How Do I Get DDD Services?

There are five main steps to getting DDD services:

Make a Referral
Complete an Application Packet
Records Request
Missouri Adaptive Ability Scale Assessment (MAAS)
Final Eligibility Determination

How to Make a Referral to DDD Services

The process to get DDD services begins with a referral. Anyone can make a referral to DDD for services. Please check the eligibility page before you make a referral. To begin the referral process, contact the DDD Regional Office that serves the county where the individual being referred to DDD lives.

You will need to have the following information ready to provide to the DDD Regional Office when you make the referral:

Individual Referred for Services Information:

Name
Date of Birth
MO HealthNet ID (Medicaid #) (if applicable)
Intellectual/Developmental Disability
Special Communication Needs (do they communicate without words, using sign language, speak a language other than English, etc.)
Physical Address
Mailing Address
Phone Number (if applicable)
E- mail Address (if applicable)

Responsible Person's Information (if applicable):

DDD completes all paperwork and communicates directly with the individual and/or responsible person. A "responsible person" is a person who is legally obligated to make decisions on behalf of the individual. Some examples are: a parent of a minor child or a court-appointed legal guardian/custodian/Missouri Department of Social Services, Children's Division. The responsible person may need to provide the court order to DDD.

Name
Relation/Affiliation
Legal Responsibility Type
Special Communication Needs
Physical Address
Mailing Address
Phone Number
E- mail Address

Person Referring the Individual to Services Information:

Name
Relation/Affiliation
Mailing Addressing
Phone Number
E- mail Address

When a DDD Regional Office receives a referral that has all of the information above, the Intake Unit will contact the individual and/or responsible person within one (1) business day to start the application process.

Application

The Intake Unit will send an application packet by mail that contains:

The individual and/or responsible person must complete the packet. If you need help, please contact your DDD Regional Office. If the individual and/or responsible person does not return the completed packet within two (2) months, the referral process will stop. A new referral must be completed to restart the application process.

Authorized Representative

The individual and/or responsible person may complete an Authorization for Disclosure of Consumer Medical/Health Information. This allows DDD to release information to an authorized representative. Examples: Power of Attorney, non-responsible family member or friend. This type of authorization only allows DDD to disclose relevant information to the authorized representative. An authorized representative is not permitted to become the primary contact and/or make decisions on the individual/responsible person’s behalf. Note: authorizations are valid for one (1) year, unless indicated otherwise.

Records Request

DDD verifies that an individual has an Intellectual Disability presenting before the age of 18 and/or Developmental Disability presenting before the age of 22 by collecting various medical, psychological, educational, and/or other relevant records. Providing records with the application will speed up the eligibility determination process. Here is a list of records frequently requested:

Note: This is a list of common records. This is not a comprehensive list of records. The records listed below may not be applicable for all applications.

Education Records

First Steps Enrollment
Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)
IEP Evaluation Report-504 Plan
Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled (MSSD) Record

Medical Records

Genetic Testing
Neurological Testing

Psychological Records

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Testing
Psychological Evaluations or other Psychometric Testing
Adaptive Behavior Assessments

Social Security Administration Record

Disability Determination (SSA-831) This is a different form from the “Benefit Verification Letter”. DDD cannot use the “Benefit Verification Letter” for eligibility determination.
If an individual and/or responsible person needs DDD to help gather records, you must complete an Authorization for Disclosure of Consumer Medical/Health Information for each organization you need records from. The organization that the records are being requested from may ask the individual and/or responsible person to complete another release of information before providing records to DDD.

Missouri Adaptive Ability Scale Assessment (MAAS)

If a valid adaptive assessment* has not been completed within three years, DDD will complete a Missouri Adaptive Ability Scale (MAAS) to determine if the individual meets functional eligibility requirements for DDD services.

The MAAS is a virtual assessment administered by a certified assessor with DDD. The assessor will observe the individual and complete an interview with an informant. The informant can be anyone who has extensive knowledge about the individual’s functioning in a variety of settings (ex: school, home, community, etc.). The individual’s portion of the MAAS takes approximately thirty (30) minutes to complete and must be completed on video. The informant’s portion of the MAAS takes approximately sixty (60) minutes to complete. The entire MAAS takes around ninety (90) minutes to complete.

