Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
The Road Forward:
DDS and Chapter 688
Transitional Services
for Massachusetts Families
DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES
Victor Hernandez
February 5, 2011
What We Will Discuss
Key Questions
Parental Concerns
Bumps in the Road
The School and Transition
Massachusetts Chapter 688
The Role of Parent and
Student
DDS Transition Planning
Individual Transition Plan
DDS Services
1
Key Questions…
 What happens when my child is done with school?
 How does DDS receive funds to serve students turning 22 every year?
 How is the amount of funding each person receives determined?
 What is the prioritization process?
2
Parental Concerns
 Families feel that they are frustrated, anxious, scared and
overwhelmed by the transition process.
 Families acknowledge that they are unaware of what they do not know
and lacked basic information about what questions to ask.
 Families want to be informed of the realities of the system impediments
and structures; however they want to feel that all parties are working
together towards a common goal.
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The School and Transition
 There are two laws that provide two very different types of transition
requirements for youth with disabilities.
 They can be confusing because although they both are called
“transition” (and they involve many of the same players), but the two
transition processes do very different things.
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The School and Transition
IDEA--- The federal special education law, Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) contains a number of requirements related to
transition, which focus on the school district’s obligation to provide
transition services before a young adult graduates or turns 22 and exits
SPED.
Ch. 688--- Chapter 688, a MA state law, establishes a process which
helps to determine which state human service agency will be
responsible for adult services and begins the transition process for the
young adult when they graduate or turns 22.
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Massachusetts Chapter 688
A law to highlight the needs of students who will lose their SPED
entitlement
Provides a two year planning process
A process for accessing appropriate adult service agency for student
after SPED
Transitional Agency will develop an Individual Transition Plan (ITP)
Is not a continuation of SPED services nor is an entitlement for services
after SPED
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688 Eligibility
All persons referred to Chapter 688 must be:
• Receiving special education services in Massachusetts
• In need of continuing services because of severity of disability
• Unable to work 20 or more hours per week in competitive employment
Persons who are automatically eligible for Chapter 688:
• Anyone receiving SSI and/or SSDI based on his/her own disability
• Anyone listed in the registry of the Massachusetts Commission for the
Blind
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The 688 Process
At least two years prior to graduation or turning 22,
the school district makes a 688 referral
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The 688 Referral Form
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The 688 Process
 The school district must request the parent, young adult, or guardian to
sign the consent to send school records to the appropriate local adult
human services agency
 The Human Service Agency begins their adult eligibility process
 The Human Services Agency must develop the Individual Transition
Plan (ITP)
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The ITP
 The Individual Transition Plan (ITP) specifies what kinds of support the
student/family is requesting upon leaving special education
 The ITP meeting is normally held about one year before the student is
ready to leave school
 The purpose of an ITP meeting is to develop a plan that includes the
interests, skills and needs of the person
 The ITP does not contain specific goals and objectives, or identify
specific provider agencies
 Supports identified in the ITP are not guaranteed or create an
entitlement; they are subject to prioritization, appropriation and
availability.
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Benefits of the 688 Process
 The 688 process ensures that the student is working with the
appropriate adult human service agency before exiting SPED
 Provides very specific timelines for planning and transition to the new
agency.
 The ITP enables the adult agency to understand the students’ needs
and to begin programmatic and fiscal planning
 By specifying an individual’s needs before exiting SPED, the family and
agency can plan and advocate as appropriate.
 Any student is free to apply directly to an adult agency outside of the
688 process, but going through the process ensures that the agencies
have enough time to set up a transition.
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The Role of the Parent/Student
 The 688 referral should be discussed at the IEP Team meeting at least
two years before the student is expected to graduate or turn 22, as part
of transition planning.
 Ask the school to submit a 688 referral for your child.
 It must be signed by the parent, legal guardian, or by the young adult
who is 18 or older.
 Request a copy of the form that is submitted.
 The parent/ student may want to consider applying for Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) and to MassHealth.
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MASSCAP
 MASSCAP stands for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment
Process
 DDS created the MASSCAP for adults in order to determine what
types of services the person needs
 It addresses the question of “Who needs DDS funded residential
supports, defined as 24/7 out-of-home, 24 hour, 7 days a week?”
