Overcoming Our Challenges Together

a. Services may be provided to people in the home or community, with the place of residence as the primary setting. A person may receive in-home supports services when his or her place of residence is his or her own home, a family home, a friend’s home, or transitional housing.

b. Services may be provided in person, by phone, or by any other technology device that supports the use of video-audio communication, such as Skype, FaceTime, etc., as approved by the person and his or her support team and documented in the ISP. In-home supports services using technology to communicate with the person shall not exceed twenty (20) percent of the total hours of in-home supports services that the person receives each week.

c. In-home supports services shall only be provided for up to eight (8) hours per day unless there is a temporary emergency. In the event of a temporary emergency, DDS may authorize up to sixteen (16) hours per day for up to one hundred and eighty (180) days, during the person’s ISP year.

In-home supports shall include the following:

a. Training and support in activities of daily living and independent living skills.
b. Support to enhance opportunities for meaningful adult activities and skills acquisition that support community integration and a person’s independence, including management of financial and personal affairs and awareness of health and safety precautions.
c. Support to enhance opportunities for community exploration aimed at the discovery of new and emerging interests and preferences, including activities aimed at supporting the person to have one or more new relationships.
d. Support to build community membership.
e. Training on, and assistance in the monitoring of health, nutrition, and physical wellness.
f. Implementation of a home therapy program under the direction of a licensed clinician.
g. Training and support to coordinate or manage tasks outlined in the Health Care Management Plan, if applicable.
h. Assistance in performing personal care, household, and homemaking tasks that are specific to the needs of the person, except that this may not comprise the entirety of the service.
i. Assistance with developing the skills necessary to reduce or eliminate behavioral episodes by implementing a Behavioral Support Plan (BSP) or positive strategies.
j. Opportunities for the person to seek employment and vocational supports to work in the community in a competitive and integrated setting.
k. Assistance with the acquisition of new skills or maintenance of existing skills based on individualized preferences and goals identified in the In-Home Supports Plan, ISP, and Plan of Care.
l. Coordinating transportation to participate in community events consistent with this service.

Staffing Ratio
Employment readiness services shall maintain the required staff-to-person ratio, as indicated in the person’s ISP and Plan of Care, with a maximum staffing ratio of 1:4.

Service Eligibility for Employment Readiness Services
To be eligible for employment readiness services, the following criteria must be met:
a. Services shall be identified in the ISP, Plan of Care, and Summary of Supports.
b. The person must demonstrate a need for employment readiness services.
c. Employment-related goals must be included in the ISP.

Employment Readiness Services Requirements
Employment readiness services shall support a person on their pathway to competitive, integrated employment and shall consist of the following:

Social and Soft Skills Training
Including, but not limited to:
a. Interpersonal skills, including building and maintaining relationships.
b. Communication skills for interacting with supervisors, coworkers, and customers.
c. Travel skills.
d. Respecting the rights of others and understanding personal rights and responsibilities.
e. Decision-making skills and strategies.
f. Support for self-determination and self-advocacy.
g. Budgeting and money management.

Developing Work Skills
Including, at a minimum, teaching the person the following:
h. Appropriate workplace attire, attitude, and conduct.
i. Work ethics.
j. Attendance and punctuality.
k. Task completion.
l. Job safety.
m. Attending to personal needs, such as personal hygiene or medication management.
n. Interviewing skills.

Additional Employment Readiness Activities
a. Coordinating transportation to community activities utilizing the Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation Broker.
b. Employment exploration and/or employment preparation in the community.
c. Coordinating community-based, integrated, and volunteer experiences.