FAQs

It has been IPMG's pleasure since September 1, 2006 to be Indiana's preeminent provider of case management services for participants in Indiana’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program. From September 1, 2006 through August 31, 2012, IPMG was the sole statewide provider, and assisted the Indiana Family and Social Services Department (FSSA) to transition from a system of over 400 service entities to a single, statewide operation. During that time period, IPMG set a new and unprecedented standard for high quality, measurable and Individual-driven case management services. We are happy to continue to provide same quality of services as a waiver provider for the Family Supports Waiver (FSW), the Community integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH), the Aged & Disabed Waiver (A&D), the Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver (TBI), and the Child Mental Health Wraparound (CMHW) program.

Individuals who participate in the waiver program benefit from our unconditional commitment to the provision of person-centered case management services. Our services are designed and delivered in such a way as to best support people with disabilities in their pursuit of a self-determined life. They are based upon IPMG’s “best practices” standards that require integrity, creativity and responsiveness in partnership with the person served. Primary among our accomplishments have been:

• Implementation of a new, effective and nationally recognized Individual-driven Person-Centered Planning Process that takes into account what is "important to" and "important for" the person.
• Assurance that all Case Managers and Wraparound Facilitators are consistently and highly trained and able to effectively lead the Individual and team through the waiver process.
• Development of enduring relationships with Individuals served, their guardians, waiver service providers and other stakeholders throughout the state that enable us to call upon their wisdom and experience when considering how best to support the people we are privileged to serve.
  

The founding companies that formed IPMG were among the first in the State of Indiana to provide case management services when the waiver program was initially created in the early 1990s. As a result, our administrators and many of our staff bring years of experience to the program and are happy to use that experience for the betterment of the lives of the Individuals we serve.

IPMG’s certification to provide waiver case management services was obtained through the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), under the auspices of the Department of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS). IPMG operates under their guidelines and is accountable to meet all related State and Federal Medicaid Waiver program requirements.

IPMG’s certification to provide wraparound facilitation services was obtained through the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), under the auspices of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). IPMG operates under their guidelines and is accountable to meet all related State and Federal Medicaid Waiver program requirements.

Mission

The mission of IPMG is to create an exceptional organization that supports its Employee Owners to become expert navigators, guiding individuals and families to access quality, integrated services and supports that result in the betterment of their lives.

Vision

IPMG envisions the individuals we support will live quality, self-determined lives as integral and valued members of their communities.

Founding Principle

“The needs of the Individual are paramount.” The relationship element of Case Managers' and Support Professionals' roles is the core factor, or better stated, the heart of what the Case Manager and Support Professional do. IPMG Case Managers and Support Professionals will recognize the importance of family, friendship, and advocate relationships as essential in developing a working environment of trust. Thus, respect for the culture and traditions of the Individual over one’s lifespan are paramount.

Core Values of IPMG

• Person-Centered Thinking: IPMG has adopted the philosophy of person-centered thinking, whereby the balance between what is “important to” and what is “important for” the Individual are the driving questions in facilitating a person-centered process. Case Managers should strive to encourage open communication with Individuals and their teams in order to ensure that they have been heard and that service providers understand what is valued and meaningful.
• Self-Determination: Self-determination is the concept of Case Managers and Individuals served working as equals to create less dependency upon formal systems of service delivery by advocating for natural community supports to establish an equal partnership between the Individual, Case Manager and community.
• Community Integration: Success of individualized services and supports will be measured by quality of life indicators designed to empower the Individual with a valued role in his or her community. Additionally, indicators should be quantifiable and measured by the Individual’s standard of success. Becoming familiar with the waiver recipient’s community and developing resources to better support the independence of the Individual will assist in opening doors to new experiences aimed at promoting the development of personal growth.
• Freedom of Choice: Choice is having ample opportunities to experience decision-making in both small, everyday matters and large, life-defining matters. Freedom of choice means the waiver recipient, family or legal guardian makes a voluntary decision after learning of all options and alternatives.
• Advocacy: IPMG recognizes that advocacy is best framed within the concept of meaningful action; specifically, action known to be of value to the individual in attaining his or her goals. We view advocacy as the practice through which all people can make their voices heard.

IPMG Case Managers work to ensure that Individuals supported have the information and tools needed to best utilize all available waiver services and supports. Case Managers educate and guide Individuals as they make choices about their desired goals, and efficiently coordinate services that support those goals. They also help Individuals supported to access non-waiver services, including medical, social, educational and natural community supports.

A Case Manager's responsibilities include:

• Meeting with Individuals supported to develop Annual Planning Documents using the Person- Centered Planning Process. Case Managers will review the documents with each Individual supported in person at least quarterly, and with their full Individualized Support Team (IST) at least two times per year (or more frequently if requested by the individual).
• Developing and submitting initial, annual and updated Service Plans that will outline to the State the services that Individuals supported need, and the cost of those services.
• Completing a Monitoring Checklist in person with Individuals quarterly to ensure that services are being implemented appropriately. Case Managers also monitor health and welfare, as well as service satisfaction of Individuals supported.
• Completing a risk assessment when Individuals supported first start services, every year after that, and when there is a change in Individual’s status. Case Managers ensure that plans are written to address any risk factors that are identified.
• Cultivating and strengthening informal and natural supports and identifying resources to best meet identified needs. Case Managers know that it's important for Individuals supported to be a part of their community.
• Monitoring the services provided by other waiver providers to ensure that those services are being delivered in accordance with the Annual Planning Documents.
• Completing and processing an annual Level of Care determination to determine continuing eligibility for the waiver program.
• Sending all required information, including all Notices of Actions, to Individuals supported and their family/guardian.
• Completing and maintaining all required documentation. This includes writing case notes and keeping files in accordance with State standards including ensuring that all contact information for the individual and team is current in all State systems. Case Managers also submit and follow up on any needed Incident Reports in a timely manner.

