Plain-language descriptions of the Missouri services we provide, based on the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) Division of Developmental Disabilities.
DMH service name Individualized Supported Living
A support arrangement in which a person lives in a home of their own choosing and receives the amount and type of help that fits their needs. The level of supervision, training and support is shaped around the goals in the person’s Individual Support Plan. The emphasis is on flexibility, choice and living as independently as possible in the community. Missouri DMH offers ISL through its Comprehensive Waiver.
DMH service name Personal Assistant
Hands-on help and cueing with everyday activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, moving around and household tasks, so a person can stay in their own home and community. DMH treats this service as comparable to Medicaid State Plan personal care, so where State Plan personal care is available through the Division of Senior and Disability Services, it is generally used first. Some waivers allow this service to be self-directed.
DMH service name Delivered within DMH personal assistance and related supports
Companionship, supervision and help keeping up the home: light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, errands and time spent together on activities the person enjoys. DMH does not list these as a separate developmental disabilities waiver service. They are typically delivered as part of personal assistance or other authorized supports, according to the person’s plan.
DMH service name Community Networking
Support to take part in community life. DMH renamed this service Community Networking (it was previously called Community Integration). The goal is for each person to choose and join activities that build social relationships, community involvement and a sense of membership, based on their own interests, preferences and strengths. It can be provided one-to-one or in a group, and it is not meant to serve as job preparation.
DMH service name Individualized Skill Development
Teaching and coaching in the specific skills a person needs to live more independently, such as cooking, managing money, personal care, using transportation and keeping a home. DMH provides this service for people who live in their own or a family home, and it is delivered one-to-one or in a small group.
DMH service name In-Home Respite and Out-of-Home Respite
Short-term relief for family members and other caregivers, with trained staff supporting the person either at home or in another approved setting. Respite gives caregivers time to rest, work or handle other responsibilities while the person stays safe and supported. DMH lists both in-home and out-of-home respite among its waiver services.
DMH service name Transportation
Help getting to the places that matter, such as medical appointments, work, community activities and other destinations identified in the person’s support plan. DMH includes transportation as a waiver service in several of its developmental disabilities waivers.
DMH service name Benefits Planning, Career Planning, Job Development, Supported Employment and Prevocational Services
A set of services that help people find, get and keep work. Benefits Planning explains how work affects benefits such as SSI, SSDI and Medicaid and whether a job would improve a person’s finances. Career Planning builds a profile of the person’s interests, strengths and goals and a plan to reach them. Job Development helps with finding a job. Supported Employment provides on-the-job help to succeed and stay employed. Prevocational Services build the skills needed to prepare for work.
DMH service name Health Assessment and Coordination; Professional Assessment and Monitoring
Support for staying healthy. This can include nurse-led review of a person’s health needs, coordination with doctors and other providers, follow-through on health plans, and help with taking medications as prescribed. DMH lists Health Assessment and Coordination Services and Professional Assessment and Monitoring (by a nurse or dietitian) among its waiver services, and it uses specially trained and certified staff to help with medications.
DMH service name Community Specialist, Applied Behavior Analysis and Crisis Intervention
Planning and training that helps a person build coping skills and positive ways of handling challenges, working together with the person, their family and their support team. DMH offers related waiver services including Community Specialist (which can be self-directed), Applied Behavior Analysis and Crisis Intervention.
DMH service name Remote Supports
The use of technology to provide support from another location instead of having staff physically present. A remote staff member can check in by phone or video and respond to sensors and alerts, and emergency staff go to the home when in-person help is needed. DMH made Remote Supports a standalone service in July 2023. It is available only when authorized, and it is not provided at the same time as Individualized Supported Living, Personal Assistant or Individualized Skill Development.
These are summaries written in our own words to help families understand each service. Which services a person can receive depends on their eligibility, waiver, payer authorization and individual support plan. For the official definitions, see the Missouri DMH sources below or call us.
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