Department of Mental Health (DMH)

DMH provides services such as casework, housing assistance, and community-based flexible supprorts (CBFS) to people with major mental illness who have trouble with their activities of daily life 

eligibility:  

An adult applicant must have a serious and long term mental illness that has resulted in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. Serious and long term mental illness is a disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, and that results in an inability to meet the ordinary demands of life 

 how to apply: 

• 1. find your local area office here. For most people it will be Boston, but for some it will be Tewksbury 

  2. fill out the following DMH application here  

  3. fill out the application, the DMH service authorization determination page, and just one of the two-way releases of information. On the two way release, you should put Cambridge health alliance under "I authorize the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to receive and release information from or to the person, agency or facility named below, either verbally or in writing, as indicated in this authorization."

  4. also, attach a copy of the following release- Cambridge health alliance medical records will only accept CHA internal release of information so DMH will have to fax that over when they get it. you should be releasing to the specific DMH area office that you are trying to get services from. 

Tip and Tricks

1. if you want your application to go faster, you can directly provide the DMH with the patient's intake evaluation and any other material that you think will prove that pt needs DMH services. to do this, you would need to find someone who is authorized to print medical records. if there is no one in your vicinity, you can fax your medical records release to the medical records dept (fax: 617-381-7179). the release can still be addressed to DMh, so that the medical records dept will send the records straight to DMH.  

2. you may need to outreach DMH a few times to get a pt's application processed. if you call the office and ask them for the "adult clinical service authorization unit" they will direct you to the people making hte determinations. You can simply ask about your patient and they will tell you where they are in the application process

Department of Developmental services (DDS)

DDS provides supportive services to people who had a diagnosable intellectual disability BEFORE AGE 18. 

Eligibility for adults 

Currently, the Department serves approximately 23,000 adults with intellectual disabilities. Eligibility is the first step towards obtaining specialized services and supports through the Department. To be eligible, the adult must:

• be 18 years or older; and,

• be domiciled in Massachusetts, which generally means residing and intending to remain in Massachusetts permanently or for an indefinitely period; and,

• have intellectual disability * as defined in DDS regulations, 115 CMR 2.00 Definitions (eff. Dec 2012)    .

*Intellectual disability is synonymous in definition with mental retardation.

Note: children under age 18 may be eligible for services as well, they would just need to fill out the application for children ages 5-22.

Services Available 

• Service Coordination

• Community Residential Supports

• State-Operated Residential Supports

• Facility Supports

• Individual Supports

• Community Day Supports

• Employment Supports

• Family Support Services

  • 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.

• Central Residential Services (CRS)

  • Forms for Central Residential Services (CRS)

How to apply

To apply for our services, you must complete the Application for Eligibility Form. Application forms are available at our area offices, regional offices and on this website. You can fax or mail the completed application to the regional eligibility team that covers the geographical area where you live.

You can expect to be contacted by a Regional Eligibility Team member to schedule a face-to-face meeting to begin gathering the information needed to determine eligibility for our services. The meeting can take place at a departmental office, or a convenient location where an interview can occur.

this page last updated: 9/7/2023