Amendments to Indiana’s Medicaid Waiver program went into effect on July 1, 2024 for the new PathWays for Aging and Health and Wellness (H&W) waivers – formerly combined in the Aged and Disabled (A&D) waiver. Amendments to the Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH), Family Supports (FSW), and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) waivers also went into effect.

Effective July 1, individuals age 59 and younger who had been receiving services through the Aged and Disabled waiver will receive services through the Health and Wellness waiver.

IPMG Care Managers work to ensure that Individuals have the information and tools needed to best utilize all available waiver services and supports. Care Managers educate and guide Individuals as they make choices about their desired goals, and efficiently coordinate services that support those goals. They also help Individuals supported to access non-waiver services, including medical, social, educational, and natural community supports. Our Care Managers bring to the people we serve not only a comprehensive knowledge of waiver services, but a philosophy of Person-Centered Thinking that guides our approach to working with individuals served, guardians and teams. Here are some of the ways in which our IPMG Care Managers provide support:

• They educate you about the waiver program and ensure that you have the information and resources needed to make thoughtful decisions about all of your services.
• They facilitate the Person-Centered Planning process in order to create your individual support plan to ensure that your needs and desires are the focus of all efforts by your waiver providers.
• They advocate for you in the face of any challenges that you might experience on your path to achieving your goals and outcomes.
• They will meet with you at least quarterly and at least two of these will be in the participant’s home setting. During these meetings, your wellbeing and satisfaction with services will be discussed.
• They monitor the quality of your services and collaborate with your service providers to solve problems as needed. They ensure the completion of all processes and documentation that are required for you to remain eligible for the waiver program.

IPMG Wraparound Facilitators (WF) work to ensure that participants have the information and tools needed to best utilize all available wraparound services and supports. WFs educate and guide individuals as they make choices about their desired goals, and efficiently coordinate services that support those goals. They also help participants to access non-wraparound services, including medical, social, educational and natural community supports.

Your IPMG Wraparound Facilitator will do the following for you:

• Meet with the Wraparound participant/family supported and others associated with the youth/family (extended family, referral source, school staff, service providers, family friends, etc.) and gather information to develop a family story, which will assist with identifying strengths and underlying needs for the Initial Plan of Care (POC). The WF will also provide quarterly and annual POC updates as well as a discharge POC when a participant completes the program.
• Develop an Initial Crisis plan, and provide quarterly and annual updates to the Crisis plan that will outline pro-active and reactive strategies
  that will be utilized to help keep the youth and others safe.
• Build a Wraparound team by cultivating and strengthening informal and natural supports and identifying resources to best meet the family’s identified needs. The WF will contact all potential team members to explain the wraparound process and to invite them to join the team.
• Monitor the Wraparound process through weekly contact with the youth/family and other team members to ensure that strategies are being implemented in accordance with the POC and to identify barriers to implementation, if necessary.
• Assure the support team knows the individual based upon his or her strengths and preferences, and builds supports around that information.
• Exercise integrity, creativity, and human responsiveness in the context of a partnership with the person being supported.
• Monitor the wraparound recipient's basic health and safety, satisfaction with services, progress toward outcomes, and overall quality of life.

IPMG provides case management services for Individuals who participate in one of Indiana’s Home and Community Based Services Programs (HCBS):

• Individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities through the Family Supports Waiver (FSW) and Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH)
  • Apply through your local Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS) field office.
    
• Children and adults with medical needs through the Division of Aging Waivers, which include the Aged and Disabled Waiver (A&D) and the Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver (TBI)
  
  • Apply through your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) field office.
• Children with emotional and/or behavioral challenges through the Child Mental Health Wraparound (CMHW) program
  
  • Apply through your local Access Site. Contact IPMG at (765) 464-2991 for more information.

The purpose of these programs is to provide individuals who might otherwise be faced with institutionalization with access to community-based services and supports that are important to them and that are provided in a manner that respects their personal beliefs and customs. If you do not currently receive waiver services, you may apply for them through the corresponding methods listed above.

IPMG provides services statewide, in every county in Indiana. Our case managers live in or near your community and are therefore able to link you to valuable local resources and to assist you with becoming a valued member of that community. If you would like to work with IPMG, you need only notify your local BDDS office (for FSW or CIH), your local AAA office (for A&D or TBI), or your local Access Site (for Wraparound) and a referral will be sent to us letting us know of your choice. We accept all referrals and do not discriminate in any way among those who have chosen us. We further ensure that our services are accessible to everyone. We will provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters as needed and materials that are appropriate for Individuals who have visual impairments. We can also provide Spanish-speaking interpreters.

IPMG employs Managers of Field Support (MFSs) who specialize in helping Individuals new to the waiver get started in the system. Once you have chosen our company, you will be contacted by an MFS within 48 hours of the date that we receive your referral from BDDS. The MFS will set a time to meet with you, typically within two weeks of the initial contact.

