Colorado SLS Waiver Application: How to Apply for Supported Living Services

The HCBS-SLS (Supported Living Services) waiver is Colorado's primary adult disability waiver with no waiting list. Unlike the DD waiver, which has an average wait of 8+ years and growing, the SLS waiver is fully funded and enrollment is immediate for anyone who meets the eligibility criteria. For most families navigating the transition to adult services, this is the waiver that actually delivers support on a reasonable timeline.

What the SLS Waiver Covers

SLS funds a range of community-based supports for adults with developmental disabilities who can live independently or with family, up to approximately 35 hours of weekly support:

• Day habilitation — community integration, skill building, social participation
• Supported employment — job coaching, workplace supports, career development
• Personal care — assistance with bathing, dressing, meals, mobility
• Respite care — temporary relief for family caregivers
• Behavioral services — professional behavioral health support
• Assistive technology — devices and equipment to increase independence
• Specialized medical equipment — beyond what standard Medicaid covers

The key distinction from the DD waiver: SLS does not fund 24-hour residential services like host homes or group homes. If the individual needs round-the-clock supervised living, the DD waiver is the pathway — but it comes with the waitlist.

SLS vs. DD Waiver at a Glance

How to Apply

The SLS waiver intake goes through your local Case Management Agency (CMA), not the SSA; Medicaid financial eligibility is handled separately through the county Department of Human Services. The steps:

1. Identify your CMA. Use the HCPF CMA Directory to find the agency assigned to your county. This changed during the Case Management Redesign — your old Community Centered Board may no longer handle waiver intake.

2. Complete the PMIP. The Professional Medical Information Page is a required intake document that captures your adult child's medical diagnoses, functional limitations, and support needs. As of 2026, the CMA cannot schedule an intake assessment without a completed PMIP.

3. Schedule the intake assessment. The CMA conducts a level-of-care screen to determine whether the individual meets the institutional level-of-care threshold required for any HCBS waiver. New enrollees receive the Interim Support Level Assessment (ISLA), which assigns a Support Level that determines the authorized service budget.

4. Confirm developmental disability determination. If your adult child doesn't already have a DD determination on file, the CMA handles this as part of the intake. The individual must have a developmental disability that manifested before age 22.

5. Develop the Person-Centered Support Plan (PCSP). Once eligibility is confirmed, the case manager builds a service plan based on the individual's assessed needs, goals, and preferences.

Eligibility Requirements

• Age: 18 or older (or younger if transitioning from a children's waiver)
• Developmental disability: determined by the CMA, manifested before age 22
• Institutional level of care: the individual must require a level of care that, without waiver services, would necessitate institutional placement
• Health First Colorado enrollment: active Medicaid coverage is required
• Colorado residency: must live in Colorado

Timeline

Once the PMIP is submitted and the intake is scheduled, the time from assessment to active waiver enrollment depends on the CMA's processing and the individual's eligibility review. There is no waitlist-related delay.

The Colorado SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide walks through the SLS application alongside the SSI, Medicaid, and CFC applications that should be running in parallel, with a timeline tracker to keep all the moving parts coordinated.

See more Colorado guides →