How to Find Supported Living for Adults with Disabilities in Northern Virginia

Start with the person’s idea of home

A residential search is more useful when it begins with the adult who will live there. Discuss preferred routines, communication, privacy, relationships, and the activities that make a week meaningful. A family’s concern about safety and a person’s desire for greater choice both belong in the conversation. Use accessible language or the person’s preferred communication tools so that a housing decision is not made around them without their participation.

Create a short list of practical priorities before calling providers. Separate what is essential for assessed support needs from what would simply be convenient. Person-centered planning in Virginia is designed around the individual’s specific needs and desired outcomes; it is not a single residential plan applied to everyone. Your support coordinator can help connect these priorities to the Individual Support Plan (ISP).

• What daily routines and relationships does the person want to keep?
• What support is needed during the day, overnight, and away from home?
• How does the person express choices, discomfort, or a request for help?
• Which locations matter for visits, work, recreation, or established programs?

Official guidance: Virginia Administrative Code: Individual support plans (12VAC30-122-190) · DMAS HCBS Toolkit: General Requirements for All Settings

Understand the DD Waiver pathway before choosing a provider

Virginia’s Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waivers are administered jointly by DMAS and DBHDS. The state directs people applying for DD Waiver services to their local Community Services Board (CSB). There is a waiting list, and waiver slots are assigned according to urgency of need. A residential provider’s inquiry form does not replace CSB screening or allocate a waiver slot.

If a waiver is already active, ask the support coordinator which residential service is appropriate and covered under that waiver. Supported living residential service is covered under the Family and Individual Supports (FIS) and Community Living (CL) waivers. Having a DD Waiver does not automatically authorize every service, make a provider appropriate, or establish that a bed is available. Ask about the particular service authorization before making move-in commitments.

Official guidance: DMAS: Developmental Disability (DD) Waivers · Virginia Administrative Code: Supported living residential service (12VAC30-122-540)

Compare licensing, support delivery, and everyday life

Use the provider-search link on the official DMAS DD Waiver page as a starting point and ask each provider to confirm its current DBHDS license, service classification, and actual residential address. Supported Living and Group Home Residential are distinct Virginia waiver services; do not assume an informal term such as ‘group home’ identifies the service being offered.

During a tour, ask how staff respond when support is needed, how an individual’s goals guide daily routines, and how the provider assesses whether the setting can safely meet those needs. Explore how privacy, personal choices, and community access are protected. A clean house and friendly introduction matter, but they cannot substitute for answers about support arrangements and individual fit.

Official guidance: Virginia Administrative Code: Supported living residential service (12VAC30-122-540) · Virginia Administrative Code: Group home residential service (12VAC30-122-390) · DMAS HCBS Toolkit: General Requirements for All Settings

Plan for location, travel, and costs

Northern Virginia is a referral region, not a promise that each provider operates in every county. Compare the actual home address with the places the person wants to reach. Check travel at realistic times and identify who would arrange family visits, appointments, and community activities. Ask the coordinator how a move could affect existing services rather than assuming those arrangements will transfer unchanged.

Request a written explanation of housing costs and personal expenses. Virginia’s Supported Living rule excludes room and board from the waiver service. Ask what is charged separately, who pays, and what residency agreement would apply. Do not treat Medicaid service coverage as a promise that all living expenses or activity fees are covered.

Official guidance: Virginia Administrative Code: Supported living residential service (12VAC30-122-540)

Considering MSL Thrive’s Manassas home

Monumental Supportive Living, LLC provides DBHDS-licensed Supported Living for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at 10545 Winged Elm Circle, Manassas, VA 20110. This is our residential location; we do not advertise additional MSL homes or offices elsewhere in Northern Virginia.

MSL accepts referrals exclusively for adults with an active, eligible Virginia DD Waiver. Admission requires an individualized assessment of whether we can safely and effectively meet the person’s needs in accordance with the ISP. Families and coordinators may ask about a tour, the referral process, and current availability. An inquiry does not reserve a place. Keep initial messages general and ask how assessment records can be shared appropriately.