At your first meeting, you will engage in an initial person-centered planning process that was designed by a nationally recognized expert in the disability field. This process will ensure that what is “important to” and “important for” you take center stage in the creation of your Person-Centered Plan (PCP). It also ensures that you are accorded the respect that you deserve, and are given the tools to make progress toward the life you would like to create.

As part of the PCP process, the MFS will educate you about the waiver program and about available waiver services, especially those that would support the outcomes you have defined for yourself. You can make decisions about the types and amounts of services you would like to utilize, aided by the MFS and by any guidelines inherent in the waiver program. The MFS will also create a Person-Centered Individualized Support Plan (PCISP) with you that the waiver service providers will use as a guide when training their staff to work with you.

Once your plans have been designed, the MFS will create a Service Plan that outlines our request for monies for the services you desire. While that is being reviewed by the DDRS, you will have the opportunity to choose a permanent Case Manager as well as the service providers with whom you would like to work. We will provide you with a “Pick List” from DDRS for the service providers, as well as an internal list of all available Case Managers. When the Service Plan is approved and confirmed, the service providers will be notified and your waiver services will start.

On an ongoing basis, your IPMG Case Manager’s role will be to provide you with the support, education and resources you will need to make decisions about how to achieve your desired life outcomes. In addition to all mandated state trainings, our Case Managers also participate in IPMG training to increase their overall level of waiver knowledge, advocacy skills, person-centered thinking and professionalism, so no one is better equipped to partner with you in your waiver journey.

Person-centered planning (PCP) is a process used to identify the strengths, capacities, preferences, needs and desired outcomes of the Individuals served. The process includes participants chosen by the Individual or guardian who assist the Individual to identify personally meaningful life outcomes, as well as goals or stepping stones toward achieving those outcomes. The results of this process are then translated into a Person-Centered Individualized Support Plan (PCISP) that is used to identify waiver services as well as community and natural supports.

IPMG had the honor of working directly with Michael Smull, a nationally recognized PCP expert, in the design and implementation of IPMG’s PCP process. Mr. Smull, the creator of Essential Lifestyle Planning, visited IPMG in 2008 to help us take a serious look at how we could better support Individuals to reach their desired outcomes. The resulting process changed our lives and that of the people we serve in a dramatic and positive way.

What is “important to” and “important for” the Individuals we serve are at the core of our PCP process, and their self-identified outcomes are the drivers for all that we and the members of the IST do on their behalf. In addition, all IPMG staff receive training on person-centered thinking so that they are better able to understand and implement the PCP process.

What is “important to” people is what matters most to them and is how they define a quality of life for themselves. It encompasses those things in life, which help one to be satisfied, content, comforted and happy. It includes:

• People to be with/relationships
• Things to do
• Places to go
• Rituals or routines
• Rhythm or pace of life
  

What is “important for” people includes factors that we need to keep in mind regarding:

1. Issues of health or safety
2. Physical health and safety, including wellness and prevention
3. Emotional health and safety, including support needed
4. What others see as important to help the person be a valued member of their community

You will see your Case Manager as often as was decided by you, your Case Manager and your Support Team. At a minimum, your Case Manager will visit your home at least three times per year to complete a 90 Day Checklist with you. The fourth quarterly visit can be held at your home, day program or any other place of your choosing. In addition to these face-to-face meeting with you and your guardian, your Case Manager will also involve your Support Team in meetings at least four times per year. The Case Manager will invite them to your quarterly meetings, but if the Support Team providers are unable to attend, another meeting will be arranged for them, either in person or over the phone. Your Case Manager will also be responsive to any emergencies that you may have and will meet with your and/or your Support Team as needed to address those unexpected needs.

Please know that our Case Managers work out of their homes throughout the state. This is so that we can ensure that they live in your community and are knowledgeable about the local resources that are available to you there. It also allows them to have less driving time and more time to spend supporting you. There is never a reason for you to have to travel to an IPMG office to attend a meeting.

The rights of Individuals with disabilities are the same as for all citizens. Every Individual, unless legally determined otherwise, should be considered capable of exercising his/her full range of constitutional, statutory and civil rights. Individuals with disabilities are also guaranteed additional, specific rights. These include:

The Right to Privacy:

• You have the right to be alone when you want to, including when toileting, when having phone conversations with family or friends or when simply in the mood.
• Your bedroom is a private area and others need to respect your space by asking your permission to enter.
• Your mail, email and phone conversations are private and should not be seen or heard by others unless you agree.
• Your possessions belong to you and are not the property of anyone else in your home. You can lock them up and carry a key if you so desire. If you are unable to do so, someone will assist you.
  

The Right to Individuality:

• You have the right to decide what is important to and important for you and to receive support to follow your dreams.
• You have the right to practice the religion of your choice.
• You have the right to be treated with consideration, respect and full recognition of your dignity and individuality.
• You have the right to not be always be part of a group but to engage in activities on your own or only with someone to assist you.
• You will be considered for services no matter what your race, creed or religious beliefs.
  

The Right to Dignity:

• You have the right to humane care and protection from harm.
• You have the right to not be used as a human subject in research projects.
  

The Right to Community:

• You have the right to become part of your community, to make friends and gain skills that will help you toward the life outcomes that you desire.
• You have the right to receive the medical, mental health and other support services that you need in the least restrictive environment.
  

The Right of Choice:

You have the right to choose:

• The services that you will receive
• The companies that will provide those services
• The outcomes and goals that are important to you
• The people who will comprise your Individualized Support Team
• When you will give informed consent
• When you will release information about yourself to people outside of your Individualized Support Team (IST)
• What information you would like to release to people outside of your IST.
  

