The purpose of this procedure is to establish the standards and guidelines by which the Department on Disability Services ("DDS"), will use local funds to purchase, repair, rent or lease adaptive equipment for people who receive services and supports through the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) service delivery system.

Procedures

This procedure applies to all DDA employees, contractors, providers and vendors that provide services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who receive services as part of the DDA Service Delivery System, funded by DDA and/or the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF):

1. Any person who is aware of a risk to a person's health, safety or wellbeing because of a lack of needed adaptive equipment or because the person's adaptive equipment needs repairs, shall report this to the person's provider or service coordinator as soon as possible, and no later than 24 hours from discovery. If the provider is notified, he or she must notify the service coordinator immediately and in writing.
2. The Service Coordinator or designee will submit a request to the DDS Deputy Director for DDA or his or her designee for a DDA clinician to assess the current condition of the person's adaptive equipment.
3. The DDA clinician will determine if the current adaptive equipment or lack of adaptive equipment would likely place the person at imminent risk of harm to his or her health, safety or wellbeing.
4. Unless there is imminent risk of harm to the person's health, safety or wellbeing, DDA and the person's provider shall work together to first attempt to use the person's health insurance to replace or repair the adaptive equipment.
5. Where lack of insurance coverage or delays due to insurance processing present a danger to the person that cannot reasonably be mitigated, DDA may use alternative funding sources, including local funds to pay for the purchase, repair, rental or leasing of adaptive equipment.
6. If the person is at risk, the Service Coordinator will follow the process for requesting authorization to use local funds and initiate a Service and Funding Authorization (SFA) request.
7. To trigger the process of authorization of local funds for adaptive equipment, the Service Coordinator must enter an SFA request through MCIS. Check/select type "adaptive equipment" and select the "local" funding source box. The Service Coordinator must fill out the comments box with detailed information about the person's need, the risk to his or her health, safety or welfare, and the status of the process of obtaining the needed adaptive equipment or repair through the person's insurance, including any barriers encountered and send an email request for approval to the Deputy Director for DDA, or his or her designee. Once approved, the Service Coordinator will upload the approval letter into MCIS.
8. All requests for authorization of local funds for adaptive equipment will be reviewed for approval by the DDS Deputy Director for DDA or his or her designee within three (3) business days of receipt.
9. For all approved requests for people who receive residential services, the DDA Provider Resource Management Unit will work with the person's provider to make sure the person's needs for adaptive equipment are met as quickly as possible. For people who live in their own homes, or with an unpaid caregiver, Service Planning and Coordination Division will assist the person and/ or his Support Team to get the needed equipment.
10. The person's Service Coordinator is responsible for entering a note into MCIS regarding the resolution; e.g., there should be a note entered when a person receives the new adaptive equipment.
11. DDA will track all local funds expenditures related to the purchase, repair, rental or leasing of adaptive equipment and review this information at least semi-annually.