County Administrative Entity and ODP Intake in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is administered at the state level, but intake and eligibility start at your county — specifically, at the County Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities (MH/ID) office that serves as the local Administrative Entity for the Office of Developmental Programs. If you've never heard of your county's AE, you're not alone, but it's the single most important office in the waiver enrollment process.

What the Administrative Entity Does

Each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties designates an Administrative Entity (AE) to manage ODP services locally. In some counties, the AE is the county MH/ID office itself. In others, it's a contracted agency that operates on the county's behalf. The AE handles four critical functions:

Intake and eligibility determination. The AE is where you first apply for ODP services. They review clinical documentation, verify that the individual meets the diagnostic and functional criteria, and issue an eligibility determination.

PUNS registration. Once eligibility is established, the AE initiates the PUNS assessment that determines the individual's waitlist priority for waiver funding.

Supports Coordination assignment. The AE assigns a Supports Coordination Organization (SCO), which designates a specific Supports Coordinator to work with the family on service planning.

Waiver enrollment. When funding becomes available — through Reserved Capacity at school exit, Emergency allocation, or general budget capacity — the AE manages the enrollment process into an applicable ODP waiver, including PFDS, Community Living, Consolidated, or the Adult Autism Waiver for eligible adults with autism.

When to Initiate ODP Intake

The ideal window for first contact with the AE is when the individual is 16 to 17 years old — during the high school transition planning years. There's no minimum age requirement, and families can register on PUNS earlier, but the 16–17 window aligns with three practical realities:

First, most psychological evaluations and adaptive behavior assessments are current enough at this age to satisfy the AE's documentation requirements without ordering new testing.

Second, registering at 16 or 17 gives the family time to establish eligibility and update the PUNS status as the student's service needs and school-exit timeline change, including the Emergency update when a Critical-status student is within six months of leaving school.

Third, the AE's intake process can take several months — longer in counties with limited staff. Starting at 16 ensures eligibility is established well before the post-school transition deadline.

What Documentation the AE Requires

The AE needs to verify two things: a qualifying diagnosis and substantial functional limitations. Here's what to bring to the intake meeting:

Psychological evaluation with a full-scale IQ score. For intellectual disability eligibility, the IQ must be 70 or below. The evaluation should be from a licensed psychologist and administered within the last three years. School psychologist evaluations count if they include a standardized cognitive assessment (typically the WISC-V or WAIS-IV).

Adaptive behavior assessment — either the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-3) or the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS-3). The assessment must show substantial limitations in at least three of these major life activities: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, or capacity for independent living. Learn more about how these assessments work in the ODP eligibility guide.

Autism diagnosis documentation (if the individual qualifies through autism rather than intellectual disability). This requires a formal diagnosis from a licensed professional, with supporting documentation of onset before age 22.

Current IEP and re-evaluation reports from the school district. These provide supporting evidence of functional limitations and current service needs.

If documentation is missing or outdated, the AE will tell you what's needed and may refer you to a contracted evaluator. Some counties have long waits for contracted evaluations — another reason to start early.

What Happens After Eligibility Is Confirmed

Once the AE confirms eligibility, three things happen in sequence:

The AE assigns your family to a Supports Coordination Organization. The SCO then assigns a specific Supports Coordinator who becomes your ongoing case manager for ODP services.

The Supports Coordinator meets with the family to complete the PUNS assessment. Based on the individual's current needs and timeline, they're categorized as Emergency, Critical, or Planning.

If the individual is in the Emergency category, the Supports Coordinator begins developing an Individual Support Plan (ISP) that identifies specific services, providers, and funding levels.

How to Find Your County's AE

The PA DHS Office of Developmental Programs maintains a county-by-county directory of Administrative Entities. You can find it by searching "Pennsylvania ODP Administrative Entities" on the DHS website or by calling ODP's customer service line at 1-888-565-9435. Your child's school transition coordinator should also have the contact information for your county's AE.

For a complete timeline that integrates AE intake with SSI applications, Medicaid transitions, and legal decision-making preparation, the Pennsylvania SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide coordinates every step across all seven state and federal agencies.

See more Pennsylvania guides →