Summary

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DSPD Mission

The Mission of the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) is to promote opportunities and provide supports for persons with disabilities to lead self-determined lives. DSPD also promotes public awareness and acceptance of people with disabilities.

DSPD serves individuals with multiple disabilities. Most have mental retardation or developmental disabilities. Eligible clients have a severe, chronic disability and substantial functioning limitation in seven major life-functioning areas. Individuals over 18 who may have a brain injury and a physical disability may be served.

Eligibility

Children and adults may be eligible for DSPD services if they have the following qualifying disabilities:

? Mental retardation: a disorder in which a person's overall intellectual functioning is well below average--an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 70 or less. Individuals with mental retardation have a significantly impaired ability to cope with common life demands and lack some daily living skills expected of people in their age group and culture. The impairment may interfere with learning, communication, self-care, independent living, social interaction, play, work, and safety. Mental retardation appears in childhood, before age 18.

? Cerebral palsy: a medical condition caused by a permanent brain injury that occurs before, during, or shortly after birth. It is characterized by a lack of muscle control and body movement.

? Autism: a disorder of brain function that appears early in life before the age of 3. Children with autism have problems with social interaction, communication, imagination, and behavior.

? Severe epilepsy: a chronic brain disorder that causes seizures, characterized by a variety of symptoms including uncontrolled body movements, disorientation or confusion, or loss of consciousness. Epilepsy may result from a head injury, stroke, brain tumor, lead poisoning, genetic conditions, or severe infections.

? Acquired brain injury: the result of a traumatic injury to the head or a stroke, hypoxia, toxic exposure, or intracranial surgery that results in substantial impairment in cognitive abilities or physical functioning.

? Adults with physical disabilities who cannot use 2 or more limbs.

and if they have severe functional limitations that are likely to continue throughout their life in three or more of the following life activity areas:

? Self-care: a person requires assistance or training in eating, toileting, bathing, dressing or grooming.

? Receptive and expressive language: a person who lacks functional communication and does not demonstrate an understanding of simple two-step requests.

? Learning: see Mental Retardation above.

? Mobility: a person who requires assistive devices to be mobile and who cannot evacuate themselves in an emergency.

? Self-direction: a person who is significantly below average in making appropriate decisions relating to safety, legal, financial, or residential issues or someone who has been legally declared incompetent.

? Capacity to live independently: a person who does not have the basic survival skills necessary to live in the community or someone who is a significant danger to themselves or others.

? Capacity to become economically self-sufficient: An adult who receives disability benefits or who is unable to work 20 hours a week or is paid less than minimum wage without employment support.

Applying for Services

Contact the Region DSPD Office in your area to begin the application process (see chart below). An intake worker will explain the information required and the associated timeframes for submitting the needed information. This information may include:

? Form 19 (Division?s eligibility for services document), signed by a physician or psychologist, which certifies the diagnosis and severity of disability.

? Inventory for Client and Agency Planning (ICAP) form that identifies skills, deficits, and problem behaviors.

? Social history

? Psychological or medical evaluation

The intake worker uses this information to:

? Determine eligibility;

? Determine Medicaid eligibility;

? Identify needed services and supports; and

? Place people on the waiting list if funds for services are not immediately available. Services are provided to those with the most critical needs first when funding is available. DSPD receives funding through appropriations from the legislature. More often than not, DSPD is not able to offer immediate services to eligible individuals so they are placed on the waiting list. Currently, there are about 1,900 people waiting for services for which funding is not available.

DSPD determines how critical the need is by using a standardized evaluation called the Needs Assessment. Members of local committees assess an individual based on a variety of factors including:

? severity of disability and problem behaviors exhibited;

? family?s strengths and weaknesses;

? special medical needs;

? health and safety issues;

? availability of other resources;

? projected deterioration of disability without services; ? length of time without services.

A ?needs? score is established which indicates the level of need. People with the highest scores have the first priority for services. This score determines a person?s rank order on the waiting list. The Needs Assessment can be redone if a person's situation changes or there is a suspected change in one or more of the above factors. Contact your intake worker to request another assessment.

