Idaho DD Waiver resources for Treasure Valley families
A curated, verified set of links and tools for navigating Idaho's adult developmental-disability
services. We keep this honest: official sources first, with notes on what changes year to year.
1Start here
Hi, I’m Maya, a direct support professional, and this page is for families of Idaho adults with developmental disabilities. This first section has our three family guides, a quick eligibility check, and a way to ask GemState a question.
Maya is an illustrated, fictional guide.
Start here
New to all this? These are the fastest ways to get your bearings.
Maya’s tip Explains the assessment meeting that decides eligibility and the budget, and how to get ready for it. Useful once you have applied and are waiting for the assessor to contact you.
Maya’s tip Our contact page, where you can send GemState a question about any step. Useful when you get stuck, or you can call (208) 247-9010.
2Applying
This section covers the official Idaho pages for both applications, HCBS Medicaid and the Adult DD packet, plus the live income limits and how to find your DHW office.
Apply (official Idaho sources)
The two applications, the live income limits, and how to find your office.
Maya’s tip DHW’s official page for the DD side of applying: the Adult DD application packet, the forms, and the regional office list. Useful when you are ready to download the packet.
Maya’s tip Idaho’s online benefits portal, where you fill out the financial Medicaid application. Useful to do early, because HCBS Medicaid must be approved before DD services start.
Maya’s tip Explains the other ways to apply for Medicaid: by phone at 877-456-1233, by mail, or in person. Useful if you would rather not apply online.
Maya’s tip Lists the current income and resource limits for Medicaid. Useful before you apply, and worth rechecking because the figures change every year.
Maya’s tip A locator for your regional DHW office, plus the statewide help line (2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588). Useful when you need to return the DD packet or visit in person.
3The program
This section covers how services work once you are eligible: Traditional services through an agency, self-direction where you hire your own workers, and who does the independent assessment.
Understand the program
How services work once you are eligible, and who does the assessment.
Maya’s tip Explains the agency pathway, what a plan developer does, and how person-centered planning works. Useful if you want a certified agency to manage services.
Maya’s tip Explains self-direction, where you hire your own workers with a support broker and a managed budget. Useful if you want more say in who provides support.
Maya’s tip Liberty Healthcare’s page on the independent assessments it performs for DHW, with the Idaho IAS phone line. Useful when the assessment is coming up. Confirm the current contractor with DHW.
4The rules
This section covers the source documents: the Idaho law that defines developmental disability, the state rules behind the waiver, and the federal waiver record. Useful if you want the exact wording.
The rules and the waiver
The primary law and regulations, for anyone who wants to read the source.
Maya’s tip The Idaho law that defines developmental disability, including onset before age 22 and the 3-of-7 life areas test. Useful if you want to read the exact legal wording.
Maya’s tip The full state rule for adult DD waiver eligibility and services, including residential habilitation. It is long, so it is most useful when you search it for a specific topic.
Maya’s tip The rule section on residential habilitation, confirming it is delivered in the person’s own home, not an institution. That fits GemState, where participants live in their own home or apartment.
Maya’s tip The federal record for Idaho’s Adult DD Waiver (#0076), the waiver that funds these services. Useful if you want the official federal source.
5Advocacy
This section covers independent Idaho organizations that help families navigate and advocate, including DisAbility Rights Idaho, which offers free help if rights or services are denied.
Advocacy and family support
Independent Idaho organizations that help families navigate and advocate.
Maya’s tip The Arc’s Idaho page, covering advocacy, life-skills and job training, and family resource referral. Useful when you want help finding family resources.
Maya’s tip Statewide parent training and disability navigation, reachable at (208) 342-5884. Useful when you want guidance from a group built for parents.
Maya’s tip Idaho’s university center for DD, covering training, assistive technology, and disability resources for families. Useful when you are looking for assistive technology or training.
6Self-direction
This section covers the vendors that manage the budget, payroll, and worker paperwork if you self-direct. You only need one if you choose self-direction.
Self-direction support
If you self-direct, these vendors manage your budget, payroll, and worker paperwork.
Maya’s tip A financial management services (FMS) vendor for self-direction, the kind that handles the budget, payroll, and worker paperwork. Only needed if you choose to self-direct.
Maya’s tip Another DHW-listed fiscal employer agent for self-direction. Useful for comparing vendors, along with Acumen and Valentine CPA, which DHW also lists.
7Checklist
This section covers the whole process on one list, from gathering documents to choosing a certified residential habilitation provider. Print it or save it as a PDF and check things off as you go.
Application checklist
A simple list of what to gather and do. Use your browser to print it or save it as a PDF.
Gather documentation of the qualifying disability and that it began before age 22.
Maya’s tip Covers records that show the disability and that it started before age 22. These matter because onset before 22 is part of the legal definition.
Get a current health exam and a current medication list.
Maya’s tip Covers a recent health exam and an up-to-date medication list. These go in with your application packet.
List treatment providers, and gather any seizure logs or incident reports.
Maya’s tip Covers the people who treat your loved one, plus any seizure logs or incident reports. Useful for showing the full picture of support needs.
Apply for HCBS Medicaid through idalink, by phone (877-456-1233), or at a DHW office.
Maya’s tip Covers the financial application, HCBS Medicaid, and the three ways to apply. It must be approved before DD services start.
Download and complete the Adult DD Application Packet from DHW.
