How to Apply for the Mississippi ID/DD Waiver

What the ID/DD Waiver Provides

The Mississippi ID/DD Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver is the primary funding mechanism for long-term community supports for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Administered by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) Bureau of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities — recently rebranded as the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Community Services Office (IDD CSO) — the waiver funds services that keep individuals living in their communities rather than in institutional settings.

Waiver-funded services include home and community supports, day services for adults, supervised residential living, supported employment with a dedicated job coach, and respite care. These services are individually planned around the person's needs and goals.

The catch: the ID/DD Waiver is not an entitlement. Mississippi maintains a capped number of funded slots, and demand far exceeds supply.

The Planning List Reality

Mississippi uses a "statewide planning list" — effectively a waiting list — for individuals who meet the clinical criteria but are waiting for the legislature to fund additional waiver slots.

The most recent available data shows over 2,797 individuals on the planning list, with approximately 2,733 actively enrolled and receiving waiver services. Under Senate Bill 3072 for FY2027, the targeted performance measure is to add 250 individuals from the planning list to active services — while the projected waitlist total remains around 2,700.

In practical terms: families should expect a multi-year wait between placement on the planning list and activation of funded services. The wait can stretch beyond a decade depending on funding cycles and the individual's position on the list.

This is why applying early — ideally by age 16 — is critical. Every year you delay registration is another year at the back of the line.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Contact Your Regional IDD Center

Mississippi operates five regional centers that handle intake for the ID/DD Waiver. Contact the center that serves your county:

• Boswell Regional Center (Magee) — Southwest Mississippi counties — (601) 867-5000
• Hudspeth Regional Center (Whitfield) — Western and Central Mississippi counties — (601) 664-6000
• Ellisville State School (Ellisville) — Southeastern and Central Mississippi counties — (601) 477-9384
• South Mississippi Regional Center (Long Beach) — Six southernmost coastal counties — (228) 868-2923
• North Mississippi Regional Center (Oxford) — Northern Mississippi counties — (662) 234-1476

You can also call the DMH Bureau of IDD directly at 877-210-8513 to initiate the process and confirm which regional center serves your area.

Step 2: The Diagnostic and Evaluation Phase

The regional center will schedule a Diagnostic and Evaluation (D&E) appointment. This includes a comprehensive assessment of the individual's adaptive and maladaptive behaviors using the Inventory for Client and Agency Planning (ICAP).

The ICAP produces a Broad Independence Standard Score. To meet the institutional Level of Care required for waiver placement, the individual must score 69 or below on this scale. If the score is 70 or above, the case is flagged and referred to a clinical psychologist for a comprehensive record review — a higher ICAP score doesn't automatically disqualify the individual, but it triggers additional scrutiny to determine whether they still meet the ICF/IID (intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities) level of need.

Bring every piece of documentation you have: clinical diagnoses, school psychoeducational evaluations, MET reports, adaptive behavior assessments, and behavioral data. The more comprehensive the record, the clearer the picture of support needs.

Step 3: Planning List Placement

If the evaluation confirms your young adult meets the level of care criteria, they're placed on the statewide planning list. You should receive a formal confirmation letter from DMH documenting the placement and date.

Keep this letter as proof of placement and the application date for future coordination with the Division of Medicaid.

Step 4: Wait — But Don't Wait Idle

Being placed on the planning list does not trigger any immediate services. The waiver funding only activates when a slot becomes available and is assigned to your young adult.

While waiting, use Mississippi's bridge supports:

The 1915(i) Community Support Program: This is a non-waiver, state plan Medicaid service with no waiting list. It provides day services for adults, prevocational services, supported employment, and supported living to individuals who are 18 or older, have full Medicaid, and have completed their education. Start with your local regional IDD center and ask how to begin the 1915(i) evaluation and case-management process.

MDRS Vocational Rehabilitation: The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services provides job training, placement, and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) that can start as early as age 14.

Community Mental Health Centers: Mississippi's 14 regional CMHCs provide targeted case management, outpatient therapy, and crisis stabilization while your young adult waits for waiver funding.

Financial Eligibility for the Waiver

The ID/DD Waiver uses institutional-level Medicaid financial rules, which are more generous than SSI:

• Monthly income limit: $2,982 (300% of the federal benefit rate in 2026)
• Resource limit: $4,000 for an individual
• Parental income is NOT deemed — only the individual's own income and resources count

The individual must be enrolled in Mississippi Medicaid for waiver services to activate. If income exceeds $2,982/month, a Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) must be established. Mississippi has no medically needy spend-down path for waiver eligibility, so exceeding the income cap without a Miller Trust results in automatic financial denial.

The Timeline Families Should Follow

• Age 14-16: Initiate contact with your regional center and begin the D&E process
• Age 16-17: Secure placement on the planning list
• Age 18: Confirm Medicaid enrollment (SSI-linked or direct) to ensure waiver eligibility when a slot opens
• School exit / age 21 (for students who remain under the Alternate Diploma): Activate bridge services through the 1915(i) Community Support Program if a waiver slot hasn't opened yet

The Mississippi SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide includes the complete waiver intake walkthrough, regional center contact details, and strategies for using bridge supports during the multi-year wait.

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