Georgia DBHDD Application: How to Apply for Developmental Disability Services

What DBHDD Does

The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is the state agency that coordinates services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. DBHDD does not determine Medicaid eligibility — that's DFCS. And it does not determine SSI eligibility — that's SSA. What DBHDD does is administer the state's waiver programs, manage the Planning List, and oversee the network of community providers that deliver day services, employment support, residential care, and other I/DD services.

For Georgia families navigating the transition to adult services, DBHDD is where you apply for the NOW and COMP waivers — the two Medicaid home and community-based services programs that fund the supports many adults with I/DD need to live and work in their communities.

Before You Apply: Documents to Gather

The application requires clinical and personal documentation. Assemble this before starting the online process, because incomplete submissions delay the screening.

Psychological evaluation — the most critical document. Must include a formal diagnosis of intellectual disability or a related developmental disability, with IQ testing and adaptive behavior assessment.

Adaptive behavior assessment — Vineland-3 or ABAS-3 results showing how the disability affects daily living skills, communication, and socialization.

Proof of U.S. citizenship — birth certificate, passport, or naturalization documents.

School records — most recent IEP, transition plan, and any functional behavioral assessments. These provide supporting evidence of the individual's functional limitations and history of services.

Medical records — clinical summaries from treating physicians or specialists, particularly if the individual has co-occurring medical conditions that affect their care needs.

The Application Process: Step by Step

Step 1: Create an account on IDD Connects. Go to the Georgia Collaborative ASO website and register for an individual account on the IDD Connects portal. This is the online system DBHDD uses to manage applications, screenings, and service plans.

Step 2: Upload documentation. Once the account is created, upload all the documents listed above. Label files clearly — evaluations, school records, citizenship documents — so the intake reviewer can locate them without confusion.

Step 3: Submit the application. Complete the intake questionnaire on the portal, which asks about the individual's diagnosis, living situation, current services, and level of support needs.

Step 4: Wait for the screening appointment. The assigned DBHDD regional field office should schedule an initial pre-eligibility screening within 14 business days of receiving the application. If 14 business days pass without contact, call the regional office directly.

Step 5: Attend the screening. A DBHDD intake coordinator reviews the submitted records and may conduct an in-person or virtual assessment. The screening determines whether the individual meets the clinical definition of a developmental disability with onset during the developmental period.

Step 6: Planning List placement. If the individual is found clinically pre-eligible, they are placed on the NOW/COMP Planning List. This is not an enrollment in services — it is a registration for a future waiver slot.

Georgia's Six DBHDD Regional Field Offices

Your regional office is determined by county of residence:

• Region 1 (North Georgia): 1230 Bald Ridge Marina Road, Suite 800, Cumming, GA 30041. Phone: 877-217-4462.
• Region 2 (East Georgia): 3405 Mike Padgett Highway, Building 3, Augusta, GA 30906. Phone: 866-380-4835.
• Region 3 (Metro Atlanta): 3073 Panthersville Road, Building 10, Decatur, GA 30034. Phone: 404-244-5050.
• Region 4 (Southwest Georgia): 400 S. Pinetree Boulevard, Thomasville, GA 31792. Phone: 877-683-8557.
• Region 5 (Southeast Georgia): 1915 Eisenhower Drive, Building 7, Savannah, GA 31406. Phone: 912-303-1670.
• Region 6 (West Central Georgia): 3000 Schatulga Road, Building 4, Columbus, GA 31907. Phone: 706-565-7835.

If the intake screening is not scheduled within 14 business days, contact your regional field office by phone and request a status update on the application.

What Happens After the Planning List

Being placed on the Planning List means DBHDD has confirmed clinical pre-eligibility. It does not mean a waiver slot is coming soon. As of late 2025, approximately 7,900 people were on the combined NOW/COMP Planning List, and 43% of adults on the list had been waiting six years or more.

While waiting, families need to do two things:

Respond to annual inquiries. DBHDD sends annual follow-up notices to everyone on the Planning List. Failing to respond can result in the individual's file being archived and their chronological standing lost. If you miss a notice or change your address, use the "Track Non-Online Application" option on IDD Connects to relink your file using the individual's Consumer ID number.

Document changes in circumstances. The Planning List is prioritized by unmet need, not by time spent waiting. If the individual's situation changes — a caregiver becomes ill, a behavioral crisis occurs, or a safety risk emerges — submit updated documentation to the regional field office immediately. This gives the regional administrator grounds to reclassify the individual's priority, potentially moving them from Long-Term to Short-Term status.

When to Apply

Apply as early as possible. Families can submit a DBHDD application as soon as the individual turns 18, and there is no reason to wait. Even if a waiver slot is years away, being on the Planning List is a prerequisite — you cannot receive NOW or COMP services without going through this intake process.

The DBHDD application runs in parallel with other transition steps: SSI, Medicaid, Georgia STABLE, vocational rehabilitation. The Georgia SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide maps the full sequence showing how to coordinate each application without missing deadlines.

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