The Minnesota Department of Human Services' Disability Services Division (DSD) this week has shared a number of documents with counties that will soon be forwarded to CDCS recipients and their families. In addition, counties received permission to begin sharing individual budget information with their constituents. During this time it is important to remember that for individuals currently using the CDCS option, your state-set budget (if it decreases your CDCS budget) will go into effect one year from the date of the next annual review or April 1, 2006 (whichever is earlier). During that time period, individuals and families will be urged to either revise the support plan within the budget or to choose to receive other MR/RC waiver services. See the document from DSD titled, "CDCS is Changing 10/1/04," from DSD. In addition, that document states, "If an individual's budget amount increases from their current budget amount, that new amount will be available to the recipient on October 1, 2004."
We want to emphasize that only persons receiving budget increases will be impacted (budget wise) immediately on October 1, 2004.
Having just received permission to share the budget information, counties are now actively planning on how they will be notifying families. Some will notify recipients by mail, and others will be arranging to meet with individuals and families personally. Several counties have assured us that they are working hard to get the individual budget information out as soon as their systems for doing so are in place.
It is important to thoroughly read the document titled "CDCS is Changing 10/1/04." This outlines suggested activities that consumers and families should take to prepare for the implementation date of 10/1/04, outlines criteria for allowable expenses, and defines allowable and unallowable expenses. For those families that plan to take advantage of the new option to Pay Parents of Minors and Spouses, you will want to closely review that document. If you are interested in learning about flexible case management under CDCS, there is a document from DHS as well.
The CDCS waiver amendment and its implementation will impact families quite differently. Some families will benefit from the option of being able to pay themselves for providing services. Other families will have to plan differently to continue to provide inclusion opportunities, while others will be forced to transition off the CDCS program and into more costly formal services because of insufficient budgets.
After analyzing how your family is impacted by these changes, please help us collect your stories and any statistical and financial information that will define the amendment's impact. Do this by going to our web site at www.arcminnesota.com. We will work to make this valuable information part of the independent evaluation process that has been required by the federal government.