Page posted: 12/15/22

These rules guide lead agencies and providers as they determine a person’s staffing level for integrated community supports (ICS). Use these rules as annual renewals and service changes occur. Do not apply these rules retroactively.

1. Primary contact

Each lead agency’s Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS) rate mentor is the primary contact for staffing discussions. The rate mentor works with providers and rate mentors from other lead agencies to ensure appropriate staffing ratios are in place.

2. Service planning discussion

The lead agency is responsible for service planning and determining the level of support provided, in coordination with the person, their team and the ICS provider. The lead agency is responsible to authorize the level of service for each person based on their individual areas of assessed need.

3. Setting capacity

The setting capacity is determined at the time the DHS Disability Services Division (DSD) approves the Setting Capacity Report, DHS-8062. The setting capacity determines the base rate. Any changes to the setting capacity must be submitted to DSD through an updated DHS-8062. The updated DHS-8062 must be approved by DSD before:

· The provider delivers ICS services at an increased capacity.

· The lead agency and provider make adjustments to the RMS Worksheet – ICS, DHS-6790O (PDF).

Any updates to the setting capacity within the rate will be reflected at a person’s annual renewal or a change in need that requires rate recalculation.

4. Service changes

All necessary Rate Management System (RMS) and service authorization staffing changes will begin the later of the following dates:

· The date of the change in the person’s staffing support.

· The date the provider notifies the lead agency of the change in the person’s staffing support.

The provider must report increases and decreases in staffing support to the lead agency within 30 days of the change.

Examples of changes include, but are not limited to:

· Employment changes.

· Individual injury or illness.

· Changes in need.

5. Base shared staffing hours

ICS includes a base rate. The base rate is calculated as eight hours of staffing divided by the number of living units approved on the setting capacity report for the specific setting. The base rate covers time staff are available to respond to a person’s incidental, unplanned support needs. This time:

· Does not constitute a limit or minimum on the amount of support a person may receive per day.

· Does not correspond with staffing hours for a specific time of day.

The eight hours of staffing within the base rate cannot be changed.

6. Individual staffing hours

The lead agency and provider should enter individual staffing hours when they are planned or typical to meet the person’s assessed areas of need. The lead agency and provider should determine an average number of direct support hours the person typically needs each day and enter that number in the individual staffing hours field. Individual staffing hours should vary for each person in a setting. Settings should not have a “standard” number of individual staffing hours that each person must have in their rate.

Any supports entered in the individual remote staffing hours field must be delivered through real-time, two-way remote support.