The Right of Confidentiality:

All of your records are kept confidential and are protected by public law and federal and state guidelines.

The Right of Access:

You have the right to access:

• Your Individual records
• Information that you need in order to make decisions
• Attorneys or other persons that can help you if you need legal representation
• Self-advocacy support services
• Advocacy support services
• Your personal funds and property
  

The Right to Be Heard:

• Individuals may voice complaints and concerns in order to have their issues handled efficiently and responsively. Investigation and resolution will be completed in a timely manner.
• Individuals have the right to appeal a decision with which they do not agree or have been denied, as outlined through the appeal process.
• Individuals have the right to contact and consult with legal counsel and private practitioners of their choice, at their expense.
  

Freedom From Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation:

You have the right to be free from physical, mental, emotional, financial, sexual and any other form of abuse, neglect or exploitation, including:

• Actions that are painful to you, which includes, but are not limited to:
  • Forced physical activity
  • Hitting
  • Pinching
  • Anything that hurts or is offensive to you
  • The use of electric shock
  • Anyone causing you to have physical pain
• Seclusion, or keeping you isolated or separate from everyone
• Emotional or verbal abuse, which means that some says something to you that:
  • Causes you to be afraid that someone will hurt you because of what you say or do
  • Causes you to be afraid that you will be confined or restrained
  • Causes you to experience emotional distress or embarrassment
  • Causes others to be angry with you or treat you without respect
  • Causes you to react in a negative manner
• A practice that keeps you from having any of the following, unless your doctor orders it:
  • Sleep
  • Shelter
  • Food
  • Drink
  • Physical movement for long periods of time
  • Medical care or treatment
  • Use of the bathroom
• Work or chores for someone else without pay unless:
  • The person you work for has a certificate from the United States Department of Labor authorizing the employment of workers with a disability at special minimum wage rates.
  • You are working, cleaning or taking care of your own home and yard.
  • You want to perform volunteer work in the community.

All IPMG employees are trained to understand and protect the rights of Individuals we serve. IPMG has adopted the following policies and procedures that help to protect your rights:

• Your Case Manager will actively monitor your status and work to protect your rights.
• Your Case Manager will ensure that you are informed of any medical, mental health, behavioral and developmental conditions that you have, at least annually and as needed.
• Your Case Manager will monitor your services and status to help ensure that you are free from unnecessary medications and physical restraints.
• Your Case Manager will ensure that your ISP establishes a system to reduce your dependence on medications and physical restraints.
• IPMG will take administrative or disciplinary action against, and dismissal of, any employee involved in the neglect, exploitation or mistreatment of anyone that we serve.
• IPMG has written instructions for our employees to follow in order to report any real or suspected violations of your rights.
• IPMG has written instructions for our employees to follow in the case of a rights violation to inform:
  • Adult Protective Services or Child Protection Services, as appropriate;
  • Your legal representative, if you have one
  • Any other person you want us to inform
  • The Bureau of Quality Improvement Services
• IPMG has written instructions for our employees to follow for reporting reportable incidents to the BDDS.
• All employees of IPMG shall promote Individuals’ rights, including:
  • Providing you with humane care and protection from harm.
  • Providing services that:
    • Are meaningful and appropriate
    • Comply with:
      • Standards of professional practice
      • Guidelines established by accredited professional organizations if applicable
      • Budgetary constraints
    • Are in a safe, secure and supportive environment
  • Obtaining your written consent, or your guardian’s if applicable, before releasing information from your records, unless the person requesting release of the records is authorized by law to receive the records without consent.
  • Processing and making decisions regarding any complaints you file within two weeks after IPMG receives the complaint.
  • Informing you in writing and in a way that you can understand of your constitutional and statutory rights, using a form approved by BDDS and the complaint procedure established by IPMG.
  • Obtaining a signed “Acknowledgement of Rights” statement. This statement will be entered into your record to document that you have reviewed your rights.

You have the right to file a complaint with IPMG at any time, and anyone else may file a complaint on your behalf. If you have a complaint about your services or about the people providing your services, this is an appropriate way to let us know.

IPMG will never retaliate against you for filing a complaint, even if it is about our company. We will do a fair and thorough investigation of the situation, will talk to anyone who has knowledge of the event and will review all related emails, letters and files. We’ll then let you know our findings in a timely manner and in the way in which you usually communicate.

Additionally, for some complaints, we may bring in an appropriate agency to let them know of the situation and obtain their input into how it should be resolved. Those agencies can include the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS), the Bureau of Quality Improvement Services (BQIS), Adult Protective Services (APS) and Child Protective Services (CPS).

You can file a complaint in person, on the phone, via email or by letter. You can tell your Case Manager or contact our Customer Service department. The contact information for our Customer Service department is as follows:

IPMG
Attn: Customer Service
1305 Cumberland Ave, Ste 110
West Lafayette, IN 47906

Customer Service: (866)-672-4764
customerservice@gotoipmg.com

Additionally, for crises that occur outside of usual business hours, and immediate case management attention is sought, the Crisis Line is always available at 800-878-9133.

