Mental Retardation Waiver Program (MRWP) or Community Habilitation and Support Services Waiver Program (CHSSWP)
Who should apply: Persons who have mental retardation or related condition, require support services to live in the community, and be financially eligible. To be eligible, the person must require a level of care that is provided in a state institution.
What is Provided: Day habilitation services, Residential training and supervision, Home Health, Respite Care, Personal Support Services, Home modifications, Supported Employment, Emergency Response, Vehicle Adaptation
How to Apply: A person applies for these services by contacting the Mental Health/Mental Retardation/Substance Abuse Regional Board for his or her county. See the enclosed list. Even if you are told that no funds are available, insist that the Regional Board take your application and place you on the waiting list. See the sample application letter.
To Appeal a Denial of Your Application:
Department of Human Resources
Legal Services Office
29th Floor
2 Peachtree Street, N.W.
Advocacy Tips:
Does not have Mental Retardation. Although the waiver document clearly says these services are available for people with mental retardation or similar conditions, some regional boards still tell people they are not eligible. If a person receives a denial for this reason, have them contact one of the legal resources to discuss next steps.
No Slots Available, Need Not Apply. It is important to get on the waiting list, even if a person is told it will take years for services to become available. The US Supreme Court spoke of a waiting list which moves at a reasonable pace. Although, reasonable pace is not defined, it is hard to believe that a wait for years is reasonable.
Executive Director (or person in charge of waiver)
(find Regional Board in list)
Address
City, GA 00000
RE: John Doe's Mental Retardation/CHHS Waiver Application
Dear Ms. ____________:
Please consider this an application for Medicaid services under the Mental Retardation Waiver Program or Community Habilitation and Support Services Waiver Program. Mr. Doe is 35 years old and has cerebral palsy. He has lived in a nursing home since October 1986. (if applicable: he applied for the MRWP in September 1990 and every year since but was denied services begin told that he's eligible but no slots exist. He also applied for the ICWP waiver and was told that this waiver is the correct one).
Mr. Doe is medically stable and needs assistance with some activities of daily living. He desperately wants to live in the community because he feels that being confined in the nursing home does not allow him to enjoy life as he would like to. He has different interests and desires from most of the residents at the nursing home and is also considerably younger than most of the residents. Mr. Doe would like to be considered for any service under the Mental Retardation or Community Habilitation and Support Services waiver programs.
Mr. Doe is currently a resident of Rosebud Nursing Facility and can be contacted for his assessment at
( ) 777-7777. (You may want to include a family member, friend, or advocate to also be contacted to ensure that Mr. Doe receives the information and/or is capable of understanding the information).
Mr. Doe's address is: Rosebud Nursing Facility
555 Institution Way
Atlanta, GA 00000
Please provide me and Mr. Doe with a written list of criteria for the program and an explanation of how these criteria are used to score the applicant.
Could you please advise me of when Mr. Doe will be assessed for the MRWP and CHHS? My phone number is _______________. I have enclosed a Release of Information form signed by Mr. Doe authorizing this. If Mr. Doe is placed on a waiting list, I request information on when he can expect to receive service and the process for checking on his status on the waiting list.
Thank you very much for your kind assistance in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Amy Advocate
Enclosure
cc: Jerry Lovrien, Division of MH/MR/SA, Department of Human Resources, 2 Peachtree Street,
N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303
John Doe (for her records)
Executive Director (or person in charge of waiver)
MH/MR/SA Regional Board
(find Regional Board in list)
Address
Mr. Jerry Lovrien
Division of MH/MR/SA
Department of Human Resources
2 Peachtree Street, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303
RE: Status of John Doe's Mental Retardation/CHHS Waiver Application
Dear Mr. or Ms. ____________:
Mr. Doe first applied for the Mental Retardation Waiver Program and the Community Habilitation and Support Services Waiver Program on (date) and was placed on the waiting list to receive services. See attached letter notify Mr. Doe that he was placed on the waiting list.
I am writing to obtain the status of Mr. Doe's placement on the waiting list. Please notify both Mr. Doe and me as to where Mr. Doe is on the list, the criteria used to score his application, and expected date for receipt of services.
I am also enclosing a Release of Information authorizing me to obtain a copy of Mr. Doe's waiver application file, including assessments, criteria used to place Mr. Doe on the waiting list, and other documents related to his current and previous waiver applications.
Thank you very much for your kind assistance in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Amy Advocate
Enclosure
cc: John Doe (for her records)
32 West Main Street
Suite 104
Cartersville, GA 30120-3506
ph: (770) 387-5411
fax: (770) 387-5417
Counties: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield
211 Prume Point, Building 1, Suite A
Peachtree City, GA 30269-3334
ph: (770) 254-7474
fax: (770) 254-7479
Counties: Butts, Carroll, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, and Upson
236 Industrial Park Drive
Commerce, GA 30529-6642
ph: (706) 336-6822
fax: (706) 335-5240
Counties: Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Dawson, Elbert, Forsyth, Franklin, Greene, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walton, and White
2137 Kingston Ct., SE
Suite 108
Marietta, GA 30067-8901
ph: (770) 916-2100
fax: (770) 916-2102
Counties: Cobb and Douglas
Citizens Trust Building
75 Piedmont Avenue
11th Floor
Suite 115C
Atlanta, GA 30308
ph: (404) 463-6367
fax: (404) 463-6369
Counties: Fulton
4329 Memorial Drive
Suite K
Decatur, GA 30032
ph: (404) 298-4990
fax: (404) 298-4994
Counties: DeKalb
2311 C Henry Clower Blvd
Snellville, GA 30078-3107
ph: (770) 972-6305
fax: (770) 972-0324
Counties: Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale
Executive Director: Arthur Carder
515 Academy Avenue
Dublin, GA 31021-5201
ph: (912) 274-7912
fax: (912) 274-7915
Counties: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Crawford, Dodge, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Monroe, Montgomery, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Telfair, Treutlen, Twiggs, Washington, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkinson
3800 Schatulga Road
Columbus, GA 31907-3118
ph: (706) 568-5281
fax: (706) 569-3140
Counties: Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Webster
200 West Oglethorpe Blvd
4th Floor, Box 402
Albany, GA 31701
ph: (912) 430-3017
fax: (912) 430-4098
Counties: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth
211 E. Ashley St.
Suite 104 & 105
PO Box 1250
Douglas, GA 31534-1306
ph: (912) 389-4207
fax: (912) 389-4074
Counties: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware
Executive Director: M. Andrew Mc Collum
1056 Claussen Rd
Suite 223
Augusta, GA 30907
ph: (706) 667-4833
fax: (706) 667-4840
Counties: Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro,Warren, and Wilkens
Bank of America Plaza
777 Gloucester Street
Suite 414
Brunswick, GA 31521
ph: (912) 280-6893
fax: (912) 280-6896
Counties: Appling, Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Tattnall, Toombs, and Wayne