CADI Waiver Minnesota: Eligibility, Application, and What Transition Families Need to Know

School-based services are an entitlement — your child qualifies for an IEP, the district must provide FAPE. County waiver services are not. When your student exits special education, the adult support system operates on eligibility determinations, clinical assessments, and, in some cases, prioritized waiting lists. For most Minnesota families, the CADI waiver or DD waiver is the program that funds the residential, employment, and community living supports their young adult will need after school ends.

CADI vs. DD Waiver: Which One Applies

Minnesota runs multiple Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. The two that matter most for transition-age young adults:

Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) serves individuals under 65 with physical, cognitive, sensory, or mental health disabilities who need a nursing-facility level of care. CADI covers a broad population — it's not limited to developmental disabilities.

Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver serves individuals with developmental disabilities or related conditions who need an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF/DD) level of care. DD waiver recipients get specialized case management under Rule 185, which provides more intensive coordination than standard CADI case management.

The practical distinction: if your child's disability is primarily developmental (intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy diagnosed before age 22), the DD waiver is usually the target. If the disability is physical, sensory, or mental health-related, CADI is more likely the pathway. Some individuals qualify for both, and the county assessor determines which waiver best matches the assessed needs.

What These Waivers Fund

Both CADI and DD waivers fund services that replace what institutions would provide, delivered instead in the person's home and community:

• Residential supports — staffed group homes, supported living arrangements, foster care for adults, in-home support services
• Day services — structured daytime programming focused on community integration, skill building, and socialization
• Employment services — supported employment, customized employment, job coaching beyond what VRS provides
• Respite care — temporary relief for family caregivers
• Individualized Home Supports (IHS) — training and assistance in the home for daily living skills
• Assistive technology and home modifications — equipment and structural changes that support independent living
• Specialized case management (DD waiver) — Rule 185 case management providing intensive coordination across services

Starting in early 2026, IHS services are subject to new daily limits: a maximum of six hours per day and no more than three consecutive hours at a time.

The MnCHOICES Assessment

Both waivers require a MnCHOICES assessment — a standardized, person-centered evaluation conducted by a certified assessor from the county or tribal human services agency. The assessment determines:

1. Whether the individual meets the clinical threshold for the waiver (nursing facility level of care for CADI, ICF/DD level of care for DD)
2. What types and amounts of services the individual needs
3. The person's preferences for how and where services are delivered

Critically, MnCHOICES is separate from any school evaluation. IEP transition assessments, psychological evaluations, and functional behavior assessments completed by the school do not substitute for the county's clinical assessment. They can inform it — bring them to the MnCHOICES appointment — but the county conducts its own determination.

Families can request a MnCHOICES assessment by contacting their county human services office directly. No referral from the school is needed, and prior Medical Assistance enrollment is not required to start the process.

Waiting Lists and Prioritization

Minnesota eliminated broad multi-year waiver waiting lists in 2016. However, when immediate local DD waiver allocations are limited, counties use a four-category prioritization system:

• Institutional Exit — the person is in an ICF/DD or nursing facility and wants to leave (45-day target from assessment to funding)
• Immediate Need — unstable living situation due to sudden loss of a caregiver or protection from abuse (45-day target)
• Defined Need — documented current need for services not meeting the immediate threshold (45-day target)
• Future Need — no current need but anticipated future requirement (no timeline standard)

For transition families, a student with a documented current need for waiver services who does not meet the immediate criteria may fall into "Defined Need." Starting the assessment process early helps the county evaluate needs and plan for timely funding.

CADI does not have a waiver waiting list under Minnesota's current policy, but county screening and authorization times vary. Starting a year or more before school exit is still the recommendation.

When to Start

The single biggest mistake transition families make is waiting until graduation to contact the county. Here's the timeline that works:

Two years before expected exit: Contact your county human services office and ask about the MnCHOICES assessment process for your child. Ask specifically about DD waiver and CADI waiver eligibility. Even if your child won't use services immediately, getting into the assessment pipeline early establishes the case.

One year before exit: Complete the MnCHOICES assessment. Ensure the assessor has all relevant documentation — school evaluations, medical records, psychological testing, functional assessments. The more thorough the documentation, the more accurate the service plan.

Six months before exit: A service plan should be in place. If waiver funding has been authorized, begin identifying providers — residential programs, day services, employment agencies — so there's no gap between school exit and adult service start.

2026 Legislative Updates

Several changes from the 2025 legislative session affect waiver services:

• MnCHOICES reassessment simplification — individuals aged 21-64 with stable needs can use verbal attestation instead of written reassessment signatures for up to two consecutive annual cycles
• Hospital social workers can now complete MnCHOICES assessments, streamlining the process for individuals transitioning from hospital settings
• Assisted living facilities cannot terminate a resident's housing contract solely because the resident transitions from private pay to waiver funding (effective January 1, 2026)
• Providers cannot require guardianship as a condition of receiving HCBS services

The Minnesota IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a county services preparation worksheet and a side-by-side comparison of CADI vs. DD waiver coverage, helping families prepare for the MnCHOICES assessment with organized documentation.

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