Here are some reasons that you might file a complaint:

• Rights Violation: If you or someone on your behalf feels that your rights have been violated, we will investigate and respond to your complaint within two weeks in the way in which you usually communicate.
• Reportable lncident: If you or someone on your behalf reports to IPMG that you have been abused, neglected, exploited or otherwise mistreated, your Case Manager will take all necessary steps to assure your immediate safety. He or she will ensure that an Incident Report is filed with BQIS within 24 hours of the report having been received and will file all needed follow up reports at seven-day intervals. The Case Manager will conduct or participate in an investigation as needed and notify APS and/or CPS to provide an additional level of oversight should the incident be of a nature that requires their intervention. When the case has been considered resolved by BQIS, the Case Manager will respond to your complaint in the way in which you usually communicate.
• Systemic lssues: If IPMG is notified that a provider agency is not behaving in accordance with established standards of practice, the case manager will: first, attempt to resolve the issue verbally with the provider in question. If no resolution is made, put the issue in writing to the provider. If still no resolution is achieved, bring the issue to the attention of the BDDS local representative to assist and file an lncident Report if the issue is not resolved. Upon resolution, the Case Manager will respond to your complaint in the way in which you usually communicate.
• Conflict Resolution: If the members of your IST are not able to agree upon a decision regarding the best way in which to support you, the Case Manager will call upon the local BDDS representative to help the team decide or to make a decision for the team. Your Case Manager will let you know of the BDDS’s decision in the way in which you usually communicate.
• Complaint Against IPMG Staff: If you share with us a complaint about your case management services, an IPMG representative other than the Case Manager will investigate the situation. We will share the results of the findings with you within two weeks of the date we receive your complaint in writing and in the manner in which you usually communicate. If an Incident Report was filed as part of the investigation proves, we will also let you know the results of the BQIS decisions.
  

If you do not agree with IPMG’s decision regarding how a complaint was resolved, we will notify the Department Director of the staff identified in the complaint or the IPMG Company Advisers if the Director completed the initial determination of findings. You will be notified of that second decision within two weeks, in writing and in the manner in which you usually communicate. If you are still not satisfied with the decision, the complaint or concern received will be forwarded to the IPMG Stakeholder Committee. We will let you know of their decision within 30 days of the date it was provided to them.

We also do a formal review of all complaints received at least annually and use the information used to determine trends, areas needing improvement and actions to be taken toward systemic resolutions.

An Individual has the following responsibilities when receiving waiver services:

• To participate in planning your services
• To choose your providers for your services
• To work on achieving your goals
• To keep appointments
• To inform your Case Manager about any changes that are pertinent to your participation in your program, such as changes in benefits or how you feel about your plan
  

In addition, by agreeing to receive waiver services Individuals are accepting Medicaid dollars and therefore accepting some additional responsibilities. The primary factor in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Federal agency) determining if a state can be approved to provide HCBS waiver services is the state’s commitment to assure participants’ health and welfare. Individuals and their guardians play a significant role in helping the state meet this assurance.

There will be times when a representative of the state will request information or will ask to visit Individuals’ homes. These requests and visits are not meant to be intrusive but are necessary to assure that services are being delivered appropriately and whenever possible. Efforts will be made to schedule these visits in advance. Specific responsibilities are outlined in the DDRS Policy for Individual and Guardian responsibilities.

IPMG’s Case Managers monitor the quality of your waiver services on an ongoing basis, using a variety of methods to ensure that the services meet the standards set forth in your ISP and in DDRS regulations. They will meet with you and your team in person no less than every three months, and more frequently as needed, and will review with you your satisfaction with those services. They will review documentation created by the provider agencies, and will have ongoing contact with the agencies via email and phone and in meetings as needed. Additionally, your Case Manager will perform at least one unannounced visit per year to check on the quality of services being provided. IPMG will be responsive to any issues that you may have with your services and will work to ensure that those issues are resolved or will give you the opportunity to see other service providers.

The Family Supports Waiver (FSW) and Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH) contain integrated funding that supports the cost to Individuals and their families for waiver case management services. That cost is a fixed fee set by the DDRS, and is the same for all Individuals served, regardless of their level of need or of the case management company that serves them.

You are always able to reach someone at IPMG, no matter the time of day or night. You can call or email your Case Manager during regular working hours. If he or she is not available, and you want to speak to someone immediately, you may call our Customer Service Line at (866)-672-4764. They are available from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm each day and can also be reached at customerservice@gotoipmg.com.

If you need crisis case management intervention on the weekends, evenings or holidays, you can call our Crisis Line for immediate assistance at (800)-878-9133. You will be connected with a live person who will put you in touch with the appropriate case management professional.

Indiana’s Medicaid waiver program began in 1981, in response to the national trend toward providing home- and community-based services. In the past, Medicaid paid only for institutional-based, long-term care services, such as nursing facilities and group homes. Under the Waiver program, it now pays to provide community-based services to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Those services are provided in a person-centered manner and are designed to respect the Individual's personal beliefs and customs. Specifically, the Waiver program is meant to assist a person in:

• Becoming integrated in the community where he/she lives and works
• Developing social relationships in the person's home and work communities
• Developing skills to make decisions about how and where the person wants to live
• Being as independent as possible
  

In Indiana, the Medicaid waiver program is administered by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) through the Department of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS). DDRS oversees two waivers, the Family Supports Waiver (FSW) and the Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH).

The Indiana Home and Community Based Services is intended to afford an individual to reside in a community setting, rather than residing in a facility setting. The supports available under the waiver are intended to provide educational, rehabilitative, or therapy services aimed at improving an individual’s independence or functioning level. Other forms of supports are available throughout the State of Indiana. The IPMG Case Manager will work with you and the support team to identify any potential resources available to help alleviate the identified needs. IPMG maintains a database of nearly 1000 community resources which Case Managers can reference to identify potential and appropriate resources to meet the individual’s needs. Additionally, Case Managers will refer individuals to seek assistance from Social Security, Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamp Program, etc.

