“The Waiver…continued”
by Ann Nobis

Please refer to the previous two newsletter articles about this topic to catch up to speed as this article is a continuation and background knowledge is helpful.  Remember, THE WAIVER is the big umbrella that pours down service options from New York State .

Before I get into more of the service options I have learned about on my journey, I want to encourage you to keep a log of dates, times, outcomes and people.  When working with NYS and its agencies you’ll find a maze of well meaning people for the most part, but sometimes if we don’t ask just the right question, or ask the question in the right way, the response might not be totally accurate for our individual situation.  So, if you can then say to someone, “well, on   Thursday, June 14, 2006 , Ramona Que from the XYZ department told me to fill out form ABC” at least you know and they know that you have been communicating with people and have a reference from which to move forward.

I have previously written about different departments that you will be dealing with in the adult world and some of the different services available once your child has been approved for The Waiver (service coordination, OPTS, CSS-SD).  Some other services that may be available under The Waiver  immediately, or may become available in the future for your child, include Residential Rehabilitation, Respite, Day Habilitation, Supported Employment, and Supported Living.  If your child is getting ready to leave high school or already has, these are some more of the options out there.

Residential Rehabilitation (Res. Hab. is the lingo used to refer to it) basically teaches one to do the day-to- day skills that you and I do everyday.  It is geared to provide instruction at the level your child is ready to receive support at and move him or her forward to the level of independence the individual is capable of achieving.  On a personal note, I have found some Res. Hab. workers have higher expectations than I as a parent and some have lower expectations!  Keeping an eye on things is always a good idea.  Some people use residential rehabilitation to encourage an individual to be more independent in personal hygiene or grooming such as choosing the right outfits or styling one’s hair.  Others use it to assist an individual in getting ready for the day, organizing oneself, and retiring for the evening.  Still others may use the time to teach individuals about the concept of down time, relaxing or entertaining oneself.  Residential Rehabilitation skills might also be learning to load, set and unload the dishwasher, then put the dishes away.  It might mean learning to sort, wash, dry, fold and put away the laundry.  It might be that an individual needs to learn how to grocery shop, prepare healthy meals and eat only recently purchased foods!  Residential Rehabilitation is learning to live as independently as possible within one’s residence, whether that is his or her present family home, a supported residence, or independent living situation. So many daily living skills we take for granted!  Another personal note: Brie is still on the wait list for a Res. Hab. worker…seven years now…am not sure she even qualifies anymore since we have moved to a different WAIVER Service.  Residential Rehabilitation can be done in one’s present living situation such as at home with family or in one’s newly acquired living situation such as supported living or living independently. The ISP (Individual Service Plan) will drive the type of residential rehabilitation skills an individual is looking to work on achieving.  Those goals/outcomes are determined by the individual, the family and the service coordinator.

Space does not permit me to write more about The Waiver services in this issue, so I will close this article for now and continue in the next issue of News and Notes on the topics of Respite, Day Habilitation, Supported Employment and Supported Living.  On a positive note, in my discussions with agency workers and as I read articles pertaining to services for adults with disabilities, I think the future holds promise for more individualized services and supports rather than having to choose from menu A, B, or C.  One size does not fit all!