Maya’s tip Covers the second application, the Adult DD packet, from the DHW apply page above. You need both applications.
Return the packet with your documents to your regional DHW DD office.
Maya’s tip Covers sending the finished packet and your documents to your regional DD office. The office locator above helps you find it.
Complete the functional assessment when the assessor contacts you.
Maya’s tip Covers the assessment meeting that decides eligibility and the budget. Our assessment preparation guide in Start here explains what to expect.
Read your Notice of Decision, and appeal if you disagree.
Maya’s tip Covers the letter that says whether your loved one is eligible and how to appeal. You can appeal both a denial and the budget amount.
Choose Traditional or Self-Directed, and a plan developer or support broker.
Maya’s tip Covers picking your pathway: Traditional, with an agency and a plan developer, or Self-Directed, with a support broker and workers you hire.
Choose a certified residential habilitation provider at your planning meeting.
Maya’s tip Covers choosing who provides residential habilitation, done at the planning meeting. With GemState, a DSP is in the participant’s own home or apartment 24/7.
Plan for room and board (rent and food); covered services cost $0.
Maya’s tip Covers the costs families still plan for: rent and food. The covered services themselves cost $0.
8Glossary
This section covers the words you will run into, in plain language. If you still have questions, call GemState at (208) 247-9010.
Glossary of terms
The words you will run into, in plain language.
Adult DD Waiver (#0076)
Idaho’s federal 1915(c) Medicaid waiver that funds home- and community-based services for adults 18+ with developmental disabilities.
Maya’s tip In plain words, the Medicaid program that pays for the adult DD services on this page. You will see its number, #0076, on official pages.
Developmental disability (DD)
A chronic disability that appears before age 22, is expected to continue indefinitely, and substantially limits 3 or more major life activities.
Maya’s tip The legal definition eligibility rests on: it started before 22, is expected to last, and limits 3 or more major life activities. The full wording is in Idaho Code 66-402 above.
HCBS (Home and Community-Based Services)
Medicaid services delivered in a person’s home or community instead of an institution. You must qualify for HCBS Medicaid financially before DD services start.
Maya’s tip Support delivered at home or in the community rather than in an institution. You meet it first as the financial Medicaid application.
ICF/IID level of care
Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. The eligibility benchmark: you must need that intensity of support, but you receive it at home.
Maya’s tip The measuring stick for how much support is needed, not a place you have to live. The support itself happens at home.
Independent Assessment Provider (IAP)
The outside organization DHW contracts (currently Liberty Healthcare) to perform the assessment that decides eligibility and support level.
Maya’s tip The outside group that runs the assessment, currently Liberty Healthcare. You will hear from them after you apply.
SIB-R / SIS-A
The assessment tools that measure support needs to set the budget. Idaho uses the SIB-R today and has announced a planned move to the SIS-A.
Maya’s tip The names of the assessment tools that measure support needs. You may see either name, because Idaho plans to move from the SIB-R to the SIS-A.
Individualized budget
The dollar amount, set by the assessment (not by the family), that funds a participant’s services. Higher assessed need means a higher budget.
Maya’s tip The dollar amount for services, set by the assessment rather than the family. If you disagree with it, you can appeal.
Notice of Decision
The written notice telling you whether you are eligible and how to appeal. You can appeal both an eligibility denial and the budget amount.
Maya’s tip The letter with the eligibility decision and the steps to appeal. It comes after the assessment.
Traditional waiver services
The pathway where a certified agency delivers and manages services and you choose a plan developer to write the plan.
Maya’s tip The agency pathway, where a certified agency runs services and you choose a plan developer. It is one of the two options you pick after eligibility.
Plan developer
In Traditional services, the professional who hosts the person-centered planning meeting and writes and submits the Individual Support Plan (ISP).
Maya’s tip The Traditional pathway professional who runs the planning meeting and writes the ISP. You choose this person.
Self-direction (My Voice, My Choice)
The pathway where you manage your own budget and hire your own workers, with help from a support broker.
Maya’s tip The pathway where you manage the budget and hire workers, with a support broker’s help. It is the other option to Traditional.
Support broker
In self-direction, the professional you hire to help identify needs, build the support and spending plan, and find and hire workers.
Maya’s tip Your helper in self-direction, covering needs, the support and spending plan, and finding workers. You hire this person.
Community Support Worker (CSW)
In self-direction, a staff member you choose and hire directly to provide services on your schedule.
Maya’s tip The workers you choose and hire directly in self-direction, working on your schedule.
Fiscal Employer Agent (FEA) / FMS
In self-direction, the vendor that holds your budget, issues payments, and handles payroll and employer taxes for the workers you hire.
Maya’s tip The vendor that handles payments, payroll, and employer taxes in self-direction. The Self-direction support section above lists these vendors.
Residential habilitation
Paid support that helps an adult build and keep daily-living skills to live safely at home. Agency-delivered reshab must use a DHW-certified agency.
Maya’s tip The daily-living skills support GemState provides. Participants live in their own home or apartment, with a DSP there 24/7 and one DSP for up to 3 participants.
Person-centered plan (ISP)
The service plan built around the participant’s own goals, choices, and needs, where services and providers are chosen.
Maya’s tip The written plan built around your loved one’s goals, where services and providers are chosen. The plan developer writes it after the planning meeting.
