State of Vermont Agency of Human Services

Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living

State of Vermont Services Division PROGRAM BACKGROUND & OVERVIEW

In 1991, the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living and the Department for Children and Families began the operation of a three-year pilot project offering community- based rehabilitative services. The goal of this program was to divert from placement and/or return Vermonters with a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury from out-of-state facilities. Prior to the development of this service, individuals where placed in expensive out of state facilities, often there for years, with little hope of returning to their home communities. The project demonstrated that individuals with a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury participating in the pilot were appropriately served in community placements.

Effective October 1, 1994, this community based program, serving individuals 16 years of age and older, was approved and financed as a Medicaid Program under the administration of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and renewed in October 1997 and October 2002. Through collaboration with the Division of Mental Health, a long-term option for individuals requiring ongoing intensive one-to-one support was also added. In 2005, the program was shifted from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to the Division of Disability and Aging Services. The major goal of this short-term program is to assist individuals obtain their optimal level of functioning and to successfully resume living and working in their own home community among family, friends and neighbors. Therefore, short term in nature, over time the level of services and supports necessary will decrease culminating with graduation.

Waitlist

If program funding is not available, individuals found clinically eligible for TBI services will be placed on a waitlist. The TBI program manager or designee will contact individual’s as funding becomes available to begin the process for TBI services. The waitlist will be managed by the TBI program manager using the following criteria. • Individual’s in hospitals or rehab facilities in or out of state • Individual’s living in the community on a first come first served basis • Individual’s at imminent risk of homelessness, health or safety risk, or for other reasons deemed necessary at the discretion of the DAIL Commissioner.

Exception: Dependent family member of an active duty service member will maintain his or her position on the waitlist regardless of the member’s absence from the state due to the service member’s out-of-state military assignment. Upon the eligible dependent family member’s return to the State at the conclusion of the service member’s out-of-state military assignment, the dependent member shall receive services if during his or her absence from the State he or she moved to a position of priority on the waitlist.