Community Living Assistance & Support Services (CLASS)

Service Description
The Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) program provides home and community-based services to adults and children with related conditions as a cost-effective alternative to ICF-MR/RC institutional placement. Individuals with related conditions have a qualifying disability, other than a diagnosis of mental retardation, which originated before age 22 and which affects their ability to function in daily life.

Funding Sources

Title XIX Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waiver, and State Funds

Covered Services

Services include:

  • Adaptive Aids and Medical Supplies
  • Auditory Enhancement Training
  • Case Management
  • Continued Family Services
  • Dental Services
  • Dental Sedation
  • Dietary Services (Nutritional Services)
  • Habilitation
  • Minor Home Modifications
  • Nursing Services
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Pre-Vocational Services
  • Behavioral Support
  • Respite Care
  • Specialized Therapies
  • Speech Pathology
  • Supported Employment
  • Transition Assistance Services
  • Support Family Services

The following services may be accessed using the Consumer Directed Services* service delivery option:

  • Habilitation
  • Nursing Services
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Respite Care
  • Speech Pathology
  • Support Consultation Services
  • Financial Management Services

The Consumer Directed Services *(CDS) option allows participants who live in their own private residences or the home of a family member to choose to self-direct certain services. By choosing to self-direct these services, participants will assume and retain responsibility to:

  • recruit their service providers;
  • conduct criminal history checks;
  • determine the competency of service providers; and
  • hire, train, manage, and fire their service providers.

Eligibility

  • Age: No limit (but age of onset of disability must be prior to age 22).
  • Income and Resources: The applicant must be Medicaid eligible in the community under:
    • SSI; or
    • Medical Assistance Only (MAO) protected status; or
    • Meet the income and resource requirements for Medicaid benefits in nursing facilities. ($2,022 per month with resources of $2,000 for an individual. Spousal impoverishment provisions apply.)
    • A disabled child who would be eligible for Medicaid if institutionalized and if parental income is not deemed to the child.

Additional Criteria:
The individual must:

  • Have a related condition listed on the approved Diagnostic Codes for Persons with Related Conditions and an adaptive behavior level of 2, 3, or 4 (Meet ICF-MR Level of Care VIII criteria.)
  • Have been diagnosed with a related condition that manifested before the individual was 22 years of age
  • Have a service plan that does not cost more than $114,736.08 annually;
  • Require Habilitation Services and Case Management Services (as determined by Service Planning team)
  • Not be enrolled in another Medicaid waiver program §1915(c)
  • Live in the applicant's or individual’s own home or family home;
  • Does not reside in an institutional setting, including a hospital, a nursing facility, an ICF/MR, a licensed assisted living facility, or a facility required to be licensed as an assisted living facility but is not licensed.

Provider Base
Public and private agencies; each applicant/individual/LAR selects a Case Management Agency (CMA) for case management services and a Direct Services Agency (DSA) for other direct services available through the waiver. A Consumer-Directed Services (CDS) Agency may be chosen by the participant to provide support and assistance to individuals electing to direct their own employees for habilitation and respite services. A provider for Support Family Services or Continued Family Services may be chosen by those individuals or their LARs who qualify for Support / Continued Family Services.

An applicant may qualify for Transition Assistance Services if the person previously resided in an institutional setting to assist the person in transitioning from the institutional setting into the CLASS Program.

Service Availability
Statewide

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