Community Waiver Program
The new waiver program targets to serve persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) not currently receiving services through a current home and community-based services waiver, including those on the waiting list for the existing Intellectual Disabilities or Living at Home waivers.
The program focuses on serving individuals and families before they are in crisis.
Service providers will focus on goals of home and community-based services programs such as community integration, opportunities for employment, and developing skills for independence.
The community waiver program will offer services to persons with intellectual disabilities in five enrollment groups, based on age and relative independence, each with a set of services designed to serve them:
- Children with ID (ages 3-13) who live with family/other natural supports
- Transition-age youth with ID (ages 14-22) who live with family/other natural supports or (ages 18-22) who live independently
- Working-age or older adults with ID (ages 23+) who live with family/other natural supports or who live independently
- Individuals with ID (ages 3+) who are unable to live with family/other natural supports or to live independently
- Individuals with ID (ages 22+) who have a minimum of one substantial functional limitation
Available for application in Baldwin, Elmore, Houston, Jefferson, Limestone, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Tuscaloosa, and walker counties.
Call Center: 1-800-361-4491
Community Integration Connection and Skills Training
Time-limited services which identify and arrange integrated opportunities for the person to achieve his/her unique goals for community participation, involvement, membership, contribution and connections, including targeted education and training for specific skill development to enable the waiver participant to develop ability to independently (or with natural supports only) engage in these integrated opportunities as specified in the person’s Person-Centered Plan.
Community Transportation
Transportation services offered in order to enable an individual to access the broader community, including competitive integrated workplaces, opportunities for integrated community participation, involvement and contribution, and community services, resources and businesses consistent with the Person-Centered Plan.
Employment and Coworker Supports
One or more co-workers and/or supervisors, agreeable to the person supported, for supports in lieu of a Job Coach.
Supported Employment
The provision of time-limited learning and work experiences, including volunteering opportunities, where a person can develop general, non-job-task-specific strengths and skills that contribute to employability in individualized integrated employment or self-employment.
Financial Literacy and Work Incentives Benefits Counseling
Financial Literacy is the ability and knowledge that allows an individual, family, or natural supports to make informed and effective decisions about the individual’s financial resources.
Work Incentive Benefits Counseling provides general education to develop multiple pathways to individualized integrated competitive employment.
Family Empowerment and Systems Navigation Counseling
Family Empowerment Counselor and Systems Navigator Services matches the involved family members (e.g. support/care givers; legal guardians) of an individual with intellectual disabilities with a local professional or similar reputable adult with broad knowledge of the variety of programs and local community resources that are available to an individual with intellectual disabilities and his/her family.
Housing Counseling Services
Services which provide assistance to a person when acquiring housing in the community, where ownership or rental of housing is separate from service provision.
Housing Start-Up Assistance
A service intended to provide essential services and items needed to establish an integrated community living arrangement for persons relocating from an institution, a provider owned or controlled residential setting, or a home owned or controlled by another individual.
Peer Specialist Services
A service that assists a person to develop and utilize skills and knowledge for self-determination in one or more of the following areas:
• Directing the person-centered planning (PCP) process;
• Understanding and considering self-direction;
• Understanding and considering individualized integrated employment/self-employment;
• Understanding and considering independent and supported living community living options.
Personal Assistance Community
A range of services and supports designed to assist an individual with a disability to perform, participate fully in his/her community and supports for activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living that the individual would typically do for themselves if they did not have a disability and that occur outside the home.
Supported Living Services
Services that include training and assistance in maintaining a home of one’s own: a residence not owned or controlled by a waiver service provider or a residence that is not the home of a family caregiver.
Supported Employment
The provision of time-limited learning and work experiences, including volunteering opportunities, where a person can develop general, non-job-task-specific strengths and skills that contribute to employability in individualized integrated employment or self-employment.
Financial Literacy
Financial Literacy is the ability and knowledge that allows an individual, family, or natural support to make informed and effective decisions about the individual’s financial resources. Work Incentive Benefits Counseling provides general education to develop multiple pathways to individualized integrated competitive employment.
Family Empowerment and Systems Navigation Counseling
Family Empowerment Counselor and Systems Navigator Services matches the involved family members (e.g. support/caregivers; legal guardians) of an individual with intellectual disabilities with a local professional or similar reputable adult with broad knowledge of the variety of programs and local community resources that are available to an individual with intellectual disabilities and his/her family.
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community
throughout their lifetimes.