Your Support Coordinator will schedule the MAAS for you. DDD has up to sixty (60) business days to complete the MAAS. The MAAS can be scheduled after the complete application and necessary records have been received by DDD.

DDD understands individuals and families may need assistance with technology. If you need help, please contact your DDD Regional Office. If you do not have technology and privacy to complete the MAAS in your home, you could think about completing the MAAS at:

DDD Regional Office
Service Provider Location
Senate Bill 40 Office
School
Public Library
Local Resource Center
Hospital (if admitted)

MAAS results should be available around five (5) business days after the MAAS is completed.

*A valid adaptive assessment is a standardized, comprehensive, norm-referenced, and psychometrically-sound measure of adaptive behavior.

Eligibility Determination

If the individual is eligible for services through DDD, written notification will be sent to the individual and/or responsible person within three (3) business days of the eligibility determination date. DDD will initiate the appropriate service referral based upon the individual’s MO HealthNet (Medicaid) status and county of residence.

The eligibility notification letter will provide information about which service type the individual is being referred to, what to expect next, and contact information for the agency and/or team that will be the primary contact for all DDD-related service and support needs going forward.

An individual is not eligible to be served through DDD if one (or more) of the following situations apply:

Records do not verify that the individual has a developmental disability, as defined by 9 CSR45-2.010, (2)(H) and 630.005.1(9), RSMo.
Records do not verify that the individual has an intellectual disability, as defined by 9 CSR45 2.010, (2)(N) and 630.005.1(20), RSMo.
An adaptive assessment verified that the individual does not have substantial functional limitations, as defined by 9 CSR 45-2.010(3).
If an ineligible determination has been made, the individual and/or responsible person will be contacted within one (1) business day. The individual and/or responsible person will receive a “Notice of Denial of Eligibility and Right to Appeal”, which will include the specific reason for denial.

Appeal Rights

The individual and/or responsible person has the following appeal rights:

Right to be sent the “Notice of Denial of Eligibility and Right to Appeal” in writing within one (1) business day of the ineligibility determination
Right to be provided with the legal and factual reason(s) for denial
Right to discuss the decision with the Intake Specialist, Intake Supervisor, or DDD Regional Office Director/Designee
Right to be represented by an attorney or other advocate at the individual’s and/or responsible person’s own expense. The DDD Regional Office Director/Designee must be notified within ten (10) business days after obtaining representation
Right to present witnesses and other information relevant to the appeal
Right to view all documents relevant to the appeal at no cost within five (5) business days of the request
Right to be provided with adequate notice of hearing date, time, and location
Right to a hearing decision based only upon the evidence of record
Right to an electronically recorded hearing and the recording kept for one (1) year
Right to request a written copy of the recorded hearing, at own expense, to prepare for a circuit court hearing (if the court or Department determines that an individual and/or responsible person is indigent, the copy will be made available at no charge)
Right to contact Missouri Protection and Advocacy (800-392-8667) for help with an appeal at no charge

Right to Appeal to Regional Office Director/Designee

If an individual and/or responsible person disagrees with the ineligible determination, they have the following rights:

Right to appeal the decision, verbally or in writing, to the Regional Office Director/Designee within thirty (30) calendar days from the notification date
Right to receive a written decision within ten (10) business days after the appeal

Right to Appeal to Hearing Referee

If an individual and/or responsible person disagrees with the Regional Office Director/Designee’s appeal decision, they have the following rights:

Right to request a hearing, verbally or in writing, that is conducted by an impartial, neutral decision-maker who is not a DDD employee within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the Regional Office Director’s appeal decision
Right to receive a written decision within thirty (30) calendar days after the appeal

Right to Appeal to Circuit Court

If an individual and/or responsible person disagrees with the Hearing Referee’s appeal decision, they have the following rights:

Right to appeal the Hearing Referee’s decision to the circuit court, as provided by Chapter 536, RSMo

I Have had DDD Services in the Past and Want to Have Services Again

Re-Establishing Services Protocol