| TERM |
DEFINITION |
| Active Treatment |
A holistic plan designed by a team of specialists to teach a person to live more independently |
| ADA |
The Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted in 1990, prohibits discrimination against persons because of their disabilities. The ADA serves as a "comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities." (42 U.S.C. 12101(b)(1)) The ADA targets three major areas: Title I addresses discrimination by employers; Title II addresses discrimination by governmental entities; and Title III addresses discrimination in public accommodations operated by private entities. |
| ADL |
Activities of daily living (ADL): Routine activities that a person does every day such as standing, sitting, eating, bathing, and grooming can be done by the individual or care provider. |
| Adaptive Skills |
These skills are typically needed to live and work in the community: communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics, community use and work. |
| Advocacy |
Activities in support of people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities including rights protection, legal and services assistance, and system or policy changes. Public activism and organized promotion of the rights of people with disabilities has created alliances between similarly concerned proponents of disability causes who demand solutions for the problems of independent living. |
| Accessibility |
This is the ability of a house, product, place, program, etc. to be easy, not difficult, to use or reach. |
| APSI |
Advocacy and Protective Services Inc. is an agency that provides guardianship services to people with MRDD. |
| Assessment |
A formal or informal evaluation of an individual's needs for supports and specialized services. Evaluation findings form the basis for determining an individual's level of care (LOC), and for writing a person's Individual Service Plan (ISP) |
| Assistive Technology |
Equipment or devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers, or speech aids that help a person perform activities of daily living can be range from simple aids to complete machinery. AT can be a device that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a person with a disability or a service that directly assists a person with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. Examples of AT include augmentative communication devices which assist a person who cannot communicate through speech to communicate with others, and adaptive equipment which assists a person to write (such as an adapted pencil or arm brace), or move objects in the person's environment (such as a switch or remote control device). |
| BCII |
Bureau of Criminal Indentification and Investigation. This agency provides a criminal record check used to determine the eligibility of a person to be certified by ODMRDD as a Medicaid service provider. |
| Buy-In Options |
This is federal Medicaid reform recently enacted by Congress that allows states to modify Medicaid elgibility rules that permit people with disabilities returning to work to secure extended Medicaid coverage, but also requires them to contribute toward such coverage, according to rules established by the State. Ohio has not taken action on this measure yet. |
| BVR |
Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. A state agency which may provide funding for services, equipment, and supports that prepare an individual with disabilities for employment. |
| CAM |
Community Access Model waiver. This is for individuals leaving Developmental Centers. |
| CARF |
Council on Accreditation of Rehabilitiation Facilities performs a review regarding the quality of care in residential facilities. Successful surveys result in CARF Accreditation. |
| Case Manager |
A case manager (also called a service coordinator) is an experienced professional, such as a social worker or nurse, who works with clients and providers of services to coordinate services for the client. For families who have a child with a disability, case managers should provide the family with the resources and support that the family needs to ensure that their child with a disability receives services that are essential to their well-being. |
| CBMRDD |
County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. The powers and duties of this political subdivision are defined in ORC 5126.05 . |
| Center for Independent Living |
Found in every major city in the United States, centers for independent living (also known as independent living centers) advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and providing them with support services and training programs they need to achieve self-sufficient and productive lives. |
| Cerebral Palsy |
Cerebral Palsy is a functional disorder caused by damage to the brain during pregnancy, delivery, or shortly after birth. It is characterized by movement disorders, such as: spasticity (right limb muscles), purposeless movements, rigidity (severe form of spacticity), a lack of balance, or a combination of these disorders. Individuals with cerebral palsy may also experience seizures, abnormal, speech, hearing, and visual impairments, and/or mental retardation. |
| CMS |
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is the federal agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid, and regulates the certification of agencies and care facilities for people with mental retardation. |
| COEDI |
