Mental Health Waiver
The cost of private nursing home care in Connecticut is among the highest in the nation, at over $130,000 annually. The Mental Health Waiver (previously called W.I.S.E.) program, authorized in §1915(c) of the Social Security Act, permits the State to furnish an array of home and community-based services that assist Medicaid beneficiaries to live in the community and avoid institutional care.
Since 2009, ABH® has been the fiscal intermediary for the Mental Health Waiver program. The Mental Health Waiver is a program operated by the Department of Mental Health and Addictions Services (DMHAS) and the Department of Social Services (DSS) for Medicaid individuals with serious mental illness who either live in a nursing home or are at risk of institutional placement.
The Mental Health Waiver permits Connecticut to provide a comprehensive array of home and community-based services that enable individuals to live safely in the community. Individualized recovery plans developed with each person include rehabilitative or support services, the Community Support Program, Peer Support, Transitional Case Management, Supported Employment, Recovery Assistant, Non-Medical Transportation and specialized medical equipment.
Contact Information:Ann Marie Luongo, LPC |
Forms & Resources: |
Find more information about the Mental Health Waiver program at the DMHAS website »
Mental Health Waiver Program Login ›
ABH’s responsibilities include...
- Outreach and recruitment of service providers
- Credentialing of providers for waiver services
- Maintaining a Provider Network
- Managing a database of clients, recovery plans, and authorizations
- Developing and conducting Recovery Assistant training and post-trainings
- Processing and paying provider claims
- Providing payroll services for Self Directed Recovery Assistants
- Quality assurance of providers
Successes and Milestones
Since the program’s inception, ABH has:
- Credentialed over 100 Mental Health Waiver provider organizations
- Trained over 7,000 Recovery Assistants, regularly obtaining an average satisfaction score above 90% for all trainings
- Processed over $112 million in Provider claims
- Obtained a 97% satisfaction rating from Providers
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