Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals | Bruce Greenstein, Secretary

Services & ProgramsThe Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) serves as the Single Point of Entry into the developmental disabilities services system. To apply for any of these services,contact your regional community service office or human services district/authority.

The following are brief descriptions of services.

HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

See updated Services Registry dates.

Waiver Services
Medicaid home and community-based waiver programs allow people greater flexibility to choose where they want to live and to use services and supports that best suit their needs. Services are provided must represent a least-restrictive treatment alternative. Each home and community-based waiver has specific service packages and eligibility requirements (see list below). Waiver opportunities are dependent upon funding, and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis through the Request for Services Registry. To apply for services, contact your regional office/district/authority. Click HERE for Freedom of Choice Providers in your area.  OCDD offers the following waiver services: 

• Children’s Choice Waiver offers supplemental support to children through age 18 who currently live at home with their families or with a foster family. Learn more.

• New Opportunities Waiver offers people age 3 and older who otherwise would require the level of care of an Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICFs/DD) services that allow them to remain in their communities. Services are based on the need of the recipient and are developed using a person-centered process to formulate an individualized plan. Learn more.

• Supports Waiver offers focused, individualized vocational services to people age 18 and older who otherwise would require the level of care of an Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICFs/DD).

• Residential Options Waiver offers people of all ages services designed to support them to move from ICFs/DD and nursing facilities to community-based settings, and to serve as an alternative to institutionalization.

Flexible Family Funds
OCDD provides monthly stipends to families of eligible children with severe or profound developmental disabilities from birth to age 18 to help their families meet extraordinary costs. These subsidies are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more about Flexible Family Funds.

Individual and Family Support
Individual and family support services provide assistance not available from any other resource that will allow people with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes or with their families in their own community.

Resource Centers
OCDD Resource Centers extend their services to people with disabilities, their families, providers, professionals, and other state agencies, and are designed to build capacity of community providers. They are committed to enhancing quality of life by identifying, maximizing and supplementing the existing supports through utilization of expertise within the services system.  Each resource center has a specialty area.  Learn more.

Community supports and services are provided to people who need intensive treatment intervention to allow them to remain in their community setting.

Other

Regional And state advisory committee

The State Advisory Committee, established by legislative act, ensures public input in an advisory capacity in the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and the allocation of resources to the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities. Learn more.