Children's Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (and Ohio Eligibility Instrument, OEDI), are tests to determine the eligibility of persons for state and county MRDD services. |
| COG |
Councils of Government. |
| Consumer |
A person who has been or is receiving MRDD services or supports. Words like patient, client, or constituent have been used to describe people with disabilities. These terms imply that a person with a disability is someone who receives services but has little control over them. The term consumer grew out of the independent living movement and signifies someone who selects services and has some control over them. |
| Consumer Control |
Consumer control is the heart of independent living. It stresses the consumer's right to determine his or her life direction and to make all decisions related to that direction. A project or organization that is consumer controlled is directed, managed, and staffed to a large degree by qualified persons with disabilities. |
| Control Number |
Number assigned by ODMRDD to each waiver recipient for internal tracking purposes. |
| CRIS-E |
Client Registry Information Systems-Enhanced. Database maintained by Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). |
| Developmental Delays |
Developmental Delays refer to conditions that represent a significant delay in the process of child devlopment. The delays may involve cognitive, physical, communicative, social/emotional, and adaptive areas of development. Without special intervention, these delays may affect the educational performance of the child. |
| Developmental Disabilities |
Cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or any other conditions that impair general intellectual funtions or behavior, or require treatment or services similar to that of a person with mental retardation. |
| Deinstitutionalization |
Both a policy and a practice, this movement that began in the 1960s has reduced the number of people living in state-operated institutions and increased the number of people receiving support in their communities. |
| Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) |
Used mainly in clinical settings, this guide provides a classification and description of mental disorders and symptoms, and is cited in many disability studies. |
| Disability |
A mental or physical condition that restricts an individual's ability to engage in substantial gainful activity. |
| Disability Waiver |
A waiver issued by the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) so that people under age 60 can receive services in their home instead of going to live in a nursing home or hospital. |
| EI |
Early Intervention. Services for children from birth through age 2. |
| Family Support |
Persons identified by the individual with disabilities as either family members or significant others who provide the necessary support for recovery. |
| FFP |
Federal Financial Participation. The portion of waiver payments reimbursed to Ohio from the U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. |
| Functional Ability |
How well a person can perform activities of daily living without help from someone else constitutes a measure of their functioning. |
| FY |
Fiscal Year. Time measurement used by state governmental agencies, which extends from July 1 of one year, to June 30 of the following calendar year. |
| Group Home |
A home for persons with disabilities that generally has 16 or fewer residents. |
| Habilitation |
Training in life skills such as housekeeping that have not been learned. |
| HCBS Waiver |
A Home and Community Based Services Waiver allows a person to get services that are not normally covered under the state's Medicaid plan. |
| HIPPA |
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The HIPAA Privacy Rule creates national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information. |
| Home Modifications |
Home modifications are adaptations made to a home to allow for easier and safer access due to specific needs resulting from a disability. |
| Home & Community Based Services Waiver Program |
In 1981, legislation was passed to fund the HCBS program, which allows states to use Medicaid funds to pay for home and community services for Medicaid-eligible individuals who have disabilities. States must show that these individuals are at risk of being placed or remaining in institutions without these waiver-provided services. Additional legislation has provided Community Supported Living Arrangements for Medicaid-eligible persons with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities that does not require the person to be at risk of institutionalization. |
| ICF/MR |
Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded is a Medicaid-funded residential facility that teaches living skills to help people live in less restrictive environments. |
| IDEIA |
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) is a federal law that guarantees all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 (or until the child graduates) the right to a free and appropriate public education designed to meet their individual needs. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) was an earlier version of the IDEIA. |
| IEP |
Individual Education Plan. It outlines the goals and objectives necessary to meet the educational needs of a person. |
| IHP or ISP or IP |
Individual Habilitation Plan. Individual Service Plan. Individual Plan. These outline what type of training is needed to help people gain the living skills they need. |
| IIF |
