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OFFICE FOR CITIZENS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
 

Services & Programs

The Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) serves as the Single Point of Entry into the developmental disabilities services system. To apply for any of these services, contact your regional community service office or human services district/authority.

The following are brief descriptions of services.

HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

See updated Services Registry dates.

Waiver Services
Medicaid home and community-based waiver programs allow people greater flexibility to choose where they want to live and to use services and supports that best suit their needs. Services are provided must represent a least-restrictive treatment alternative. Each home and community-based waiver has specific service packages and eligibility requirements (see list below). Waiver opportunities are dependent upon funding, and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis through the Request for Services Registry. To apply for services, contact your regional office/district/authority. OCDD offers the following waiver services: 

• Children’s Choice Waiver offers supplemental support to children through age 18 who currently live at home with their families or with a foster family.

• New Opportunities Waiver offers people age 3 and older who otherwise would require the level of care of an Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICFs/DD) services that allow them to remain in their communities. Services are based on the need of the recipient and are developed using a person-centered process to formulate an individualized plan.

• Supports Waiver offers focused, individualized vocational services to people age 18 and older who otherwise would require the level of care of an Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICFs/DD).

• Residential Options Waiver offers people of all ages services designed to support them to move from ICFs/DD and nursing facilities to community-based settings, and to serve as an alternative to institutionalization.

Cash Subsidy
OCDD provides monthly stipends to families of eligible children with severe or profound developmental disabilities from birth to age 18 to help their families meet extraordinary costs. These subsidies are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Individual and Family Support
Individual and family support services provide assistance not available from any other resource that will allow people with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes or with their families in their own community.

Community Support Services
Community supports and services are provided to people who need intensive treatment intervention to allow them to remain in their community setting. 

Resource Centers
OCDD Resource Centers extend their services to people with disabilities, their families, providers, professionals, and other state agencies, and are designed to build capacity of community providers. They are committed to enhancing quality of life by identifying, maximizing and supplementing the existing supports through utilization of expertise within the services system.  Each resource center has a specialty area. 

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Supports and Services Centers (ICF/DD)
The purpose of the ICF/DD is diagnosis, treatment or habilitation. The ICF/DD provides a protected residential setting, ongoing evaluation, planning, 24-hour supervision, coordination, and integration of health and habilitative individualized-per-participant needs.

About EarlySteps:

EarlySteps provides services to families with infants and toddlers aged birth to three years (36 months) who have a medical condition likely to result in a developmental delay, or who have developmental delays. Children with delays in cognitive, motor, vision, hearing, communication, social-emotional or adaptive development may be eligible for services. EarlySteps services are designed to improve the family's capacity to enhance their child's development. These services are provided in the child's natural environment, such as the child's home, child care or any other community setting typical for children aged birth to 3 years (36 months).

If you are currently a provider or are interested in becoming an EarlySteps provider please see our provider page  to learn more. If you are a parent and would like more information on EarlySteps services and additional resources for your child and family please visit our parent's corner  to learn more about what is available in your area.

Services

Services the EarlySteps program provides include:

• Assistive technology
• Audiology
• Health Services (family education, assistance with other EarlySteps services only)
• Medical Services  (evaluation only)
• Nutrition Services
• Occupational Therapy Services
• Physical Therapy Services
• Psychological Services
• Service Coordination
• Social Work Services
• Special Instruction
• Speech Language Pathology
• Transportation (to and from an EarlySteps service only)
• Translation Interpreter Services (foreign language and sign language)
• Vision Services