How Virginia’s Developmental Disabilities Waivers Work

What a DD Waiver does—and does not do

Virginia’s Developmental Disabilities Waivers provide eligible people access to authorized home and community-based supports. DMAS is Virginia’s Medicaid agency, and it administers these waivers jointly with DBHDS. The program is not a direct housing placement service, and a provider cannot award someone a waiver slot.

Keep four decisions separate: whether a person meets program and Medicaid requirements, whether a waiver slot is assigned, which services are authorized, and whether a particular provider can meet the person’s needs. A positive answer at one stage is not a guarantee at the next. Ask the CSB and support coordinator to explain where the person is in that process.

Official guidance: DMAS: Developmental Disability (DD) Waivers · Virginia Administrative Code: Individual support plans (12VAC30-122-190) · Virginia Administrative Code: Supported living residential service (12VAC30-122-540)

Virginia’s three Developmental Disabilities Waivers

Building Independence (BI) is for adults age 18 and older who can live mostly independently and do not need supports all the time. DMAS describes people using BI as usually owning, leasing, or controlling their living arrangements, with supports complemented by non-waiver-funded rent subsidies. Do not confuse the BI Waiver’s formal name with the broader goal of building independence in any residential service.

Family and Individual Supports (FIS) is available to children and adults who may live with family, friends, or in their own homes. Community Living (CL) is also available to children and adults; DMAS describes it as serving people who usually need supports in their homes all the time. These summaries introduce the programs, not a self-screening test or assurance that a specific person will receive a particular waiver.

The available services differ. Virginia’s Supported Living Residential rule covers that service in FIS and CL, while Group Home Residential is covered in CL. Do not assume a BI slot authorizes Supported Living simply because the names sound related. Use the current DMAS fact sheets and ask the coordinator about the person’s actual waiver and requested service.

Official guidance: DMAS: Developmental Disability (DD) Waivers · Virginia Administrative Code: Supported living residential service (12VAC30-122-540) · Virginia Administrative Code: Group home residential service (12VAC30-122-390)

Where to apply and what the waiting list means

DMAS directs people applying for DD Waiver services to their local CSB. The CSB can explain screening and the documentation needed for an individual assessment. Program screening and Medicaid financial eligibility are not the same decision; ask which office handles each step rather than relying on a provider to make an eligibility determination.

Virginia has a DD Waiver waiting list, and slots are assigned based on urgency of need. Do not assume the list works as a simple first-come, first-served housing queue or that a provider vacancy means a waiver slot will follow. If circumstances change, contact the CSB or coordinator about updating the person’s information. We do not publish an estimated wait time because it would not reliably predict an individual outcome.

Official guidance: DMAS: Developmental Disability (DD) Waivers · DBHDS: DD Waiver Support Coordination Handbook (July 2024 revision, PDF)

How the ISP connects needs to authorized services

For a person approved for DD Waiver services, the Individual Support Plan identifies unique needs and the services designed to address them. Virginia requires collaborative development with the person and, as appropriate, family, caregivers, providers, and others the person chooses. The coordinator monitors whether services remain appropriate and whether changes are needed.

A provider develops its own plan for supports within that planning process. Changes in service amount or type need service authorization by DMAS or its designee. Ask who is responsible for each next step, what is still pending, and when a proposed service could actually begin. A tour, referral, or preliminary assessment is not itself an authorization.

Official guidance: Virginia Administrative Code: Individual support plans (12VAC30-122-190) · Virginia Administrative Code: Supported living residential service (12VAC30-122-540)

Plan separately for housing and living expenses

The Supported Living rule states that room and board are not components of the waiver service. A family should therefore ask for a written explanation of housing charges, food costs, personal expenses, and the residency agreement. Avoid assuming that Medicaid pays the complete cost of living in a home or every community activity.

Ask the coordinator how proposed residential supports interact with existing services. The Supported Living rule limits combinations with other comparable residential services and personal assistance. Do not cancel or add services based on a general article; confirm the authorized arrangement for the individual before changes are made.

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

What this means for an MSL referral

Monumental Supportive Living, LLC accepts referrals exclusively for adults with ID/DD and an active, eligible Virginia DD Waiver. Our residential home is in Manassas. Admission remains subject to an individualized assessment that considers whether we can safely and effectively meet the person’s needs in accordance with the ISP. Ask the support coordinator and our team to verify service coverage, authorization, and fit; no waiver type or vacancy is promised here.