Individual Information Form. Completed annually by local County Boards of MRDD, and submitted to ODMRDD. The data collected includes information on average daily membership of County Boards of MRDD, and services individuals are receiving. |
| Inclusion |
This is the process and outcome of including people with disabilities in the community, so they can live like other citizens, enjoy full civil rights, and contribute to the community. Involvement is at the consumer's desired level. |
| Independent Living |
The concept of independent living involves the belief that individuals with disabilities have the same rights and responsbilities as other people in society. Thus, services provided to the public should be accessible to persons with disabilities, and systems of support should be made available to help individuals with disabilities live within the community, and lead more independent lives. |
| IO Waiver |
The Individual Options Waiver is a home and community-based waiver to let people receive the services they need in their own homes. |
| ISP |
Individual Service Plan. Developed to identify specific services and supports needed and desired by an individual. The ISP describes all services and supports necessary, regardless of payor source, for a particular individual to maintain health and safety, and avoid institutionalization. The ISP should explain how each support service is intended to meet a need, as indicated in the most recent assessment of the individual's functioning levels. |
| Job Coach |
In supported employment, the Job Coach provides one-on-one training to an individual on the job, until that individual is able to complete tasks to the employer's satisfaction. As the worker becomes proficient, the Job Coach begins spending less time training the worker. The Job Coach continues to monitor the worker occasionally, and is available when needed to assist with retraining and other support that the worker might need. |
| Level 1 Waiver |
This waiver offers seven different services with set spending limits. Some limits can be changed with prior approval from the local County Board of MRDD. |
| LOC |
Level of Care is a determination of the help needed to guarantee a person's health and safety. |
| LRE |
Least Restrictive Environment. One of the principles of normalization. It requires that people with disabilities receive services and support in environments that do not limit their life activities unnecessarily. For example, children with disabilities should be educated in way that meets their needs, and least limits their opportunities to be near and interact with other children. |
| Managed Care |
An approach to health care financing, this insurance form attempts to control the use and cost of health care services. Offering incentives, implementing cost restrictions, influencing a consumers' choice of providers, establishing networks, and improving coordination of services are used as methods to manage costs. |
| Medicaid Match |
The federal government requires that the state/local government match federal government funds for Medicaid reimbursement services. In Ohio, this is about 60 percent federal and 40 percent state match. |
| Mental Retardation |
Mental Retardation means significantly below-average general intellectual functioning (IQ 70-75 or below), existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior, and manifested during the developmental period or before the age of 18. |
| MUI |
Major Unusual Incident is the reporting system mandated by Ohio law that sets a procedure to review and report allegations of abuse, neglect and potentially serious incidents that occur in the MRDD system. |
| Natural Supports |
When friends, neighbors, relatives, coworkers, and others volunteer to help a person with a disability live a more independent life, they are called natural social supports. |
| NF |
Nursing Facility. A residential facility that is established pursuant to section 1919 (a) - (d) of the Social Security Act, to provide Medicaid-funded services. |
| OAC |
Ohio Administrative Code. The Administrative Code contains the full text of, or a reference to, every rule that has been adopted by the agencies of state government. A rule is a formal, written communication of the law that has been established by an agency under a statute that authorizes the agency to adopt rules. |
| OACBMRDD |
Ohio Association of County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. |
| OBRA |
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 lets states offer - under a waiver - a variety of home and community-based services that a person may need to avoid living in an institution. |
| ODDP |
Ohio Developmental Disabilities Profile is an assessment tool for individuals enrolled on the Individual Options (IO) Home and Community Based Waiver. |
| ODJFS |
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the single Medicaid agency for Ohio. |
| ODMRDD |
Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. |
| OEDI |
Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (diagnostic) for ages 16 and over. This refers to a test to determine the eligibility of persons for state and county MRDD services. |
| Olmstead v. LC |
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that found that people with disabilities have rights to services in the least restrictive environment. |
| OLRS |
Ohio Legal Rights Services provides rights protection and advocacy services to adults and children with disabilities. |
| ORC |
Ohio Revised Code. Contains the laws of the State of Ohio. |
| Paraticipatory Action Research |
