Your Case Manager
What is the role of a DDS case manager?The DDS case manager is the primary contact for persons who are eligible for DDS supports and services. Your case manager is the person you should contact with questions and information about your family member. Your case manager can assist you and your family member to identify your needs through the level of need assessment and planning process, to gain access to supports and services to meet those needs, and to monitor progress and evaluate the quality of supports and services. Your case manager also maintains the master file which contains the important record of information about your family member.
When will a case manager be assigned to my family member?
Once your family member is determined eligible for DDS services, the DDS region in which you live will be notified. Most families will be notified of their case manager assignment within two weeks of being determined eligible for DDS services.
In some cases, case management resources may not be immediately available. If your region is temporarily unable to assign a case manager, you will receive a letter with the phone number of the regional intake liaison whom you may contact if you require immediate assistance. When additional case management resources become available, case managers will be assigned to cases in the order in which they became eligible for DDS supports and services.
When should I expect to be contacted by my new case manager?
Once a case manager is assigned to your family member, he or she will contact you within a month to schedule a time to meet with you and your family member. During this initial visit, your case manager will share and gather information. He or she will share information about DDS supports and services, DDS privacy practices, your family member’s rights, and about any potential liability you or your family member may have for the cost of DDS support. Your case manager will ask you to sign an “Acknowledgment of the Notice” form which states that privacy information has been shared with you and the “Notice of Liability” form which was sent to you when your family member was determined eligible for DDS services.
Your case manager will ask you for a brief history of the services your family member received in the past and about the services you are seeking from the department. He or she will ask about your immediate family and will ask for an overview of your family member’s current supports, activities, school or work program, skills, strengths, preferences, concerns, needs, and health status. Your case manager will also ask for information about entitlements and benefits your family member receives. All of this information is important and will enable your case manager to work with you to determine the best plan of services for your family member.
When will my family member’s initial plan be developed?
Within two months of the initial visit, your case manager will meet with you to develop a plan of services, called an individual plan (short version), for your family member. For individuals age 18 or over, your case manager will complete a Level of Need Assessment and Screening Tool, designed to assess your family member’s level of need. During this meeting, the case manager will also explain the DDS Programmatic Administrative Review (PAR) process, and share information about choice of service options including self-direction, share information regarding the department’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waivers. Following that meeting, the case manager will make referrals to community and DDS supports and services as identified in your family member’s plan.
How often should I expect to be contacted by my family member’s case manager?
The frequency of case manager contact is determined by the type and amount of supports and services your family member receives. At a minimum, your case manager should have at least one visit with your family member annually. The frequency of case manager contact will be specified in your family member’s plan.