Vermont DD Waiver Application: How to Apply Through PCG Centralized Intake

If you are trying to apply for developmental disability services in Vermont, the process changed fundamentally in August 2025. You can no longer walk into your local Designated Agency and start an application. All initial intakes for developmental services now go through a single centralized gateway: Public Consulting Group (PCG), a state-contracted independent entity that handles every eligibility determination statewide.

How to Contact PCG

The PCG centralized intake team handles all initial inquiries, formal applications, and clinical eligibility reviews for Vermont developmental services:

• Phone: (833) 426-5668
• Email: [email protected]
• Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM EST, Monday through Friday

You can also submit an application online through ddsd.vermont.gov/apply-dd-services. Start this process at least six to nine months before your young adult needs services — ideally before their eighteenth birthday if they are still in the school system.

Who Is Eligible

Vermont's Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) requires applicants to meet three criteria simultaneously:

1. Vermont residency — documented with proof of address
2. Financial Medicaid eligibility — meeting Vermont's Medicaid eligibility requirement (typically through SSI, MABD, or another Medicaid pathway)
3. Clinical diagnosis — a qualifying intellectual or developmental disability. This means either an intellectual disability with an IQ at or below 70, or an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis with significant deficits in adaptive behavior that manifested before age 18

The clinical diagnosis must be supported by formal evaluations — typically a psychological or neuropsychological assessment that includes both cognitive testing (IQ) and an adaptive behavior measure like the Vineland-3 or ABAS-3. School-based evaluations from your IEP may contain these assessments, but PCG will verify that the testing meets their clinical standards.

What to Prepare for the Intake

PCG conducts standardized virtual intakes. Come prepared with:

• Diagnostic reports — the foundational psychological evaluation documenting the qualifying condition
• Adaptive behavior assessments — Vineland or ABAS scores showing functional limitations in daily living, communication, and socialization
• Medical records — treating physician notes, psychiatric evaluations, medication history
• IEP and transition documents — particularly transition assessments, teacher observations, and the most recent triennial reevaluation
• Proof of Medicaid enrollment — your Green Mountain Care member ID
• Documentation of current support needs — who is providing care, what level of supervision is required, any safety concerns

The most critical mistake families make is treating the intake as a routine screening. PCG's determination is clinical — they are assessing whether your young adult meets the statutory definition of developmental disability. Incomplete documentation leads to delays or denials.

Eligibility Does Not Mean Funded Services

This is the most important thing to understand about Vermont's developmental services system. When PCG determines that your young adult is clinically eligible, that finding means they qualify for the program. It does not mean services will begin.

Vermont does not run a traditional chronological waitlist. Instead, funding is allocated through the State System of Care Plan (SSOCP) for FY 2026–2028, which prioritizes health and safety-critical situations. Funded services go first to individuals experiencing:

• Immediate abuse or neglect
• Loss of a primary caregiver (death, incapacitation, aging out of capacity)
• Crisis situations where the individual's safety is at immediate risk

If your young adult's situation does not meet a funding priority, they remain in the eligible pool without funded services. This reality makes documentation of any safety concerns, caregiver limitations, or crisis situations essential during the PCG intake.

After Eligibility: Choosing a Care Management Organization

Once PCG issues a positive eligibility finding and funding is authorized, case management is handled by an independent Care Management Organization (CMO). Vermont currently contracts with two CMOs:

• Benchmark Human Services
• The Columbus Organization

The CMO develops the Individualized Service Plan (ISP), manages the service budget, and coordinates with direct care providers. Your local Designated Agency — which previously handled both case management and services — now only delivers direct HCBS support. The CMO is the entity you work with to shape what services look like.

For the complete application timeline, intake preparation worksheets, and a comparison framework for selecting a CMO, see our Vermont SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide.

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