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Military APD Town Hall Q&A

What is happening with the waiting list for APD services?

There are about 21,400 people on the APD waiting list.  APD was very fortunate this year to receive $36 million to enroll about 1,600 people with critical needs off the waiting list this year.  Governor Scott is recommending $20 million for the waiting list for next fiscal year.  That money would enroll about 1,400 people with critical needs from the waiting list.

Relocation- When Military Families relocate to a new location, they are required to start over and reestablish a "new home" for their family.  This can be difficult for the "typical" family finding new schools, a house, doctors, support networks etc. When a member has a dependent with significant Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities this becomes much more challenging.  Are there temporary services available that could assist military families with relocation? 

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities may be able to provide short term funding for families who have an emergency situation. These families are like all other Florida families, in that if they meet crisis criteria, they will be reviewed for enrollment into the Medicaid waiver program to receive community services.

APD has an online resource directory that may be able to provide community solutions.

Additionally, APD has begun exploring how other states address the needs of active military families with family members with developmental disabilities who are transferred, and are exploring the financial impact of enrolling individuals in Florida’s Medicaid waiver if the individual is already receiving waiver services in the state they are leaving.

Deployment/Single parent--In an effort to keep the military members mission-focused, are deployment cycles or single parents considered during the intake process for a military family with dependents diagnosed with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities?     

At the time of initial application for APD services, APD is reviewing documentation to support APD eligibility.  Upon determination of eligibility, APD also develops a support plan and looks at service needs of the person which would include researching community resources available to meet the person’s needs.

State Services Vary-Is it possible for APD to provide grant money to military families to attend the State Disability Conference for education and training on Florida services.

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities does provide funding to Family Café that helps provide scholarships to families. APD would not provide a grant directly to a family to attend Family Café. However, the family can either (1) apply to Family Café for a scholarship or (2) ask their local Family Care Council.  Both FCC’s in the NW Region specifically allocate funds to assist individuals/families to attend conferences. This would include Family Café.  We would certainly want to steer these families to the FCC as much as possible.

If unable to access a onetime purchase for medical or safety concerns through military emergency relief can APD provide this assistance.

If a person is on the waiting list and they have a onetime need, the Agency may have Individual and Family Supports (IFS) funds that could be used to fund this purchase if: the purchase is an allowable expense and if APD has available funds. Additionally, the person’s waiting list coordinator would assist the family in seeking this one time need through other available community resources.

How many people does the Agency for Persons with Disabilities serve?

There are currently about 30,000 being served through the Medicaid Waiver, about 700 people at APD centers, and about 21,000 on the waiting list who receive one-time services from APD throughout the year. All children who are Medicaid eligible on the waiting list receive Medicaid State Plan services and other services through their schools. Many people on the waiting list may not need services today, but get on the list in case one day they do need community services. 

How do we help military families with developmental disabilities that reside away from major installations?  For instance, a spouse of a deployed service member moves back to her Florida hometown while her husband or wife is deployed---where does she/he go to get the assistance? 

APD has six regional office and several field offices with each region.  Families can go online to APDcares.org or call 1-866-APD-cares to find the nearest office to them and the way to apply for services.

How do we take care of our Guard member's families, who typically don't reside near our major installations?

All Florida families who have a member with a developmental disability may apply for APD services.  If the individual is not in a crisis situation, they will likely be added to the waiting list.  If the person or family is in a crisis situation, APD will offer services to alleviate the current crisis and work to have the individual added to the Medicaid waiver through the crisis process.