South Dakota DD Services After 21 — Residential, Day, and Supported Employment

What Replaces School Services

When a student with a developmental disability exits special education — either by graduating with an unmodified regular high school diploma or aging out at the end of the fiscal year in which they turn 21 — the school's obligation to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education ends completely. There is no automatic handoff to an equivalent adult program. Adult programs have their own application and eligibility processes; waiver-funded services also depend on a funded slot.

South Dakota delivers adult DD services primarily through the CHOICES and Family Support 360 Medicaid waivers, administered by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). The specific services available depend on which waiver the individual enrolls in and which regional Community Support Providers (CSPs) operate in their area.

Residential Habilitation

Residential habilitation covers the daily living support that happens where a person lives. In South Dakota, this takes several forms:

Shared living places an individual with a host family or trained household that provides daily support — meals, personal care, transportation, and community access. The host receives a daily rate through the CHOICES waiver.

Group homes are staffed residential settings, typically housing four to six individuals with round-the-clock support from trained direct support professionals. Group homes are operated by regional CSPs and funded through the CHOICES waiver.

Supported apartment living provides periodic check-ins and skill-building support for individuals who can manage most daily tasks independently but need help with specific areas — medication management, budgeting, meal planning, or navigating medical appointments.

Residential habilitation is only available through the CHOICES waiver, not Family Support 360. The Family Support 360 waiver assumes the individual lives with family or independently and provides support services to maintain that arrangement.

Adult Day Services

Adult day programs provide structured daytime activities — community outings, social skills practice, fitness activities, creative projects, and pre-vocational skill building — during hours when family members may be working.

In South Dakota, adult day services are delivered by CSPs under the CHOICES waiver. Programs vary significantly by provider and region. In Sioux Falls and Rapid City, participants typically have access to larger facilities with more activity options. In rural areas, day services may operate out of smaller community spaces with fewer participants.

Day services are distinct from employment services. They provide structured engagement and skill maintenance outside the home. The service plan — developed with the individual's case manager — sets specific goals for each participant, like learning to use public transit or practicing community safety skills.

Group Supported Employment

Group supported employment places small teams of individuals with disabilities — usually two to eight people — in a community work setting under the supervision of a job coach employed by a CSP. The team performs work tasks alongside non-disabled coworkers, with the job coach providing on-site support.

Common group supported employment settings in South Dakota include light manufacturing, food service operations, janitorial crews, and packaging facilities. The job coach manages training, handles any accommodations, and gradually fades direct support as team members gain independence.

Group supported employment differs from individual supported employment (which places one person in a competitive job with one-on-one coaching) and from sheltered workshops (which South Dakota has been phasing down in alignment with federal competitive integrated employment priorities).

The Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) handles vocational rehabilitation assessments and Individualized Plans for Employment. DRS/VR and CHOICES/CSP employment supports are separate pathways; the applicable service depends on the individual's eligibility and plan.

How Community Support Providers Work

South Dakota does not deliver these services through a single state agency. Instead, regional CSPs contract with the DDD to provide residential, day, and employment services in their service areas.

Each CSP covers specific counties. A family's geographic location determines which providers they can choose from. In more populated areas — Minnehaha County, Pennington County — multiple providers compete for participants. In rural western South Dakota, a single CSP may be the only option within a reasonable distance.

When a young adult receives a funded CHOICES waiver slot, the assigned case manager helps the family identify available CSPs in their area. The case manager then works with the chosen provider to develop an Individualized Service Plan that specifies which services — residential, day, employment — the individual will receive, how often, and what outcomes the plan targets.

The Waitlist Reality

Access to these services depends on two things: clinical eligibility and funded capacity. The DDD contacts the family within seven days to schedule an ICAP after receiving a completed application and must issue a formal eligibility decision within 45 days. But a positive eligibility determination does not guarantee immediate services.

South Dakota maintains an interest list of approximately 185 individuals waiting for funded waiver slots. Wait times run one to two years. The DDD prioritizes individuals in crisis — those whose health and safety are at immediate risk or who face institutionalization.

This gap between eligibility and enrollment is why transition planning timelines emphasize starting the DDD application process at age 18, even though school services continue through age 21. Starting early gives the family time to establish eligibility and, if approved, pursue a funded slot while school-based supports are still in place.

Planning the Handoff

Start planning before the final two years of school services. Contact regional CSPs during the student's 17th year and start the DDD intake at age 18:

• File the DDD application through Dakota at Home (1-833-663-9673, Option 2)
• Complete the ICAP assessment to establish eligibility
• If found eligible, get on the interest list for a funded slot
• Visit CSPs in your region to evaluate their residential and day programs firsthand
• Ensure the VR counselor has drafted an Individualized Plan for Employment for adult VR services, coordinated with school-based Pre-ETS

The South Dakota IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes an adult services application tracker, a waiver comparison worksheet, and an agency communication log that keeps every referral, intake date, and provider contact in one place — preventing the gaps that happen when school exit arrives before adult service enrollment is confirmed.

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