West Virginia IDD Waiver Services List and Person-Centered Planning

What the IDD Waiver Actually Covers

Families spend years on the managed enrollment waitlist for West Virginia's Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Waiver. When a slot finally opens, many parents don't know exactly what services they can request — and end up with a plan that covers less than their child is entitled to because they didn't know to ask.

The IDD Waiver is a 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver, which means every service on the list is designed to keep individuals in their homes and communities rather than in institutional settings. Here's what's available.

The Full Service Menu

Residential and Living Supports

• Residential Habilitation — Staff support in a group home or supported living arrangement, including assistance with daily routines, skill building, and community participation
• Supported Living — More independent than a group home. Staff provide scheduled supports in the individual's own apartment or home, with the intensity tailored to the person-centered plan
• Respite Care — Short-term relief for primary caregivers. Can be provided in the family home or at a licensed respite facility. The IDD Waiver funds both planned respite (scheduled breaks) and crisis respite (emergency situations)

Day and Employment Services

• Day Habilitation — Structured daytime programming focused on skill development, socialization, and community integration. Programs operate during typical business hours and may include pre-vocational activities, life skills training, and recreational programming
• Supported Employment — Job coaching and workplace support to help individuals obtain and maintain competitive, integrated employment. Includes job development, on-site training, and long-term follow-along support
• Pre-Vocational Services — Structured activities that prepare individuals for paid employment, including task completion, attendance, safety awareness, and following directions in a work-like environment

Professional and Clinical Services

• Behavioral Support Services — Functional behavior assessments, behavior support plan development, and ongoing behavioral consultation by a Behavior Support Professional (BSP)
• Specialized Family Training — Training for family members and caregivers on specific techniques for supporting the individual's behavioral, medical, or daily living needs
• Occupational Therapy — When medically necessary and not covered by the Medicaid State Plan
• Speech-Language Therapy — When medically necessary and not covered by the Medicaid State Plan
• Physical Therapy — When medically necessary and not covered by the Medicaid State Plan

Case Management and Coordination

• Case Management — Service coordination, person-centered plan development, ongoing monitoring, and advocacy. Under West Virginia's conflict-free case management requirement, the case management agency cannot also deliver direct services to the same individual

Environmental and Adaptive Supports

• Environmental Accessibility Adaptations — Home modifications to improve accessibility (ramps, widened doorways, bathroom modifications, specialized flooring)
• Assistive Technology — Devices and equipment that increase independence (communication devices, adaptive switches, specialized computer access)
• Vehicle Modifications — Adaptations to a family vehicle to accommodate the individual's mobility needs (lifts, tie-downs, hand controls)
• Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) — Electronic monitoring devices that allow the individual to summon help in an emergency

How Person-Centered Planning Works

When your child receives an active waiver slot, the first step is developing a person-centered plan. This isn't a clinical assessment — it's a planning meeting built around your child's preferences, goals, and daily life.

The process should look like this:

1. Your child leads the conversation (with whatever communication support they need). The case manager asks about preferred activities, daily routines, relationships, employment interests, and living preferences.
2. You contribute the practical context — what works at home, what doesn't, what supports your child needs that they can't articulate.
3. The case manager translates the conversation into a service plan that maps specific waiver services to your child's stated goals and identified needs.
4. The plan goes to Acentra Health for utilization review and authorization. Acentra approves, modifies, or denies specific service types and hours.

The person-centered plan is reviewed at least annually, but you can request a plan revision at any time if your child's needs change. If you disagree with the services authorized (or denied), you have the right to appeal through the Bureau for Medical Services.

What the Waitlist Support Grant Covers in the Meantime

While waiting for an active waiver slot, the state-funded Waitlist Support Grant through the Bureau for Behavioral Health covers a narrower set of services:

• Respite care
• Day services for adults over 18
• Employment support
• Behavioral support (up to $1,952.40/year for BSP-II services)
• Home and vehicle accessibility modifications

The Waitlist Support Grant is not a waiver — it's a state-funded bridge. The services are less comprehensive and have tighter annual caps. But they keep critical supports in place during the wait.

One Service Menu, Many Providers

Having the service on your child's person-centered plan is step one. Finding a qualified provider who actually has capacity to deliver it in your county is step two. Rural West Virginia counties often have limited provider networks, especially for specialized services like behavioral support or supported employment.

Your case manager should maintain a current list of available providers for each authorized service. If the assigned case management agency can't identify providers with capacity, escalate to Acentra Health directly — they maintain the statewide provider registry.

For the complete transition sequence from the IDD Waiver application through person-centered plan development and service coordination, the West Virginia SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide puts the full process in one place with document checklists and agency contact directories.

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