The Department on Disability Services is in the process of revising
the way in which it develops and presents policies for both the Developmental
Disabilities Administration (DDA) and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). The new approach was rolled out last month at
the standing Monday-afternoon meetings attended mostly by representatives of
provider agencies, and at the Family Support Council meeting on October 25. Probably the most important new development is
that new policies will be accompanied by separate documents on the procedures
that will be used to implement them.
Since the devil is often in the details, those procedures will be
especially relevant.
Two of the first new policies out of the starting gate are going
to have a significant impact for people receiving residential services under DDA’s
I/DD waiver. The first of these updates
policies affecting housing for people receiving residential supports under the
waiver: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iho2AXY4u7SvqXIB5wxHxChB6r_oLv2H. A second one, https://drive.google.com/open?id=1todDV2dgpZhVbkuTgrEnuoVvqBJxYOT0,
clarifies how, and how much, people receiving such services are expected to
contribute to the cost of their supports.
(The above links are to my personal Google Drive account and are safe.)
If you or a family member are receiving residential supports
from DDA, these early drafts are worth your close review. Although there may be public meetings at a
later point – hopefully in conjunction with the procedures – this early round
of comments will be most crucial in helping shape these policies.
So absolutely, positively, look at these if you’re getting
residential services, and let Erin Leveton in the State Office of Policy, Planning
and Innovation (SOPPI) know your thoughts, at erin.leveton@dc.gov. Don’t waste any time, do it now!
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