Apply for Services at the following locations:

American Fork Office, 861 B 900 N, American Fork, UT. 84003 (801) 763-4100 Fax (801)763-4316

Blanding Office, 522 North 100 East, Blending, UT, 84511, (435) 678-1440, Fax (435) 678-1445

Brigham City Office, 1050 South 500 West, Brigham City UT 84302, (435) 734-4075, FAX (435) 734-4078

Cedar City Office, 106 North 100 East, Cedar City, UT. 84720, (435) 865-5650, Fax (435) 865-5666

Clearfield Office, 1350 East 1450 South, Clearfield, UT. 84015, (801) 776-7300, Fax (801) 525-0392,

Delta Office, 39 South 300 East, P0 Box 1038, Delta UT 84624, (435) 864-3869, Fax (435) 864-2630,

Heber Office, 69 North 600 West, Heber City, UT. 84032, (435) 657-4206, Fax (435) 657-4220,

Layton Office, 523W Heritage Blvd, Suite 3, Layton, UT. 84041, (801) 779-6700, Fax (801) 779-6730,

Logan Office, 115 Golf Course Rd, Ste C, Logan, UT. 84321, (435) 787-3450, Fax (435) 787-3469,

Manti Office, 50 South Main Street, Ste 5, Manti, UT. 84642, (435) 835-0795, Fax (435) 835-0798,

Moab Office, 1165 S Highway 191, Moab, UT. 84532, (435) 259-3728, Fax (435) 259-3739,

Nephi Office, 54 North Main Street, P0 Box 45, Nephi, UT. 84648, (435) 623-2431, Fax (435) 623-2892,

Ogden Office, 2540 Washington Blvd, 3rd Floor, Ogden, UT. 84402, (801) 626-3300, Fax (801) 626-3153,

Park City Office, 1764 Prospector Square, Park City, UT. 84060, (435) 645-8703, Fax (435) 649-0351,

Price Office, 475 W Price River Dr, #262, Price, LIT, 84501, (435) 636-2390, Fax (435) 636-2397,

Provo Office, 150 East Center Street, Provo, UT. 84606, (801) 374-7005, Fax (801) 374-7638,

Richfield Office, 201 East 500 North, Richfield, UT. 84701, (435) 896-1281, Fax (435) 896-1272,

Salt Lake City Office, 655 East 4500 South, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT. 84107, (801) 264-7620, Fax (801)264-7672

Spanish Fork Office, 607 East Kirby Lane, Spanish Fork, UT 84660, (801) 794-6700, Fax (801) 794-6686,

St George Office, 377 E Riverside Dr, Bldg B, Ste A, St George, UT. 84790, (435) 674-3961, Fax (435) 674-3939,

Tooele Office, 305 North Main Street, Tooele, UT. 84074, (435) 833-7355, Fax (435) 833-7345

Vernal Office 980W. Market Drive, Vernal, UT. 84078, (435) 789-9336, Fax (435) 789-6639,

Utah State Developmental Ctr, 895 N 900 East, American Fork, UT. 84003, (801) 763-4090, Fax (801) 763-4024

Services

DSPD offers a variety of services for both children and adults to help them participate fully in a community setting. Once a person is found eligible for services and removed from the waiting list, staff will assess the person's needs and assist in selecting the supports that best serve the person. Supports are determined by the person's needs and the amount of funding available. DSPD offers services through three Medicaid waivers: Mental Retardation and Other Related Conditions (MR/RC) Waiver, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Waiver, and the Physical Disabilities (PD) Waiver. Medicaid waivers allow a person who qualifies for services in a nursing home or intermediate care facility for people with mental retardation (ICFMR) to receive services in their own home and community. Private Provider Services: DSPD contracts with a number of independently owned providers that provide a variety of services across the state. Some providers specialize in a particular type of service or specialize in working with a particular type of disability. The state certifies and/or licenses these providers and closely monitors their services. A list of providers in your area can be provided by DSPD.

