In accordance with the provisions of section 17b-8(c) of the Connecticut General Statutes and the CMS HCBS Setting Rule, notice is hereby given that the Commissioner of Social Services intends to submit a renewal application on behalf of the Department of Developmental Services’ Employment and Day Supports waiver and amendments for the Comprehensive and Individual and Family Support Waivers to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”).

The renewal will include the following proposed changes:

1.Increase in waiver participant slots by 200 for each of the 5 years of the renewed waiver.

2.Modifications to the quality assurance systems and reporting requirements in accordance with guidance issued by CMS on March 12, 2014 and made applicable to all waiver applications and renewals submitted after June 1, 2014.  In particular, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Developmental Services will: 

(a)      implement stratified representative sampling across the three 1915(c) waivers operated by DDS;

(b)      transition to one evidence report across the three 1915(c) waivers operated by DDS; and

(c)      implement a system-level Quality Improvement Plan for all assurances where the threshold of compliance is at or below 85% performance level for the three 1915(c) waivers operated by DDS.

The proposed amendments to both waivers include modifications to the quality assurance systems and reporting requirements in accordance with guidance issued by CMS on March 12, 2014 and made applicable to all waiver applications and renewals submitted after June 1, 2014.  In particular, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Developmental Services will:

 (a)      implement stratified representative sampling across the three 1915(c) waivers operated by DDS;

 (b)      transition to one evidence report across the three 1915(c) waivers operated by DDS; and

 (c)      implement a system-level Quality Improvement Plan for all assurances where the threshold of

compliance is at or below 85% performance level for the three 1915(c) waivers operated by DDS.

No current enrollees will be negatively impacted by the changes in this amendment.

A copy of the complete text of the waiver is available upon request from:

Siobhan Morgan

Director of Waiver Services

DDS Central Office

460 Capitol Avenue

Hartford, CT  06106

All written comments regarding this renewal application may be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice to the Department of Waiver Services, Department of Developmental Services Central Office, 460 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut, 06106, Attention: Siobhan Morgan; or via email Siobhan.Morgan@ct.gov.

Persons sending or e-mailing written comments should include their name and address.