Common to studies on information dissemination is the principle that effective dissemination is the result of knowing the information that end-users identify as important (and that which they are likely to need). One way this information can be obtained is from Participatory Action Research (PAR), an approach that emphasizes a collaborative attitude toward research and training. A bridge between research and knowledge utilization, PAR in every research phase increases the probability that problems are not only identified and solved, but also that constituents find the solutions worthwhile. |
| PASRR |
Pre-Admission Screening Resident Review. The system used to determine eligibility for nursing facility placement and/or specialized services. |
| PATHS |
Professional Advancement Through Training and Education in Human Services. |
| Patient Liability |
The amount that the consumer owes, per month, toward his/her care. This amount is determined by the Ohio Dept. of Human Services on an individual basis, and is related to a consumer's income. |
| PAWS |
Payment Authorization for Waiver Services. The ODMRDD form that authorizes payment for HCBS Waiver services. |
| PCP |
Person Centered Planning emphasizes the needs and choices of the individual when planning services. |
| Personal Assistance |
At first, this paid support was confined to medical, hygiene, and mobility assistance. It has now expanded to include everyday support, such as recreation, transportation, reading, interpreting, shopping, budgeting, and meal preparation. |
| Person-Centered Planning |
Instead of focusing on a person's deficits and disability, this form of planning makes the most of a person's abilities, preferences, and ambitions. It is a changing problem-solving process that reflects the changes in the individual's life. |
| POS |
Purchase of Services. Refers to a contractual arrangement between the ODMRDD and a person, agency, or governmental entity to provide community-based residential services to individuals determined to be eligible to receive these services. |
| Protocol |
A documented and uniform process, which is followed to identify services, paid for by a waiver, which are necessary to meet the health and safety needs of individuals, and avoid their institutionalization. |
| Provider |
A person or agency that delivers services to people with disabilities. |
| Provider Agreement |
A contract between ODJFS and a provider of Medicaid services in which the provider agrees to comply with the terms of the provider agreement, ODJFS, state, and administrative code. |
| Provider Pool |
A listing of ODMRDD-certified waiver/supported living providers who have expressed an interest to a specific County Board of MRDD, or responded to an RFP, to provide waiver/supported living services within the county. The provider pool is maintained by the County Board of MRDD, and this listing is made available to persons receiving services and supports. These individuals may select a provider who is a member of the pool, or may select a certified provider who is not a member of the pool, but who is otherwise qualified to provide supports which the individual requires. |
| QA |
Quality Assurance. A structured method of measuring and documenting quality of services. |
| Redet |
Redetermination. A process of reassessment of an individual's continued eligibility for waiver services. Redetermination activities begin for each individual enrolled on a waiver at least three months prior to the date ending his/her current waiver span. New assessments must confirm continued Medicaid eligibility, and are to be used as guidelines for writing a new ISP appropriate for the individual's needs as described in the assessment report. |
| Rehabilitation |
A process that maximizes individuals' ability to live independently in their community, rehabilitation traditionally has focused on employment. |
| Research & Training Centers |
Funded by the National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation and Research, these organizations are designed to solve long-term issues in disability and are typically located at institutions where long-term support can insure that their missions are accomplished. |
| Resident Number |
Assigned by ODMRDD Information Systems for identification. The majority of the numbers have seven digits and a few are six digits. Twice yearly, each County Board reports on the IIF what services, if any, each eligible person residing in that county has received. On the IIF form this number is called, 'client number'. Waiver services are not directly related to this number. |
| Residential Advisory Group |
A statutorily mandated component of supported living administration, which requires a County Board of MRDD to convene a group of individuals to provide input and discuss issues relative to the operation of supported living in the county. At a minimum, this group must be comprised of an individual receiving supports, a County Board of MRDD representative, and a residential service provider. |
| Respite Care |
A service designed to provide temporary residence for a person with a disability who ordinarily lives with family or friends, or to assume temporary responsibility for care of the person in his or her own home. This service provides back-up support, and in some cases relief, to people responsible for care of an ill or disabled person who ordinarily lives in their household. |
| RFP |
Request for Proposal. One of the two methods by which providers may be included in the provider pool. This method affords the County Board of MRDD the opportunity to deny pool access to certain providers that do not meet their defined expectations. |
