Johnson County CDDO: How to Apply for I/DD Services in Johnson County, Kansas

What the Johnson County CDDO Does

The Johnson County Community Developmental Disability Organization (CDDO) is the single point of entry for intellectual and developmental disability services in Johnson County, Kansas. Under the Developmental Disabilities Reform Act of 1995, every Kansas county has a designated CDDO responsible for determining program eligibility, managing local service capacity, and connecting families to community service providers.

Johnson County's CDDO, operated through Johnson County Developmental Supports (JCDS), is one of the largest in the state. For families in the Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, and Shawnee area, the CDDO is where the process begins, whether the goal is accessing the KDADS I/DD waiver, getting on the statewide waiting list, or finding local family support resources while waiting for waiver funding.

Eligibility Requirements

Kansas I/DD eligibility has two components, and the CDDO determines both.

Program eligibility requires meeting the state's statutory definition of intellectual or developmental disability. For intellectual disability, the condition must have manifested before age 18 and involve significantly sub-average intellectual functioning alongside deficits in adaptive behavior. For developmental disability, the impairment must have manifested before age 22, be likely to continue indefinitely, and result in substantial functional limitations in at least three of seven major life areas: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning and adaptation, mobility, self-direction, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.

Functional eligibility is assessed through the Medicaid Functional Eligibility Instrument (MFEI). This evaluation measures clinical care needs, cognitive deficits, and behavioral challenges to determine whether the individual meets the institutional level of care threshold required for Medicaid waiver funding.

What You Need for the Application

Applicants aged seven and older must submit:

• A comprehensive psychological evaluation completed by a licensed psychologist within the past three years
• A medical physical examination completed within the past two years
• The school IEP (if applicable)
• Any relevant clinical or behavioral health records

The CDDO must issue a written program eligibility determination within 45 days of receiving all completed documentation. Once program eligibility is confirmed, the MFEI functional assessment must be completed within 30 days.

The Waiting List Reality

After the CDDO confirms both program and functional eligibility, the individual is placed on the statewide I/DD waiver waiting list managed by KDADS. That list currently contains over 4,700 individuals, with average wait times running 8 to 9 years.

While waiting, families do not receive active waiver-funded services. Johnson County CDDO does offer limited local resources, including family support grants and emergency funds, but these are not a substitute for comprehensive waiver services.

When a waiver slot finally opens, KDADS mails a physical funding offer letter. The individual or their representative must return the completed offer letter within 15 days of the mailing date. Miss that deadline, and the offer is withdrawn and the slot is reallocated. Keeping contact information current with the CDDO is not optional.

The New Community Supports Waiver

Starting October 1, 2026, Kansas is launching the Community Supports Waiver (CSW) alongside the existing comprehensive I/DD waiver. The CSW targets individuals who meet program and functional criteria but do not require 24-hour residential care. It offers services like personal care, respite, therapies, and employment support, capped at $20,000 per participant per year.

The first year is limited to 500 slots statewide. To be considered, the individual must already have an active programmatic file with their local CDDO. Families who have not completed the CDDO intake process will not be eligible for CSW slots.

Crisis Exceptions

The only way to bypass the multi-year waiting list is through a crisis exception. KDADS defines a crisis as substantiated abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or being at imminent risk of serious harm. Alternatively, an individual completing an institutional transition (at least 60 consecutive days in a nursing facility, state hospital, or ICF-IID) can bypass the waiting list upon discharge to community living.

Crisis exceptions are not available for general hardship or caregiver burnout, which makes early CDDO enrollment even more important for long-term planning.

When to Apply

Kansas law allows CDDO intake applications at age five or older, and the earlier you apply, the earlier you begin accumulating time on the waiting list. Families with teenagers approaching the transition to adult services should initiate CDDO intake as soon as possible if they have not already done so.

For a complete walkthrough of how the CDDO process connects with SSI, KanCare, ABLE accounts, and the full adult transition sequence, see the Kansas SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide.

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