The FSW was created to be the initial point of entry into the Medicaid waiver system. This waiver provides services to Individuals of any age who live in their own homes, family homes or other community settings. The purpose of the waiver is to provide Individuals with access to community-based services and supports that are important to them and that are provided in a manner that respects their personal beliefs and customs. Priorities are to facilitate Individuals' development of social relationships in the home and work communities, as well as their ability to live as independently as possible. This waiver is subject to an annual cost cap of $16,545.

Services available through this waiver are:

• Adult Day Services: Community-based group programs designed to meet the needs of adults through individualized plans of care. These non-residential programs provide health, social, recreational and therapeutic activities, supervision, support services and personal care.
• Behavioral Support Services: Training, supervision or assistance in appropriate expression of emotions and desires, acquisition of socially appropriate behaviors and the reduction of inappropriate behaviors.
• Community-Based Habilitation: Services provided outside of the home that support learning and assistance in the areas of self-care, sensory/motor development, socialization, daily living skills, communication, community living and social skills. Community-based activities are intended to build relationships and natural supports. This service can be provided on an Individual basis or in a group setting.
• Extended Services: Ongoing employment support services which enable an individual to maintain integrated competitive employment in a community setting. Individuals must be employed in a community-based, competitive job that pays at or above minimum wage in order to access this service.
• Facility-Based Habilitation: Services provided outside of the home in an approved facility that support learning and assistance in the areas of self-care, sensory/motor development, socialization, daily living skills, communication, community living and social skills. This service can be provided on an Individual basis or in a group setting.
• Facility-Based Support Services: Facility-based group programs designed to meet the needs of participants through Individual plans of care. These non-residential programs provide health, social, recreational and therapeutic activities, supervision, support services and personal care. They may also include optional or non-work related educational and life skill opportunities. Participants attend on a planned basis.
• Family and Caregiver Training: Services that provide training and education to instruct a parent, other family member or primary caregiver about the treatments and equipment specified in the ISP.
• Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI): A highly specialized, individualized program of instruction and behavioral intervention. The primary goal of IBI is to reduce behaviors such as tantrums and acting out behaviors and to increase or teach replacement behaviors that have social value for the Individual and that increase access to their community. Program goals are accomplished by the application of research-based interventions.
• Music Therapy: Services provided for the systematic application of music in the treatment of the physiological and psychosocial aspects of an Individual’s disability that focus on the acquisition of nonmusical skills and behaviors.
• Occupational Therapy: Services provided under 460 IAC 6-5-17 by a licensed/certified occupational therapist.
• Participant Assistance and Care: Staffing and personal assistance in the home.
• Personal Emergency Response System: An electronic device that enables certain Individuals at high risk of institutionalization to secure help in an emergency. The Individual may also wear a portable “help” button to allow for mobility. The system is connected to the person’s phone and programmed to signal a response center, which is staffed by trained professionals, once a “help” button is activated.
• Physical Therapy: Services provided under 460 IAC by a licensed physical therapist.
• Prevocational Services: Services that prepare a participant for paid or unpaid employment. Prevocational services include teaching concepts such as compliance, attendance, task completion, problem solving and safety. Services are not job-task oriented, but instead, aimed at a generalized result.
• Psychological Therapy: Services provided under 460 IAC 6-3-56 by a licensed psychologist with an endorsement as a health service provider in psychology, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker or a licensed mental health counselor.
• Recreational Therapy: Services provided under this article and consisting of a medically approved recreational program to restore, remediate or rehabilitate an Individual in order to improve the Individual’s functioning and independence and to reduce or eliminate the effects of an Individual’s disability.
• Respite: Services provided to participants that are furnished on a short-term basis in order to provide temporary relief to those unpaid persons normally providing care. Respite care can be provided in the participant’s home or place of residence, in the respite caregiver’s home, in a camp setting, in a DDRS approved day habilitation facility or in a non-private residential setting (such as a respite home).
• Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies: Includes devices, controls or appliances, specified in the plan of care, which enable Individuals to increase their abilities to perform activities of daily living or to perceive, control or communicate with the environment in which they live and without which the Individual would require institutionalization.
• Speech/Language Therapy: Services provided by a licensed speech pathologist under 460 IAC 6.
• Transportation: Services that enable waiver participants to gain access to non-medical community services and resources, maintain or improve their mobility within the community, increase independence and community participation and prevent institutionalization.
• Workplace Assistance: A range of personal care services and/or supports during paid competitive community employment hours and in a competitive community employment setting to enable waiver participants to accomplish tasks that they would normally do for themselves if they did not have a disability.

The CIH was created to assist those FSW participants who experience emergencies for which that waiver does not provide sufficient support to ensure the Individual’s health and safety. Situations that might constitute an emergency include loss of primary caregiver, caregivers over the age of 80, evidence of abuse or neglect in the current institutional or home placement and an extraordinary health and safety risk. There is no annual waiver service cost cap associated with the CIH.

