Families Transitions

Transition from School Age Systems to the Adult System and Resources

The transition from young adulthood when services are coordinated by the school district to adulthood can be particularly challenging for family members. Locating new services that meet a loved one’s needs requires new contacts and learning a new lexicon of terms and programs. In the Developmental Disability world, acquiring a Service Coordinator can be a great benefit. An Adult Services Coordinator can be acquired by many of the developmental disabilities service providers such as Family Residences, however your local Developmental Disabilities Service Office can also provide an Adult Services Coordinator. For persons with mental health needs only, each county, Nassau and Suffolk, have their own Adult Services Coordinator , otherwise known as a case manager. These services can be accessed in Suffolk by reaching out to the Case Management unit at 631-853-6451, or in Nassau at the New York State Case Management unit at 516-227-7057

The process of transition from school age systems to the adult systems can be a daunting task if unfamiliar with the funding streams and oversight bodies for a person with a developmental disability and/or mental illness. Family Residences’ Resource Center is equipped to assist in that time of need. The following are some general guidelines to familiarize people with resources and eligibility factors that need to be considered for services from OMRDD and OMH.

OPWDD

In order to receive services funded by OPWDD, the family must establish the eligibility of their child within OPWDD’s guidelines. Eligibility is primarily a factor of the type of disability and when it was identified. The State agency has developed regulations for determining eligibility. A link has been provided to obtain information directly:  http://www.opwdd.ny.gov/regs/hp_regs_agingout_finalregs.jsp

OMH

If a teenage youth has an established diagnosis of a serious emotional disturbance, he/she can generally move easily into the adult mental health service system. If psychiatric problems first emerge in the late teens or early 20s-- which is quite common-- a formal diagnosis of a serious mental disability must be made by a licensed psychiatrist. To qualify as an adult, the individual must be the age of eighteen, and have a severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). A severe and persistent mental illness is essentially a mental illness that is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition and does not qualify as an alcohol or drug disorder. Additionally, a person would need to qualify for Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) –OR- have extended impairment due to a mental illness.

FREE offers several services that benefit individuals with psychiatric disorders. The Personalized Recovery Oriented Service (PROS) is a day program that focuses on helping adults recover from mental illness. FREE also provides a broad array of residential settings from group homes to independent apartments. They are described more fully under the Program Services sections of the website.

Family Residences provides an array of services for individuals who have developmental disabilities and persons with mental illness as well as those who are dually diagnosed. To learn more about services of FREE, you are encouraged to call the Resource Center (Admissions Department) and discuss the specific needs of your loved one.

Other Funders of Care

While OPWDD and OMH may fund many of these services, providers work within the confines of federally subsidized programs that assist them in offsetting the costs associated with their provision (e.g. Programs such as Medicaid, SSI, and SSDI.). Applicants for services are strongly encouraged to apply for these services as they transition in to adulthood. Again, Family Residences will work with you to create the right solution.

Lots of Initials

It is easy to get lost in the plethora of terms, initials, and acronyms that inhabit the disabilities field. We have created a Glossary of Terms that might be useful to you. To access it, click Glossary.