| RFW |
Residential Facilities Waiver. This is a home and community-based services waiver for people who live in group homes licensed by the ODMRDD. |
| RSI |
Residential Services Indicator. One of the assessment tools which was authorized to be used as a functional assessment in the OBRA Waiver. |
| SED |
Severely emotionally disturbed. |
| Self-Advocacy |
People with MRDD, either individually or in groups, speaking or acting on behalf of themselves, or on behalf of issues that affect people with disabilities. |
| Self-Determination |
An initiative built on the principles of freedom, authority, support, responsibility, and confirmation. Self-Determination gives people with disabilities the freedom to decide how they will live, work and participate in the community; the authority to decide how the money allocated to them will be spent; the supports that will allow that person to lead the life they choose; the responsibility of assuring that the money they are using is spent in a useful and appropriate manner; and confirmation that the person and his or her family are critical to making life decisions and designing the system to help them. |
| Service Coordinator |
A Service Coordinator(also may be called a Case Manager or Service and Support Administrator) is an experienced professional, such as a social worker or nurse, who works with clients and providers of services to coordinate the services for the client. For families who have a child with a disability, case managers should provide the family with the resources and support that the family needs to ensure that their child with a disability receives the services that are essential to their well-being. |
| SL |
Supported Living. Defined as assistance directed toward individuals with disabilities, which enables them to live as independently as possible in their own communities, with supports as they choose. |
| SMD |
Severely Mentally Disabled. A designation for those adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses who are at the greatest risk for needing services. The SMD designation has been made using four components: the receipt of SSI/SSDI for a mental impairment, diagnosis, duration of impairment and level of functioning. |
| SN |
Skilled Nursing. |
| SNF |
Skilled Nursing Facility. |
| Social Security Disability Insurance |
Monthly benefits are provided to disabled workers and their dependents through this plan funded by Social Security. Participants must have accrued sufficient quarter-years of employment and payment into the system to qualify for benefits. |
| SSA |
Service and Support Administrator is sometimes called a Case Manager. This person links the individual with appropriate service providers,and monitors progress. |
| SSI |
Social Security Income. The federal government provides income support to people 65 and cover, adults and children with blindness or other disabilities, who have few or no financial resources. |
| SSN |
Social Security Number. |
| Supported Employment |
Paid employment in community settings for persons with severe disabilities who need on-going support to perform their work. Support can include on-the-job training, transportation or supervision. |
| Supported Living |
Central to the concept of supported living is the goal of a supportive environment, living in one's home, and being included in the community. Many states use the Medicaid HCBS waiver to finance supported living. |
| TCM |
Targeted Case Management is the coordination of specialized services for an individual that helps them get the needed services, evaluates if the services are appropriate and monitors them. |
| Transition Planning |
Transition Planning is a coordinated set of activities focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of a student with disabilities to promote the student's movement from school to post-school activities. Post-school activities can include college, vocational training, employment, continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. Good transition planning is outcome-oriented, and focuses on results that help the student reach post-school goals. For students with disabilities, transition planning occurs during an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. |
| Universal Design |
The design of products and environments to be usable by all people without the need for adaptation or specialized design is the basis of this principle.. |
| Waiting List |
Each County Board of MRDD establishes a waiting list when there are not enough resources to meet the needs of everyone requesting services. If a person asks for a service that has a waiting list, a county will document the request, along with the date and time it was requested, and place the person's name on the list if the service is desired within the next twelve months. |
| Waiver |
Waiver is usually used in reference to the Home and Community-Based Waiver program where a state has applied for and received permission to use Medicaid funds to assist and keep people with disabilities in the community. Many of the restrictive requirements of using Medicaid monies are usually waived in these programs. |
| Waiver Span |
A consecutive 365 days, during which an individual's waiver is expected to be authorized. Ordinarily, the first day of an individual's span would be the same date of the year in which that individual first received waiver funding. In a Leap Year, a waiver span is 366 days. |