Services available through the CIH are:

• Adult Day Services: Community-based group programs designed to meet the needs of adults through individualized plans of care. These non-residential programs provide health, social, recreational and therapeutic activities, supervision, support services and personal care.
• Behavioral Support Services: Training, supervision or assistance in appropriate expression of emotions and desires, acquisition of socially appropriate behaviors and the reduction of inappropriate behaviors.
• Community-Based Habilitation: Services provided outside of the home that support learning and assistance in the areas of self-care, sensory/motor development, socialization, daily living skills, communication, community living and social skills. Community-based activities are intended to build relationships and natural supports. This service can be provided on an Individual basis or in a group setting.
• Community Transition: Reasonable, one-time set-up expenses for Individuals who make the transition from an institution to their own home in the community. These will not be reimbursable on any subsequent move.
• Electronic Monitoring/Surveillance System and Onsite Response: The provision of oversight and monitoring within the residential setting of adult waiver participants through off-site electronic surveillance. Also included is stand-by intervention staff prepared for prompt engagement with the participant(s).
• Environmental Modifications: Physical adaptations to the home required by the Individual’s plan of care, which are necessary to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the Individual, or which enable the Individual to function with greater independence in the home and without which, the Individual would require institutionalization.
• Extended Services: Ongoing employment support services which enable an individual to maintain integrated competitive employment in a community setting. Individuals must be employed in a community-based, competitive job that pays at or above minimum wage in order to access this service.
• Facility-Based Habilitation: Services provided outside of the home in an approved facility that support learning and assistance in the areas of self-care, sensory/motor development, socialization, daily living skills, communication, community living and social skills. This service can be provided on an Individual basis or in a group setting.
• Facility-Based Support Services: Facility-based group programs designed to meet the needs of participants through Individual plans of care. These non-residential programs provide health, social, recreational and therapeutic activities, supervision, support services and personal care. They may also include optional or non-work related educational and life skill opportunities. Participants attend on a planned basis.
• Family and Caregiver Training: Services that provide training and education to instruct a parent, other family member or primary caregiver about the treatments and equipment specified in the ISP.
• Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI): A highly specialized, individualized program of instruction and behavioral intervention. The primary goal of IBI is to reduce behaviors such as tantrums and acting out behaviors and to increase or teach replacement behaviors that have social value for the Individual and that increase access to their community. Program goals are accomplished by the application of research-based interventions.
• Music Therapy: Services provided for the systematic application of music in the treatment of the physiological and psychosocial aspects of an Individual’s disability that focus on the acquisition of nonmusical skills and behaviors.
• Occupational Therapy: Services provided under 460 IAC 6-5-17 by a licensed/certified occupational therapist.
• Personal Emergency Response System: An electronic device that enables certain Individuals at high risk of institutionalization to secure help in an emergency. The Individual may also wear a portable “help” button to allow for mobility. The system is connected to the person’s phone and programmed to signal a response center, which is staffed by trained professionals, once a “help” button is activated.
• Physical Therapy: Services provided under 460 IAC by a licensed physical therapist.
• Prevocational Services: Services that prepare a participant for paid or unpaid employment. Prevocational services include teaching concepts such as compliance, attendance, task completion, problem solving and safety. Services are not job-task oriented, but instead, aimed at a generalized result.
• Psychological Therapy: Services provided under 460 IAC 6-3-56 by a licensed psychologist with an endorsement as a health service provider in psychology, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker or a licensed mental health counselor.
• Recreational Therapy: Services provided under this article and consisting of a medically approved recreational program to restore, remediate or rehabilitate an Individual in order to improve the Individual’s functioning and independence and to reduce or eliminate the effects of an Individual’s disability.
• Rent and Food for an Unrelated, Live-in Caregiver: The additional cost a participant incurs for the room and board of an unrelated, live-in caregiver (who has no legal responsibility to support the participant) as provided for in the participant’s residential budget.
• Residential Habilitation and Support: Services that provide up to a full day (24-hours) of services and/or supports which are designed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the participant and assist in the acquisition, improvement and retention of skills needed to support participants to live successfully in their homes.
• Respite: Services provided to participants that are furnished on a short-term basis in order to provide temporary relief to those unpaid persons normally providing care. Respite care can be provided in the participant’s home or place of residence, in the respite caregiver’s home, in a camp setting, in a DDRS approved day habilitation facility or in a non-private residential setting (such as a respite home).
• Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies: Includes devices, controls or appliances, specified in the plan of care, which enable Individuals to increase their abilities to perform activities of daily living or to perceive, control or communicate with the environment in which they live and without which the Individual would require institutionalization.
• Speech/Language Therapy: Services provided by a licensed speech pathologist under 460 IAC 6.
• Structured Family Caregiving: A living arrangement in which a participant lives in the private home of a principal caregiver who may be a non-family member (foster care) or a family member who is not the participant’s spouse, the parent of the participant who is a minor, or the legal guardian of the participant. Necessary support services are provided by the principal caregiver. Only agencies may be Structured Family Caregiving providers.
• Transportation: Services that enable waiver participants to gain access to non-medical community services and resources, maintain or improve their mobility within the community, increase independence and community participation and prevent institutionalization.
• Wellness Coordination: The development, maintenance and routine monitoring of the waiver participant’s Wellness Coordination plan and the medical services required to manage his/her health care needs.
• Workplace Assistance: A range of personal care services and/or supports during paid competitive community employment hours and in a competitive community employment setting to enable waiver participants to accomplish tasks that they would normally do for themselves if they did not have a disability.

The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS) provides services for individuals with developmental disabilities that enable them to live as independently as possible in their communities. BDDS assists individuals in receiving community supports and residential services using a person-centered plan to help determine which services are needed and who can best provide them. BDDS also monitors the quality of care and the facilities of those who are approved to provide these services in Indiana.

