Page posted: 2/3/05

Legal authority

Federally approved DD Waiver Plan, Minn. R. 9525.1800, Minn. R. 9525.1860, Minn. Stat. §256B.092

Definition

Habilitation: Designed to help people with developmental disabilities develop, maintain and improve the self-help, socialization and adaptive skills necessary to live successfully in their home and the community. Habilitation is directed toward increasing and maintaining physical, intellectual, emotional and social functioning. Habilitation is different from rehabilitation, which involves the restoration of function a person lost.

Eligibility requirement for DD Waiver

The DD Waiver is a habilitation waiver. Habilitation is the DD Waiver version of active treatment in an intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities (ICF/DD). A person on the DD Waiver must have habilitation included in their support plan.

When a person starts the DD Waiver, the lead agency may develop a support plan that does not include habilitation for a maximum of 90 calendar days. For more information, refer to CBSM – Waiver/Alternative Care case management – Service requirements and exceptions.

Components of habilitation

Habilitation includes developing, maintaining and improving skills through:

1. Therapeutic activities.

2. Assistance.

3. Training.

4. Supervision and monitoring in the areas of:

Meeting the habilitation requirement

A person on the DD Waiver can meet the habilitation requirement through the following options:

1. Individualized home supports with training.

2. Individualized home supports with family training.

3. Community residential services.

4. Family residential services.

5. Integrated community supports.

6. Consumer directed community supports (CDCS) when habilitation is identified as part of the CDCS community support plan.

7. People who live with a primary caregiver may choose to have their habilitation needs met by an unpaid primary caregiver. When a person receives habilitation from an unpaid primary caregiver, the lead agency must:

Non-covered services

Habilitation does not cover:

Provider standards and qualifications

The provider must meet the provider standards and qualifications for the approved waiver service they provide (refer to service-specific pages).

Qualified developmental disability professional (QDDP)

In addition to the service-specific provider standards and qualifications, habilitation must be provided either directly by or under the supervision of a QDDP, as defined in 42 CFR 483.430.