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WAIVER BEHAVIOR THERAPY

The Indiana Medicaid Waiver Program provides funding for home and community-based services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. The Indiana Waiver provides eligible individuals with a set amount of funds to attain services from an approved provider.

Life Strategies is an approved Waiver Provider for the following services in Lake, Porter, St. Joseph, Elkhart Counties:

Behavioral services provide extra supports needed to improve overall life quality and maximize one’s potential. Behavioral Therapists provide individuals with skills and training to help achieve their goals within their homes, workplaces, and communities.

Behavior Management involves assisting with the following topics: 

  • Safety awareness and wandering
  • Social skills teaching
  • Aggressive behaviors (physical and verbal)
  • Tantrum behaviors
  • Property destruction or mishandling
  • Self-injurious behavior
  • Task refusal
  • Hygiene and toileting
  • Daily living skills
  • Food-related and weight issues
  • Workplace performance
  • Building and maintaining healthy relationships
  • Difficult transitions and changes in routine

Behavior Management services include:

  • A Functional Assessment will be conducted which includes: interviews, assessments, observations, and data collection.
  • A Behavior Support Plan is developed with outlined strategies to help individuals meet their goals.
  • Therapists teach caregivers and team members how to implement behavioral strategies.
  • Data is collected and a quarterly report is provided showing the effectiveness of the strategies.
  • Face-to-face sessions with the behavioral therapist are conducted within the individual’s home, community, day program, workplace, or at the therapist’s office.
  • Visits are conducted frequently as determined by the individual’s waiver budget.
  • Therapists consult with the individual’s waiver support team and attend team meetings to assess the individualized support plan (ISP).

Traditional therapy services are provided by Licensed Clinical Therapists in a private office setting. Family and/or individual sessions can be provided to help with a wide range of concerns, such as:

  • Depression, anxiety, ADHD, and phobias
  • Trauma or abuse
  • Family or relationship concerns
  • Managing life stressors or decision making
  • Weight loss/gain and addictions
  • Anger and frustration
  • Grief and loss

Indiana provides the following Waiver Programs:

Formerly the Support Services Waiver, the FSW is designed to provide limited, non-residential supports to persons with developmental disabilities residing with their families, or in other settings with informal supports.

CIH is a combination of the Autism and the Developmental Disability Waivers and provides services that enable persons to remain in their homes or in community settings and assists transitions from institutions into community settings. This is a needs-based waiver and is designed to provide supports for persons to gain and maintain optimum levels of independence and community integration while allowing flexibility in the provision of those supports.

For more information on the FSW or CIH Waiver, please visit the Disability and Rehabilitative Services website.

How do I apply for Indiana Medicaid Waiver Services?

As soon as an individual has been diagnosed with a developmental disability, they can begin the enrollment process. Please click on the link below for more information on the process of applying for waiver services.

Behavioral Support Services: Service Definition and Standards:
https://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/files/Behavior_Support_Service_Guidance.pdf

BDDS District Offices:
https://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/files/BDDS.pdf

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