What does “ID/DD waiver” mean in Virginia?

The three DD waivers today

• Building Independence (BI): for adults 18 and older who can live mostly independently and do not need supports all the time. People usually own, lease or control their own living arrangements.
• Family and Individual Supports (FIS): for children and adults who may live with family, friends or in their own homes. Some need functional, behavioral or medical supports.
• Community Living (CL): for children and adults who usually need supports in their homes all the time. Some need to live in a home with staff who support functional skills or complex medical or behavioral needs.

Which waiver covers a group home

Group home residential service is covered in the Community Living waiver. Sponsored residential service, another residential option, is also a Community Living waiver service. Community Engagement and group day service are covered in all three waivers.

Who qualifies and how to apply

The DD waivers serve people, including children, with a developmental disability as defined in § 37.2-100 of the Code of Virginia who need the level of care provided in an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID). A person can be enrolled in only one waiver at a time.

Virginia Medicaid runs the DD waivers jointly with DBHDS. There is a waiting list, and slots are assigned by urgency of need. To apply, contact your local Community Services Board (CSB).

Where the old names came from

• Early 1991: Virginia began its waiver for persons with intellectual disability, later renamed the Intellectual Disability (ID) Waiver.
• 2000: the Individual and Family Developmental Disabilities Support Waiver began, for people with developmental disabilities who did not meet the ID Waiver’s criteria.
• 2005: the Day Support Waiver began, focused on day support and employment.
• 2016: the redesigned waivers were approved and renamed Community Living, Family and Individual Supports, and Building Independence.