To apply for a BDDS waiver within the state of Indiana please follow the steps listed below.

Step 1. Completing the Waiver Application

1. Contact your local BDDS office to request an application packet.
2. Complete and return the packet and all documents requested to the BDDS office.

Step 2. The Intake Process

1. Once you have completed and returned the waiver application packet and all requested documents, an Intake Specialist from your local BDDS office will contact you to complete the assessment for a preliminary Level of Care (LOC) using the information and documents you provide. This part of the process determines Developmental Disability (DD) eligibility and preliminary Level of Care (LOC).

Step 3. Application Process Complete...Now What?

1. After the application process is complete and LOC is determined, you will be placed on the waiting list for waiver services.
2. While you are waiting for an open slot, you may:
   • Utilize Medicaid State Plan services, if eligible
   • Apply for Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI)
   • Apply for caregiver supports (respite) as they are available
   • Use natural supports for help (e.g. family members, church, neighbors, co-workers and friends)
   • Utilize the other resources, such as the Department of Education (if under age 22), the Indiana Centers for Independent Living Services and the Aging and Disability Resource Centers
3. Contact your local BDDS office immediately and annually to update your address or telephone number.
4. To better serve Individuals on the FSW waiting lists, DDRS has developed the BDDS Waitlist Web Portal. The Portal will allow you to review and update your contact information and to review the waiver application dates the BDDS has on record. Check the BDDS waiting list online.

Step 4. Beginning Waiver Services

1. DDRS will mail you a targeting letter when a waiver slot is available.
2. Once you have confirmed that you still want to receive services, an Intake Specialist will contact you and complete a current LOC. If you do not currently meet LOC, you will not be able to utilize the available waiver slot.
3. If Medicaid eligibility was previously denied, you will need to take your targeting letter to your local Division of Family Resources (DFR) to reapply.

Step 5. Choosing your Case Management Company (CMCO)

1. When you have been offered and have accepted a waiver slot, your local BDDS will provide you with a “Pick List,” or list of all certified CMCOs that offer services in your county. Your choice of CMCO is an important one, as the company you choose will be your partner and your guide as you navigate the complexities of the waiver system and help you to move along the path to a more self-determined life. You will have the opportunity to interview any or all companies, and to choose the one that you feel will best represent you.
2. To arrange to interview with an IPMG Case Management Professional to learn more about our services, you may call Customer Service at 866-672-4764, or email them. You may also call our Intake Department at 317-460-4332.
3. To notify your local BDDS office that you have chosen IPMG to provide your case management services, you can fax your pick list directly to them. You can also fax it to us at 866-551-1963 and we will provide it to the BDDS office.

My Child Will be Graduating from High School. How Long is the Wait for Waiver Services?

The State of Indiana has reserved a portion of the waiver slots for Eligible Individuals age 18-24 with permanent separation from their educational setting. Qualified/eligible Individuals ages 18 through 24 who have aged out of, graduated from or have permanently separated from their school setting may be able to enter waiver services upon that separation if funded slots are available.

Priority access by reserve capacity category is made available as long as priority waiver slots in the reserve capacity category remain open. Once the priority waiver slots in the eserve capacity category are filled, Individuals meeting the priority access criteria will be placed on the waiting list. They will subsequently be tracked based on their need for a priority waiver slot and offered a waiver slot when:

• A newly available priority waiver slot for which they qualify becomes available.
• A non-priority waiver slot using the first come, first served criteria for waiver enrollment (date placed on the waiting list) becomes available and the applicant is the first person on the waiting list.

Source: http://www.in.gov/fssa/

The Medicaid waiver program offers you the opportunity to make choices about the waiver services and providers that will be part of your waiver experience. Your IPMG Case Manager will educate you and provide you with the resources that you will need in order to make educated decisions.

• Case Management Company (CMCO): Your first choice is that of the company you would like to be the provider of your case management services. When you have been offered and have accepted a waiver slot, your local BDDS will provide you with a “Pick List,” or list of all certified CMCOs that offer services in your county. You may contact any or all of those companies and interview them to determine which one you would like to provide your case management services. You may interview them over the phone or request that they visit you in person. Feel free to ask them to provide references to you so that you can better judge the satisfaction of Individuals that are currently served by them.
• Case Manager: After you have chosen a CMCO, some companies, such as IPMG, also offer you the opportunity to choose the Case Manager that will work side-by-side with you on your waiver journey. Those companies will provide you with a list of available Case Managers, and you may choose to interview any or all of them to determine who best meets your needs. If this choice is an important one to you, be sure to ask the CMCO as you are interviewing if they offer this opportunity.
• Waiver Services: The FSW and CIH provide you with a variety of services that are designed to support you as you move closer to the outcomes that you have identified as being important to you and for you. Each of those services has guidelines regarding its usage, funding and scope. Your IPMG Case Manager will ensure that you have the information needed to determine which services would be most meaningful and useful to you and will create a budget that encompasses those services.
• Waiver Service Providers: Once you have determined which waiver services you would like to use, your Case Manager will provide you with a “Pick List” of all providers who offer services in your county or area of the state. You may interview any or all of them and can do so on the phone or in person. You can request to visit the sites at which services are provided and can ask to meet Individuals that are currently served by the provider.

Absolutely! You are not limited to only making one choice about any of your waiver providersor services. You can change your CMCO, Case Manager, services or service providers at any point at which you are not satisfied or feel that your needs have changed. Your Case Manager or CMCO will assist you.