Agency for Persons with Disabilities
In October 2004, the Agency for Persons
with Disabilities (APD) became an agency
separate from the Department of Children and
Families, specifically tasked with serving
the needs of Floridians with developmental
disabilities. Prior to that time, it existed
as the Developmental Disabilities Program.
The APD works in partnership with local
communities and private providers to assist
people who have developmental disabilities
and their families. APD also provides
assistance in identifying the needs of
people with developmental disabilities for
supports and services.
Agency Mission
The Agency Supports Persons with
Developmental Disabilities in Living,
Learning and Working, in their Community.
Agency Goals
- Ensure the well being and safety of
the people we serve, and maximize
self-sufficiency through the programs we
provide.
- Reduce the waitlist for services
by implementing the Family &
Supported Living Waiver expansion.
- Increase the number of people
employed in integrated settings.
- Increase the independence of
people receiving services through
expansion of the Consumer Directed
Care program.
- Reduce reliance on large
institutions as service settings.
- Improve consumer outcomes and
service quality.
- Increase provider focus on
achieving consumer outcomes through
quality assurance reviews and
quality improvement initiatives.
- Work with Real Choice Systems
Grant: a customer service approach
to quality management in
community-based service programs, to
enhance consumer outcome results.
- Implement core competency
training for all persons providing
direct care.
What is a Developmental
Disability?
"Developmental Disability" is a broad
term that refers to a variety of conditions
that interfere with a person's ability to
function in everyday activities. Chapter
393, Florida Statutes, defines developmental
disabilities as spina bifida, autism,
cerebral palsy, Prader-Willi syndrome and
mental retardation.
- Spina Bifida means
a divided backbone or spine. When a
person has spina bifida, the spine and
the cord inside the spine do not grow
the way most spines grow. Normally, the
spinal cord carries messages from the
brain to other parts of the body, but
when a person has spina bifida, the
spinal cord does not carry all of the
messages to the rest of the body.
- Autism is a
condition characterized by impairment in
social interactions and communication
abilities and unusual or restricted
ranges of play and interest. Autism
results in social isolation and varying
degrees of unusual behaviors.
- Cerebral Palsy (CP)
- "Cerebral" means the brain. "Palsy"
means moving of the muscles in a way
that the person can't control. It refers
to a group of motor disabilities that
arise because of injury to the
developing brain before or during birth
or during the first year of life. These
motor disabilities do not get worse over
time. Cerebral palsy keeps the brain
from telling the rest of the body some
of the things it is supposed to do.
Despite significant motor impairment,
many people with CP have normal
intelligence.
- Mental Retardation
refers to significant limitations in
functioning related to sub-average
intelligence with onset prior to the age
of 18 and expected to last indefinitely.
People who have mental retardation learn
more slowly that other people and might
need assistance in areas like
communication, self-care,
self-direction, health and safety,
leisure, work and functional academics.
While the term is still clinically
correct, "intellectual disability" is
becoming the preferred term.
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
is an inherited condition. A severe lack
of muscle tone and failure to thrive are
present in early infancy. Later on,
excessive drive to eat usually leads to
significant weight problems.
Obsessive-compulsive behaviors and
difficulty with social interactions are
often present. People with Prader-Willi
syndrome are usually short with small
hands and feet. They typically are
mildly mentally retarded.
Risk Of Developing A
Developmental Disability
All the causes of developmental
disabilities are not known. Most
developmental disabilities are present at
birth but may not be recognized and
identified at that time. Disabilities
challenge the people who have them because
they can change the way people grow, learn
and function.
It is not always easy to tell if a baby
has a developmental disability. However, a
child who does not crawl, walk, or talk at
the same age as most other children may be
considered a child with a developmental
disability. In Florida, children from birth
to five years of age who are at high-risk of
developing a developmental disability may
receive services from the following
agencies:
- The Department of Health,
Division of Children's Medical Services
serves children from birth through three
years of age.
- The Agency for Persons with
Disabilities serves children in the
high-risk category who are three through
five.
When and where can a person apply
for services?
Application for services can be made at
any time by completing the Application for
Services form available online at
APDF-10-007-application-for-services.pdf
and forwarding the application to the
APD
area office where the applicant lives.
Prior Service Authorizations
Based on a 2001 legislative mandate, APD
began contracting with Maximus Inc. to
conduct Prior Service Authorizations (PSA)
for select services (e.g., residential
habilitation) and high cost plans. The
purpose of the PSA review process is to
ensure that individuals on the waiver
receive medically necessary services at the
appropriate intensity, frequency, and
duration. The program ensures statewide
consistency in the approval of medically
necessary, DD/HCBS Medicaid waiver services
for individuals in accordance with Chapter
409, Florida Statutes, Chapter 59G, Florida
Administrative Code, and Chapter 42,
440.230, Code of Federal Regulations. The
current contract between the APD and Maximus
began on January 1, 2003. This is a fixed
price contract where Maximus receives the
same amount of money regardless of whether
services are approved, denied, reduced, or
terminated. Maximus is paid by the number of
reviews that they complete where a minimum
number was built into the contract. There is
no monetary incentive for denying, reducing,
or terminating services. The PSA program
continuously strives to help individuals
with developmental disabilities receive the
services and supports that are medically
necessary that help them to live and work in
the manner that they choose. Cost plans
reviewed by Maximus are analyzed by
qualified staff consisting of certified
physicians, dentists, registered nurses,
certified behavior analysts, and qualified
mental retardation specialists (QMRPs) and
based on documentation from personnel who
have worked with clients, their families,
and their situations first hand.
Approximately three in four cases reviewed
by Maximus are approved for services
requested.
The Legislature directed the expansion of
the PSA process in July, 2004. Due to a bid
protest, the implementation of the expansion
was delayed. However, APS Healthcare began
providing additional PSA reviews on July 1,
2005. Reviews are conducted by the two PSA
contractors based on a selection criteria
established by the APD.
New Waiver - FSL
Additionally, in the 2004 Legislative
session, the Agency received increased
funding for the Family and Supported Living
(FSL) waiver. The program was fully funded
at the beginning of the 2004-05 fiscal year.
In order to begin utilizing the new waiver,
clients had to be recruited and educated for
services under FSL. The phase-in of
approximately 1,900 clients required a
significant amount of time (the first three
quarters of the year) resulting in a
one-time budget surplus for FY 04-05.
Additional Information
Agency Organization Chart
How can you learn more about the
Agency for Persons with Disabilities?
- Write to the state Agency for
Persons with Disabilities at:
4030 Esplanade Way, Suite 380
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0950
- Write or call the
local area office, Agency for
Persons with Disabilities.
- Attend meetings of the
Family Care Council where people
with developmental disabilities and
their family members discuss issues
important to them.
To find out more about Developmental
Disabilities, please visit these sites:
|
