Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD)- DBHDD operates state hospitals and provides for community-based services across the state through contracted providers. The department serves people living with mental health challenges, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or any combination of these. As Georgia’s public safety net, our primary responsibility is to serve people who are uninsured. We also serve individuals on Medicaid and others with few resources or options. 

DBHDD is the state governing agency for the NOW/COMP waiver. Click here to view the provider manual - DBHDD Provider Manual and community provider manuals - DBHDD Community Provider Manuals 

Community-Based Services for Individuals Living with Developmental Disabilities

DBHDD offers a variety of services to eligible individuals living with developmental disabilities. To find out whether you, or a family member, are eligible to receive DD services, please complete these forms and provide supporting documentation of the developmental disability to the Intake and Evaluation office in your region. The local office will contact you within 14 days of receipt of your application to make arrangements to conduct a screening in order to make a preliminary eligibility determination. Once the determination is made, a letter will be sent to you notifying of your eligibility status. The following services may be offered to eligible individuals based upon a professional determination of need and available community resources:

Adult Occupational Therapy Services promote fine motor skill development, coordination and sensory integration, and facilitate the use of adaptive equipment or technology.

Adult Physical Therapy Services address participants’ physical therapy needs resulting from developmental disabilities. These services promote gross and fine motor skills and facilitate independent functioning.

Adult Speech and Language Therapy Services address adult participants’ speech and language therapy needs, preserving their speech communication capacity and function.

Behavioral Supports Consultation is the professional-level service that assists participants with significant, intensive and challenging behaviors that interfere with activities of daily living, social interaction, work or similar situations.

Community Access is designed to help participants acquire, retain or improve self-help, socialization and adaptive skills required for active participation and independent functioning outside the home.

Community Guide services are only for participants who opt for participant direction. These services help participants to define and direct their own services and supports and to meet the responsibilities of participant direction.

Community Living Support services are individually tailored supports that assist with the acquisition, retention or improvement of skills related to participants’ continued residence in their family homes.

Community Residential Alternatives are available to individuals who require intense levels of residential support in small group settings of four or fewer or in host home/life-sharing arrangements. Services include a range of interventions that focus on training and support in one or more of the following areas: eating and drinking, toileting, personal grooming and health care, dressing, communication, interpersonal relationships, mobility, home management and use of leisure time.

Crisis Respite Homes exist in residential settings and provide short-term crisis services. Each home serves up to four individuals who are experiencing an emotional/behavioral change and/or distress that leads to a disruption of essential functions. Placement in Crisis Respite Homes occurs when individuals have not responded to less restrictive crisis interventions.

Environmental Accessibility Adaptation consists of physical adaptations to participants’ (or family members’) homes which are necessary to ensure the health, welfare and safety, or which enable individuals to function with greater independence in the home.

Financial Support Services are provided to assure that participant-directed funds outlined in Individual Service Plans are managed and distributed as intended.

Group Homes are licensed homes that serve up to four individuals with developmental disabilities who require intense levels of residential support. Group Homes provide a range of interventions that focus on training and support in one or more of the following areas: eating and drinking, toileting, personal grooming and health care, dressing, communication, interpersonal relationships, mobility, home management and use of leisure time.

Host Homes are private homes of individuals or families, whether owned or leased, in which life-sharing, residential supports are provided to one or two adults with developmental disabilities, who are not to be related to the occupant owner or lessee by blood or marriage. The homeowners or lessees may not be employed by the provider agency that subcontracts for the host home services.

Individual Directed Goods and Services that are not otherwise be provided through the NOW or Medicaid State Plan may be identified by individuals, support coordinators and interdisciplinary teams, and include services, equipment and supplies.

Individual Support Plan is the range of services an individual receives based on professional determination of need.

Mobile Crisis Services dispatch Mobile Crisis Teams (MCTs) to crisis locations for individuals with developmental disabilities. MCT members are responsible for completing comprehensive assessments of each crisis situation and mitigating risks to health and safety of individuals in crisis and/or others. MCTs also make referrals to intensive crisis services or hospital emergency rooms if necessary.

Natural Support Training exists for individuals who provide unpaid support, training, companionship or supervision to participants.

Prevocational Services prepare participants for paid or unpaid employment and include teaching concepts such as compliance, attendance, task completion, problem solving and safety.

Respite Services provide brief periods of support or relief for individuals with disabilities or their caregivers and include maintenance respite for planned or scheduled relief or emergency/crisis respite for a brief period of support for participants experiencing crisis (usually behavioral) or in instances of family emergency.

Specialized Medical Equipment consists of devices, controls or appliances specified in the Individual Service Plan, which enable participants to increase their abilities to perform activities of daily living and to interact more independently with their environment.

Specialized Medical Supplies consist of food supplements, special clothing, diapers, bed wetting protective sheets and other authorized supplies specified in the Individual Service Plan.

Support Coordination is a set of interrelated activities that identify, coordinate and review the delivery of appropriate services with the objective of protecting the health and safety of participants while ensuring access to services.

Supported Employment enables participants, for whom competitive employment at or above the minimum wage is unlikely absent the provision of supports, to work in a regular work setting.

Transportation services enable participants to gain access to waiver and other community services, activities, resources, and organizations typically utilized by the general population. These services do not include transportation available through Medicaid non-emergency transportation or as an element of another waiver service.

Vehicle Adaptation includes adaptations to participants’ (or family members’) vehicles approved in the Individual Service Plan, such as hydraulic lifts, ramps, special seats and other modifications to allow for access into and out of the vehicle as well as safety while moving.

Understanding the Waiver Crisis in Georgia - View the Final Report on the Senate Study Committee on People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Waiver Plan Access