|
Autism Waiver services are provided by four major types of individuals who are trained by professionals from the Kansas
Center for Autism Training and Research (KCART): Autism Specialists, Intensive Individual Service Providers, Respite Providers,
and Parent Support and Training Providers. Waiver Service Providers can either be Independent Providers or employees of an
agency.
Autism Specialists (AS)
Consultative Clinical and Therapeutic Services are intended to assist the family and paid support staff or other professionals
in carrying out the Individual Behavioral Program/ Plan of Care (IBP/POC) that supports the child’s functional development and
inclusion in the community. Consultative and therapeutic services are provided by the Autism Specialist and include assessment
of the child and family’s strengths and needs, development of the IBP/POC, training and technical assistance to the family and
paid support staff in order to carry out the program, and monitoring of the child’s progress within the program and of the family
and/or other providers implementation of the program. The IBP is a required component of the child’s Individualized Plan of Care.
These services may be provided in all customary and usual community locations including where the child lives, attend schools
and/or childcare, and/or socializes.
For the purposes of this service, "family" is defined as the persons who live with or provide care to a person served
on the waiver, and may include a parent, step parent, legal guardian, siblings, relatives, grandparents, or foster parents.
Qualifications for the Autism Specialist:
- Master’s degree, preferably in human services or education or Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and
- 2000 hours of supervised experience working with a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder *
- Completion of state approved curriculum
- Must successfully pass background checks from the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI), KDADS Adult and Child
Protective Services Registries (APS) (CPS), Kansas Health & Environment Nurse Aid Registry, and Motor Vehicle
screen.
- Medicaid Enrolled Provider
* There is an exception policy allowing KDADS to waive 1,000 hours of the required experience for individuals who are (BCBA).
Click here for more information about Board Certified Behavior Analysts
*Services are limited to 50 hours or 200 units (one unit is equal to 15 minutes) per calendar year (January - December);
request for additional hours must have prior authorization.
Back to Top
Intensive Individual Support Providers (IIS)
Services provided to a child with an autism spectrum disorder designed to assist in acquiring, retaining, improving, and
generalization of the self-help, socialization, and adaptive skills necessary to reside and function successfully in home and
community settings. Services will be provided through evidence based and data driven methodologies. Intensive Individual
Supports include the development of skills such as:
- Social skills to enhance participation in family, school, and community activities (e.g., imitation, social
initiations and response to adults and peers, parallel and interactive play with peers and siblings);
- Expressive verbal language, receptive language, and nonverbal communication skills;
- A functional symbolic communication system;
- Increased engagement and flexibility in developmentally appropriate tasks and play, including the ability to
attend to the environment and respond to an appropriate motivational system;
- Fine and gross motor skills used for age appropriate functional activities, as needed;
- Cognitive skills, including symbolic play and basic concepts, as well as academic skills;
- Replacement of problem behaviors with more conventional and appropriate behaviors; and
- Independent organizational skills and other socially appropriate behaviors that facilitate successful community
integration (e.g., completing a task independently, following instructions in a group, asking for help).
The majority of these contacts must occur in customary and usual community locations where the child lives, attend
schools and/or childcare, and/or socializes. Services provided in an educational setting must not be academic in purpose.
Services furnished to a child who is an inpatient or resident of a hospital, nursing facility, intermediate care facility
for persons with mental retardation, or institution for mental disease are non-covered.
Services must be recommended by a team, are subject to prior approval, and must be intended to achieve the goals or
objectives identified in the child’s IBP/POC.
Transportation may be provided between the participant’s place of residence and other services sites or places in the
community and the cost of transportation is included in the rate paid to providers of this services.
Qualifications for Intensive Individual Support Providers:
- Bachelor’s Degree in a related field or 60 hours college credit hours and 1,000 hours experience working
with a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Completion of the state approved
training curriculum (which will include a hands-on component)
- Must work under the direction of a Autism Specialist
- Successfully pass background checks from the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI), KDADS Adult and Child
Protective Services Registries (APS) (CPS), Kansas Health & Environment Nurse Aid Registry, and Motor Vehicle
screen.
- Medicaid Enrolled Provider
* Services are limited to 25 hours per week or 100 units (one unit is equal to 15 minutes) per week, per calendar year 3
(January - December).
