How to Get an OADS Case Manager in Maine

Why an OADS Case Manager Matters More Than You Think

Getting clinically eligible for Maine's adult developmental services doesn't automatically mean funded services show up. The Section 21 waiver has roughly 2,524 people waiting for a funded slot. Section 29's waitlist is down to about 15 after a $34 million legislative appropriation, but you still need someone inside the system coordinating your plan.

That someone is your OADS case manager — assigned through the Office of Aging and Disability Services within Maine DHHS. They're the person who conducts comprehensive assessments, facilitates your Person-Centered Plan, makes service referrals, and documents your unmet needs in the state's Evergreen database. That documentation establishes an official record of what services you require while you wait for funding.

Here's how to get one assigned.

Step 1: Submit the OADS Intake Application

The process starts with a complete application packet submitted to your regional OADS intake office. "Complete" is doing a lot of work in that sentence — OADS's 10-day scheduling period begins once it has received everything it needs.

Your packet must include:

• OADS Developmental Services Adult Intake Application — the core form
• Comprehensive evaluation considering physical, emotional, social, and cognitive factors, completed by a licensed physician, clinical psychologist, or licensed psychological examiner
• Adaptive Behavior Scale assessment (Vineland or ABAS) completed within two years of your application date — this is the rule families most often trip on; an assessment from your child's sophomore year IEP is likely expired by the time you apply at 18
• Standardized general intelligence test (like the WAIS) documenting an intellectual disability, or clinical documentation verifying an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis
• Supporting documents — IEPs, transition plans, relevant medical records

The two-year recency requirement on adaptive behavior testing is strict. If you're planning ahead at age 17, schedule testing early enough that the results will still be current when you submit at 18. Ask your school's evaluation team to coordinate timing with your planned OADS application date.

Step 2: Wait for the Intake Assessment

Once OADS receives a complete packet, an intake coordinator has 10 days to schedule an intake assessment. During this assessment, the coordinator reviews your documentation and determines whether the applicant meets the clinical eligibility threshold for Adult Developmental Services.

The eligibility standard requires either:

• A documented intellectual disability (based on the intelligence test), or
• A verified autism spectrum disorder diagnosis

Plus functional limitations that require the level of support typically provided in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) — this is the "institutional level of care" standard.

If OADS determines the applicant is eligible, they're placed on the tracking rosters for Section 21 and Section 29 waivers and assigned a case manager.

If OADS determines the applicant is ineligible, they send a certified denial letter. You have 60 days from receipt to file an appeal and request an administrative hearing. Don't let this window close — if you believe the denial is wrong, the appeal process exists for a reason.

Step 3: Your Case Manager Gets Assigned

Once eligibility is confirmed, OADS assigns a Developmental Services case manager. This is the relationship that anchors everything going forward. Your case manager:

• Conducts comprehensive needs assessments using tools like the Supports Intensity Scale for Adults (SIS-A), part of Maine's "A Path for ME" initiative administered by Maximus
• Facilitates the annual Person-Centered Plan (PCP) — the formal document that maps out the individual's goals, preferred services, and support needs
• Makes service referrals to waiver providers, day programs, employment services, and residential options
• Documents unmet needs in the Evergreen system — this establishes an official record of the services required while the individual waits for funded waiver slots

The PCP isn't a one-time document. It's reviewed and updated annually, and your case manager coordinates the meeting. The people in the room typically include the individual receiving services, family members, and any current service providers.

What Your Case Manager Can and Cannot Do

Can do:

• Coordinate across agencies — connecting OADS services with DVR employment plans, MaineCare coverage questions, and school transition teams
• Document situations that might qualify someone for Section 21 Priority 1 status (immediate danger or adult protective services involvement), or Priority 2 status when a primary caregiver has reached age 60 and is experiencing documented difficulty providing care, or has a terminal illness and no other willing or responsible caregiver is available
• Refer to specific waiver service categories: community support, day habilitation, career planning, work support, shared living, home support, assistive technology
• Flag administrative errors or delays within the OADS system

Cannot do:

• Guarantee a funded waiver slot — they document needs, but funding allocation follows the priority system
• Provide legal advice about guardianship, SSI, or Medicaid
• Override a waiver denial — that requires the formal appeal process
• Replace medical professionals for evaluation or diagnosis

The Timing Question: When to Apply

Most families apply for OADS intake when their child is 17 or 18, timed to coincide with the broader adult transition — SSI redetermination, MaineCare enrollment, and school exit planning.

The strategic move is to submit the OADS packet as soon as the teenager reaches age 17. Here's why timing matters:

• Clinical eligibility gets the individual onto the Section 21 waitlist, but funded openings are allocated by priority rather than a simple first-come, first-served system
• Section 29 enrollment can begin while the individual is still in school, but with restrictions: they can access Home Supports, Career Planning, and Assistive Technology, but not Community Support, Work Support, or Employment Specialist services until after school exit
• Once you accept Section 29 services, the student can no longer access children's behavioral services under Section 28 or Section 65 — accepting a waiver prematurely can terminate pediatric therapies you still need

Your case manager helps navigate these timing traps once they're assigned. But they can't help you if you don't have one yet.

If Your Child Doesn't Have an Assigned Case Manager

Some families fall through the gap — their child is over 18, may have been found eligible years ago, but doesn't have an active case manager relationship. This happens more often than OADS would like to admit, particularly during staffing transitions.

If this describes your situation:

1. Contact your regional OADS office directly and ask for the status of your case in the Evergreen system
2. If you were previously found eligible, contact OADS to confirm your roster status and request a case manager assignment
3. If you never completed the intake process, you'll need to start from Step 1 above with a fresh application packet
4. If eligibility was denied and you didn't appeal within 60 days, you may need to reapply with updated clinical documentation

The Evergreen system is the single source of truth. If you're in it, you should have a case manager. If you're not, the intake application is your entry point.

Putting It All Together

The OADS case manager assignment is one piece of a larger transition sequence that includes SSI adult applications, MaineCare enrollment, school exit planning, DVR coordination, and legal decision-making setup. Each piece has its own agency, its own forms, and its own deadlines.

Our Maine SSI at 18 & Adult Benefits Guide maps every agency's intake process — including OADS — into a single chronological sequence with checklists, agency contact directories, and deadline trackers so nothing falls through the cracks during the transition window.

See more Maine guides →