Sedgwick County CDDO: I/DD Services, MFEI Assessment, and Waiver Intake in Wichita

The Sedgwick County CDDO and How It Works

Sedgwick County's Community Developmental Disability Organization is the gateway to intellectual and developmental disability services for families in the Wichita metro area. Like every CDDO in Kansas, it serves as the single point of entry for I/DD programs, handling eligibility determinations, coordinating access to community service providers, and managing the local connection to the statewide KDADS waiver system.

For Wichita-area families with a child approaching adulthood, or an adult who has never been evaluated for I/DD services, the Sedgwick County CDDO is where the process starts.

The Intake Process Step by Step

The Sedgwick County CDDO intake follows the standard Kansas process:

Step 1: Submit the application. Contact the CDDO to request an intake packet. You will need to provide identifying information, medical history, and consent forms.

Step 2: Gather required documentation. Applicants aged seven and older must submit a comprehensive psychological evaluation from a licensed psychologist (completed within the past three years) and a medical physical examination (completed within the past two years). School IEPs, behavioral health records, and therapeutic evaluations strengthen the application.

Step 3: Program eligibility determination. The CDDO evaluates whether the applicant meets Kansas's statutory definition of intellectual or developmental disability. For intellectual disability, the condition must have manifested before age 18 with sub-average intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior deficits. For developmental disability, onset must be before age 22 with substantial functional limitations in at least three of seven major life areas. The CDDO has 45 days from receipt of complete documentation to issue a written determination.

Step 4: MFEI functional assessment. Once program eligibility is confirmed, the Medicaid Functional Eligibility Instrument assessment must be completed within 30 days.

What the MFEI Assessment Actually Measures

The MFEI is the functional eligibility tool Kansas uses to determine whether an individual meets the institutional level of care required for Medicaid waiver funding. It is not a simple checklist.

The assessment evaluates three domains: clinical care needs (medical complexity, medication management, nursing interventions), cognitive deficits (communication, comprehension, decision-making capacity), and behavioral challenges (frequency and severity of behaviors that require intervention or supervision).

The combined score determines whether the individual qualifies for waiver-level services. A score that meets the institutional level of care threshold means the individual needs the type of support that would otherwise be provided in a nursing facility or intermediate care facility, establishing the basis for community-based waiver funding instead.

Families should prepare for the MFEI by documenting the full scope of the individual's daily support needs. The assessment captures a snapshot, and underreporting needs during the evaluation can result in a score that does not meet the threshold. Bring records of behavioral incidents, medication regimens, medical appointments, and any data from school or therapy providers that illustrate the level of care required.

After the Assessment: The Waiting List

If both program and functional eligibility are confirmed, the individual is placed on the KDADS statewide I/DD waiver waiting list. Current wait times average 8 to 9 years, with over 4,700 individuals statewide in the queue.

While on the waiting list, families do not receive waiver-funded services. Limited local supports through the CDDO, such as family support grants, may be available depending on current funding.

The critical thing to understand about the waiting list is that your position depends on maintaining an active file with the CDDO. Address changes, updated evaluations, and annual contacts with the CDDO all keep the file current. A lapsed file can jeopardize waiting list standing.

Crisis Exceptions and the New CSW

The only bypass of the multi-year waiting list is a crisis exception, which requires documented abuse, neglect, exploitation, or imminent risk of serious harm. Institutional transitions (60+ consecutive days in a qualified facility) also qualify for expedited community placement.

The new Community Supports Waiver launching October 1, 2026, offers another pathway. Designed for individuals who meet functional criteria but do not need 24-hour residential care, it provides up to $20,000 in annual services. The initial rollout is limited to 500 slots statewide. Eligibility requires an active file with the local CDDO, which means completing the intake process is a prerequisite even for this new waiver.

Connecting CDDO Intake to the Full Benefits Sequence

For families navigating the transition to adult benefits, the CDDO intake is just one piece of a larger administrative puzzle that includes SSI redetermination, KanCare Medicaid application, ABLE account setup, and legal decision-making arrangements. Each of these systems has its own deadlines and dependencies.

The Kansas SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide maps the full sequence so families can coordinate CDDO intake with every other filing in the right order.

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