Family Managed or Self-Administered Services:

This option is typically limited to respite care and other types of family support. Families who choose this option must do the following:

? Hire and train their own staff and have more control over who provides the supports and services to their family member who has a disability;

? Hire a fiscal agent who is responsible for payroll functions;

? Comply with certain defined regulations;

? Complete administrative work that private providers generally do.

This is considered ?sweat equity? so not all families are interested in, nor may be appropriate for, this option.

Available Services:

Services for Children:

? Respite Care: temporary care to relieve parents or caregivers from the day-to-day care they provide to the person with a disability.

? Family Assistance and Support: includes activities such as assistance with daily activities, help with therapies, assistive technology and/or environmental modifications.

? Host Home or Professional Parent Services: an out-of-home service in the private home of specially trained families. These families also have a variety of specialized backup services offered through a private provider agency.

Services for Adults:

? Supported Employment: includes job development, placement, intensive on-the-job training, and supervision by ajob coach.

? Day Services: include daytime supervision and support to develop and maintain self-help skills, community living skills, social skills, and communication skills.

? Senior Supports: similar to day services, but designed for the needs of, and paced for, older adults.

? Respite Care: (See description listed for Services for Children.)

? Host Home: (See description listed for Services for Children.)

? Supported Living: services provided in the person?s home to help support the person?s independence.

? Supervised Living: residential services offered in a group home or supervised apartment. Level of supervision is determined by the individuals? needs and can vary from intensive 24-hour to intermittent supervision.

? Utah State Developmental Center: Utah?s only state-operated intermediate care facility? a 24-hour institutional setting. The Center offers intensive medical, behavioral, psychological and dental services to those over age 18. Admissions are limited and require an intensive screening and court commitment process. Services are designed for:

• very medically fragile individuals;
• those requiring psychiatric evaluation and stabilization;
• offenders who need intensive supervision;
• those with severe disabilities who cannot be served in less restrictive settings.

Quality of Services:

As part of the mission of DSPD, it maintains the following values:

? We respect and support personal choice and personal responsibility

? We respect personal and cultural diversity

? We value the preservation of family and other natural supports

? We believe in stewardship and wise use of public resources

? We value coordination and cooperation

? We respect and support personal choices.

? We believe people deserve high quality supports and services

? We believe funding should be needs based and should follow the person and DSPD will:

? Promote and recognize excellence

? Continue a person-centered philosophy

? Promote public awareness of disability issues

? Work collaboratively to dissolve barriers to quality service

? Support a full spectrum of service options

? Support self-determination by assisting persons to exercise and develop their ability to make choices and experience

• freedom to make informed choices from among available options of services and supports,
• authority to control a defined amount of dollars to purchase only what is needed and valued,
• support to nurture informal relationships that might augment, if not replace, some purchased services, and
• responsibility to give back to the community

Disabilities Ombudsman:

The Disabilities Ombudsman provides an avenue for Consumers in the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) to voice their concerns about services, and helps to improve services and service delivery systems to consumers by engaging the following activities:

? Help to mediate and resolve conflicts between consumers, providers and DSPD ? ultimately conflict resolution is the responsibility of DSPD

? Support and encourage actions that will improve DSPD services

? Track trends that impact services

? Collect statistical data

? Evaluate and follow-up on concerns and/or complaints filed by or in behalf of consumers or any persons who qualify as consumers of DSPD services in the following areas:

• Matters that effect the health, safety and/or welfare of consumers;
• Rules, policies and laws, and how they effect Services to consumers;
• Policies and practices that diminish consumer dignity and independence;
• Questions of consumer rights;
• Questions concerning access to appropriate services;
• Quality of services provided to consumers; and
• Concerns raised in an Adult Protective Services investigation.

The current Disabilities Ombudsman is:

Thomas Dunford

1-800-868-6413

In Salt Lake call 801-538-4373

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RESOURCES:

DSPD website: http://www.dspd.utah.gov/index.htm