The OMH Children’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver provides services and supports to children with mental health needs and their families in their home and community. The HCBS Waiver provides many opportunities:

• Helping to connect the youth and family with services in the community including:
  • Treatment to address mental health needs
  • Crisis response
  • Respite
  • Medical appointments
  • Vocational Support for the youth
  • Community recreational activities
  • Coordination with educational resources (school)
• Advocacy
• Specialized services that support the youth and family’s individualized needs and strengths
  • Individual care coordination
  • Family and Caregiver support
• Support during transitional periods such as:
  • Discharges from an inpatient setting (hospital, Residential Treatment Facility) to the community;
  • And support while discharging from the waiver program

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Who Qualifies?

The HCBS Waiver Program is designed to provide community-based services and supports to youth at risk of admission to institutional levels of care.

The following financial and program criteria must be met to access services under this program:

Age

• Waiver is available for youth between the ages of 5 and 21; the child can be served in Waiver until s/he turns 21.

Level of Care

• Youth must be at imminent risk of admission to a psychiatric inpatient setting or have a need for continued psychiatric hospitalization,
• The youth must be capable of being cared for in the home and community.

Financial

• The youth must be eligible for Medicaid.
• Only the child/adolescent's own income and resources are taken into consideration when determining Medicaid eligibility.

How to Apply

• To start the waiver application process, or for further questions contact your local Single Point of Access (SPOA).