Back to Top
Respite Care Providers
Respite Care provides temporary direct care and supervision for the child. The primary purpose is relief to families/caregivers
of a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The service is designed to help meet the needs of the primary caregiver as well as
the identified child. Normal activities of daily living are considered content of the service when providing respite care, and
include support in the home, after school, or at night.
Respite Care can be provided in a child’s home or place of residence or provided in other community settings. Respite
Services provided by or in an Institute for Mental Disease (IMD) and/or an Intermediate Care Facility for Mental Retardation
(ICF/MR) are non-covered.
Transportation to and from school/medical appointments/ or other community based activities, and/or any combination of
the above is included in the rate paid to providers of this service.
Federal financial participation (FFP) is not claimed for the cost of room & board. Respite care does not duplicate
any other Medicaid State Plan Service or service otherwise available to recipient at no cost.
Provider Qualifications for Respite Providers:
- High School Diploma or equivalent
- Eighteen years of age or older
- Must meet family’s qualifications
- Must reside outside of child’s home
- Will work under the direction of the Autism Specialist
- Completion of the State approved training curriculum
- Successfully pass background checks from the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI), KDADS Adult and Child
Protective Services Registries (APS) (CPS), Kansas Health & Environment Nurse Aid Registry, and Motor Vehicle
screen.
- Enrolled Medicaid Provider
* Services are limited to 168 hours or 672 units (one unit is equal to 15 minutes) per calendar year (January - December).
Back to Top
Parent Support and Training (peer to peer)
Parent Support and Training is designed to provide the training and support necessary to ensure engagement and active
participation of the family in the treatment process and with the ongoing implementation and reinforcement of skills learned
throughout the treatment process. Support and training is provided to family members to increase their ability to provide a
safe and supportive environment in the home and community for the child. This involves assisting the family with the
acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary to understand and address the specific needs of the child in relation to their
autism spectrum disorder and treatment; and development and enhancement of the family’s specific problem-solving skills,
coping mechanisms, and strategies for the child's symptom/behavior management.
For the purposes of this service, "family" is defined as persons who live with or provide care to a person served on the
waiver, and may include a parent, step parent, legal guardian, siblings, relatives, grandparents, or foster parents.
Services may be provided individually or in a group setting. Services must be recommended by a treatment team, are subject
to prior approval, and must be intended to achieve the goals or objectives identified in the child's IBP/POC.
Parent Support and Training does not duplicate any other Medicaid State Plan Service or other services otherwise
available to recipient at no cost.
Peer to Peer Provider Qualifications:
- High School Diploma or equivalent
- Twenty-one years of age or older
- Completion of parent support training or other approved
training curriculum
- Must have three years of direct care experience with a child with an autism spectrum disorder Is the
parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder age three or older
- Works under the direction of the Autism specialist
- Successfully pass background checks from the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI), KDADS Adult and Child
Protective Services Registries (APS) (CPS), Kansas Health & Environment Nurse Aid Registry, and Motor Vehicle
screen.
- Enrolled Medicaid Provider
* Services are limited to 30 hours or 120 units (one unit is equal to 15 minutes) per calendar year (January - December).
Limit applies whether it is group, individual or combination of both.
Back to Top
Family Adjustment Counseling
Counseling provided to the family members of a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in order to guide and help them cope
with the child’s illness and the related stress that accompanies the initial understanding of the diagnosis and the ongoing
continuous, daily care required by the child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Enabling the family to manage this stress
improves the likelihood that the child with the disorder will continue to be cared for at home, thereby preventing premature
and otherwise unnecessary institutionalization. Family Adjustment Counseling provides a safe and supporting environment for
the family to express emotions associated with the comprehension of the disorder and to ask questions about the disorder to
achieve acceptance of the disorder and prepare the family to support the child on an ongoing basis.
For the purposes of this service, "family" is defined as persons who live with or provide unpaid care to a person served
on the waiver, and may include a parent, step parent, legal guardian, siblings, relatives, or grandparents. Services may be
provided individually or in a group setting. Services must be recommended by a treatment team, are subject to prior approval,
and must be intended to achieve the goals or objectives identified in the child's IBC/POC.
Family Adjustment Counseling does not duplicate any other Medicaid State Plan Service or other services otherwise
available to recipient at no cost.
