment, people with the highest priority needs scores at each local CSB are considered for a waiver. If the person is in the pool of people with the highest scores, then the case manager/support coordinator will prepare a written summary of the person’s needs and situation on the Slot Assignment Review Form and present for review to the Waiver Slot Assignment Committee. Reviews presented to the Committee are anonymous. The Committee scores each person on the Waiver Slot Assignment Scoring Summary to determine who will be assigned waivers.
It is important for Virginia and the Federal Government to know how many people are in need of services and not getting them. Emergency Waivers are assigned by the VA Dept. of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (DBHDSVirginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. State agency that oversees developmental disability, mental health, and substance use services) to people who meet the Emergency Waiver Criteria. There are a limited number of emergency waivers.
Waiver Assignment
When your waiver has been assigned
- You will receive a letter or phone call, advising you of your awarded waiver.
- You will need to accept or deny.
- You will have an intake meeting with a Case Manager (CM) who will:
- Complete a Level of Function (LOF)
- Complete another VIDES to determine functional capacity
- Require a recent annual physical exam performed by a doctor
- At this point, you will be required to meet Medicaid eligibility (see section “Applying for Medicaid” below).
- A Support Coordinator (SC) will be assigned to you to coordinate all services available.
- Services include but are not limited to:
- Benefits planning
- Crisis support services: center-/community-based
- Community coaching
- Community engagement
- Group day service
- Group/Person supported employmentCompetitive employment in an integrated setting with ongoing support services for people with the most severe disabilities.
- Peer support service
- For a comprehensive list, click here
- Services include but are not limited to:
- For services such as Personal Care, RespiteShort-term care for a child or adult that allows the primary caregiver relief., and/or CompanionA waiver-paid service focused on presence of a caregiver for safety, but less on hands on caregiving., you will select a model of service delivery and choose a provider.
- Consumer-DirectedServices where the person using them is allowed to select, hire, fire, and train their particular caregiver(s).:
- You control who supports the waivered person.
- You will choose a Service Facilitation provider, who will assist you in setting up the Employer of Record (EOR), so that you can hire your own Attendants.
- Your Service FacilitatorA Medicaid-enrolled provider who supports eligible people, and sometimes their families, in properly using consumer-directed services. (SF) will also assist you in setting up the Fiscal Agent.
- Consumer-Directed services include Personal Care, Companion, and Respite.
- Agency-Directed:
- You choose the Agency who will then place their hired staff with you and take responsibility for continued scheduling, staffing, and paperwork.
- Consumer-DirectedServices where the person using them is allowed to select, hire, fire, and train their particular caregiver(s).:
- You will receive a letter or phone call, advising you of your awarded waiver.
DD Waiver Services | Community Living (CL) | Family & Individual Supports (FIS) |
---|---|---|
CD Companion Services | ||
CD Personal Assistance Services | ||
CD Respite | ||
CD Services Facilitation | ||
Assistive Technology* | ||
Environmental Modifications* | ||
Click here for a comprehensive list of additional services offered through these waivers. |
Applying for Medicaid
- When a person gets assigned a DD Waiver slot, they will be required to qualify for Medicaid and apply at that time. Your Support Coordinator will guide you.
- Print and complete a Medicaid Application. Only include information regarding the person requesting Medicaid. Do not complete with the household information, even though it asks for it. If completing for someone else, please answer the questions on behalf of that person, not yourself.
- English Application
- Spanish Application
- Call (855) 242-8282 if you need assistance completing the form.
- Print and complete the financial component of the Medicaid Application, known as Appendix D. If completing for someone else, please answer the questions on behalf of that person, not yourself. Do not complete with the household information. Only the income/assets of the person seeking eligibility are considered.
- Bring completed Application and Appendix D to your local Department of Social Services (DSS)One of the largest Commonwealth agencies, partnering with 120 local departments of social services to promote the well-being of children and families statewide and ensure that thousands of the most vulnerable citizens have access to the best services and benefits available to them. and request a screening for Long Term Care.
- Print and complete a Medicaid Application. Only include information regarding the person requesting Medicaid. Do not complete with the household information, even though it asks for it. If completing for someone else, please answer the questions on behalf of that person, not yourself.
Renewing Medicaid
People on the CL/FIS Waiver are required to renew their Medicaid annually. DSS will mail out a renewal application typically the month before the person’s renewal month. You will not be required to have another screening.
Only include information regarding the person requesting Medicaid. Do not complete with the household information, even though it asks for it. If completing for someone else, please answer the questions on behalf of that person, not yourself. Write “CL/FIS (DD Waivers): Medicaid Renewal” at the top of the form.
Section 5: Renewal of coverage in future years (optional) – to make it easier to determine your eligibility for help paying for health coverage in future years, you can agree to allow the Medicaid or FAMIS programs or the Marketplace to use income data, including information from tax returns. You will not receive a renewal application. Instead, you will receive notification of the outcome of your renewal. 5 years is the maximum number of years allowed.