Mental Retardation Services

The mental retardation service system is evolving from one focused on providing service large institutions – often far from a person’s home and community -- to one based on a flexible and dynamic system of supports and services close to home and community. The new system is tailored to the needs of persons living in their home community which include community residential and day support services. If you are a provider of mental retardation services, you may wish to visit the Provider Online Handbook for more material relating to providers.

Community residential options include group homes, single apartments with a roommate, or a family living setting. People are provided supports in their family home or their own home. Day services, such as supported employment, training and recreation are provided to people who live in residential settings and at home. A wide array of services and supports are also available to families caring for a child or adult sibling with mental retardation. Services include case management, mobility training, employment training and opportunities and adult day care.

Who Can I Contact for Help?

Mental Retardation Services are administered through county Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MH/MR) program offices. The county MH/MR offices serve as a referral source. Most actual mental retardation services are delivered by local provider agencies under contract with the county MH/MR office. The county MH/MR office determines a person's eligibility for service funding and if found eligible a person will receive a Supports Coordinator. The Supports Coordinator will:

• Talk with you about what kinds of supports and services would be helpful to you.
• Offer you an opportunity to complete an application for the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver Program.
• Enroll you in services which require completing applications.
• Help you develop your individual plan.
• Help you talk with individuals or agencies in the community that could support you.
• Coordinate and monitor supports and services.

The DPW Office of Development Programs toll-free hotline: 1-888-565-9435. Toll Free TTY Number (Telephone for Hearing Impaired Only) 1-866-388-1114. Local telephone: 717-265-7427. A Customer Service member will answer calls during normal business hours, which are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time), Monday through Friday.

Publications

The fundamental concept of Everyday Lives is that with the support of family and friends, individuals with mental retardation decide; how to live their lives; what supports they need; and how they want to spend the money in their individual budgets. It also means that they are responsible for their decisions and actions.

Other Resources

• Help with Assistive Technology
• What is Mental Retardation?
• Dictionary of Terms Used in Mental Retardation Services
• 2010 News and Announcements News, Events, Memos, Alerts and Announcements from ODP
• Health Care Information
• Mental Retardation Services and Supports (including Priority of Urgency of Need for Services/PUNS information)
• Consolidated Waiver
• Person Family Directed Services (PFDS) Waiver
• Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) and PA Plus for Families
• Policy for Determining Eligibility for MR Services and Support
• What Should I Know About Autism Services?
• Get Help with Support Services
• Lifesharing and Everyday Living Options
• Paying for Services through Medicaid Waiver Programs
• Positive Practices Resource Team (PPRT)
• Links to Organizations Providing Mental Retardation Services and Supports
• Mental Retardation Services Provider Profiles

General Information

• Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q)
• Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR)
• Advisory Committee for Mental Health and Mental Retardation
• ODP Planning Advisory Committee

Employment Outcomes and Planning - Mental Retardation Program for Fiscal Years 2005-06 and 2006-07 (PDF download)