Family Adjustment Counseling Provider Qualifications:
- Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP)
- Will maintain an ongoing collaborative relationship with the Autism Specialist beginning at time of referral
* Services are limited to 12 hours or 48 units (one unit is equal to 15 minutes) per calendar year (January - December). Limit applies whether it is group,
individual or combination of both.
Back to Top
Interpersonal Communication Therapy
Interpersonal Communication Therapy (ICT) services remediate social communications symptoms related to the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder and will be provided through evidence based methodologies. The Autism Specialist is the entity that identifies needed services and the providers for meeting those needs through the development of an individualized plan of care. This tool (the Individualized Behavioral Program/Plan of care (IBP/POC) is used to delineate the specific objective/goals which the various team members are to work. The Plan of Care (approved by State Staff) will delineate the role of the specialist providing the ICT services, such as the ongoing evaluation and identification of the necessary communication needs of the child. When appropriate, the Autism Specialist will coordinate with the Interpersonal Communication Therapy provider to identify those needs and develop goals in those areas. The ICT provider has specific training and education in the area of communication and therefore can provide specific direction in those areas. When specific deficits are identified, the ICT provider will initiate these targeted interventions. The Intensive Individualized Support (IIS) is the identified provider who will implement the ongoing interventions identified in the IBP/POC by the Autism Specialist. Where appropriate the Autism Specialist will consult with the ICT provider to ensure that the IIS provider is trained in any specialized techniques specific to the communication needs of the child.
Interpersonal Communication Therapy services:
- Teaching conversational skills;
- The initiation of spontaneous communication in functional activities across social partners and settings;.
- The comprehension of verbal and nonverbal discourse in social and community settings;
- Communication for a range of social functions that are reciprocal; and
- The development of a functional communication system.
The majority of these contacts must occur in customary and usual community locations where the child lives, goes to child care, and /or socializes.
- a. Provider Qualifications:
- Medicaid enrolled provider
- Licensed Speech Pathologist with a certificate of Clinical competence from the American Speech and
Hearing Association.
- 1,000 hours experience working with a child with an Autism Spectrum disorder
- Completion of state approved curriculum (prior to or within 6 months of being notified of being an
approved Medicaid provider) CSS will be monitoring enrolled providers to ensure providers are completing
the required curriculum.
- Successfully complete the state approved curriculum, (prior to or within 6 months of being notified of
being an approved Medicaid provider). It is strongly suggested that training be taken in a sequent
order. CSS will be monitoring enrolled providers to ensure providers are completing the required
curriculum.
- If an Interpersonal Communication Therapy (ICT) provider does not successfully complete the
required curriculum and activities (score of at least 80%) then they have the ability to retake the
on-line assessment and /or the hands-on skill fluency within two months of being notified they did
not receive 80% on the first assessment(s).
- If an ICT provider should not receive a score of 80% or more on the second on-line assessment
and/or skill fluency then. The third assessment must be taken within two months of being notified
they did not receive 80% on the second assessment(s). The ICT provider must successfully complete
the required curriculum and activities within the above mention time frames to continue being a
provider of services under the Autism Waiver.
- Must successfully pass background check with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), Adult Protective
Services (APS), Child Protective Services (CPS), Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment Kansas Nurse
Aid Registry, and Motor Vehicle Screen.
- Must maintain all standards, certifications, and licenses required for the specific [professional field
through which service is provided including but not limited to: professional license/certification if
required; adherence to DBHS/CSS training and professional development requirements
- Must be willing to work with all members of the autism waiver team
- Limitations:
- The maximum allowable units per child are 8 units per week per calendar year.
- Services must be recommended by an Autism Specialist and Physician; a Drs. order must be written for
services and maintained in the child’s file.
- Services must be identified in the child’s IBP/POC.
- No more than one ICT provider may be paid for at any given time of day.
- Travel time is not reimbursable
- Persons with family relationships to the beneficiary cannot provide services Interpersonal Communication
Therapy.
- b. Interpersonal Communication Therapy billing:
- Interpersonal Communication Therapy service is billed by units of service. A unit equals 15 minutes, at
a rate of $ 17.46 per unit. Units are limited to 8 units per week per calendar year. Prior authorization is
required for this service through the plan of care.
- Services are to be billed by date of service.
- Written documentation is required for services provided and billed to the Kansas Medical Assistance
Program (see section G for greater details on documentation).
Back to Top
|
