What is Family Support and When do I Apply?
Individuals should apply for Family Support Services as early as age 3. Ideally, individuals should transition out of Babies Can’t Wait (Georgia’s early intervention program), into Family Support Services, and then over time transition from Family Support into a Medicaid Waiver program, which I go over below.
Every individual with a disability needs 3 things when transitioning to adulthood:
a form of income
a form of health insurance
and some level of services
Social Security is typically the primary form of income and health insurance, and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) is generally the primary provider of services. Services ensure access and integration into the community and support independent living. These services may include Community Living Support (services in the home), Community Access Group (day programs), Specialized Medical Supplies (incontinence supplies/nutrition), and much more.
Service programs provided by the DBHDD include the COMP Medicaid Waiver, NOW Medicaid Waiver, other waivers like Independent Care or Community Support Services, and Family Support Services. Family Support Services are the lowest level of service program that individuals receive while they are on the planning list for a higher level of Medicaid Waiver. There is a Family Support Services provider for every county in the state; some counties have choices of providers. The Bobby Dodd Institute serves the following counties: Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Rockdale counties. Each provider will have an application process that includes submission of medical documentation confirming an eligible ID/DD, including a psychological evaluation along with a copy of the genetic report confirming Trisomy 21.