 MASSCAP also addresses the question that if an individual does not
need 24/7, out-of-home residential supports, what other types of
supports would meet the person’s need
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MASSCAP
The MASSCAP assesses:
• The functional limitations of an individual
• What resources are currently available to support the individual
• Specific characteristics of the individual, such as unique medical,
mental health or forensic issues
• Caregiver capacity to provide care, since an individual’s need for 24/7
out-of-home residential support is an interaction between the person’s
needs and the ability of the caregiver(s) to provide care
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MASSCAP
 The MASSCAP Summary Profile assists the Area Office in making
prioritization decisions
 It ensures that individuals are offered an array of supports in the family
or individual’s home to DDS funded 24/7 residential support services
 Families and guardians will be actively engaged in discussion with
DDS about the variety of options available to support their family
members based on their MASSCAP profile.
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DDS Transition Coordinator (688TC)
 The DDS Transition Coordinator (688TC) is the case manager who
works at the local DDS Area Office.
 The 688 TC is the student’s primary link to assistance from DDS during
the transition from special education to adult life.
 The 688 TC visits the student’s programs and attends IEP meetings as
needed in preparation for the Individual Transition Plan (ITP)
development.
 The 688 TC will work with the individual and their family from less
restrictive alternatives to a court appointed guardian.
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DDS Transition Coordinator (688TC)
 688 TC assists in identifying and securing needed supports, which are
consistent with the individual’s vision and ITP.
 Referrals are made to services and coordination continues if an
individual receives adult supports upon graduation or reaching the age
of 22.
 The Transition Coordinator will help those involved understand what
DDS and other agencies can offer
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FY11 Turning 22 Budget
5920-5000.. For services to clients of the department who turn 22 years
of age during state fiscal year 2011; provided, that the department shall
report to the house and senate committees on ways and means not later
than January 4, 2011, on the use of any funds encumbered or expended
from this item including, but not limited to the number of clients served in
each region and the types of services purchased in each
region....................................................... $5,000,000
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DDS Adult Services
RESIDENTIAL
DDS Community 24 Hour Residential Supports provide care,
supervision and basic life skills and community living skills training in
various residential setting.
SHARED LIVING
Shared living is a residential support in which an individual resides
with another, non-disabled person or host family
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS
Individual Supports consist of assistance with a variety of activities that
is provided regularly or intermittently to enable individuals to live as
independently as possible in the community. Individual supports
include help with food shopping, cooking, banking, and housekeeping.
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DDS Adult Services
EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT
Employment Supports provide supervision, training, and/or
transportation that enable individuals to get paid jobs. It includes
help with career planning and job development as well.
Community Day Supports
Day supports helps individuals to build and maintain their ability to
participate in community activities by focusing on important skill
areas that include communication, self-care, relationship building
and community involvement.
Individual Supports
Individual Supports consist of assistance with a variety of activities
that is provided regularly or intermittently to enable individuals to
live as independently as possible in the community. Individual
supports include help with food shopping, cooking, banking, and
housekeeping.
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DDS Adult Services
FAMILY SUPPORT
Family Support Services consist of supplemental supports that
help a family to care for their family member at home. Types of
family support services include individual and/or family education
and training, support groups, family support coordination, supports
planning, supports for community participation, outreach and
education, and respite.
Respite
Respite provides short term out of home care for the individual with
intellectual disability. It allows parents and other primary
caregivers to handle personal matters, emergencies, or take a
break.
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What do we hope to achieve?
 Families have access to information that includes critical timelines,
essential contacts, and a summary of the transition planning process
 A choice/array of service opportunities
 Positive and constructive working relationships (long term)
 Satisfied individuals and families
 A successful transition
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What are the bumps in the road?
 Chapter 688 is not an entitlement service
 The budget is the budget
 Not everyone will receive everything they would like to receive, when
they would like to receive it
 Resources are often limited and an area often will existing resources to
meet everyone’s needs
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Need vs. Want
 DDS sometimes must piece together services that are not exactly what
families want: e.g. state plan services, community based day services,
etc.
 Due to the lack of available resources, DDS may not be able to offer a
responsive array of choices for the families
 Families are frustrated and disappointed that DDS cannot address their
needs and wants.
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Key Questions…
 What happens when my child is done with school?
 How does DDS receive funds to serve students turning 22 every year?
 How is the amount of funding each person receives determined?
 What is the prioritization process?
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