Respite for Children

MICHIGAN

Grant Information

Name of Grantee

Division of Mental Health Services for Children and Families, Michigan Department of Community Health

Title of Grant

Michigan's Respite for Children Project

Type of Grant

Respite for Children

Amount of Grant

$99,399

Year Original Funding Received

2003

Contact Information

Sheri Falvay, Director
517-241-5762
FALVAY@michigan.gov

Lori Irish, Project Director
517-241-5761
IrishI@michigan.gov

Audrey Craft, Project Coordinator
Department of Community Health
Lewis Cass Building, 5th Floor
320 S. Walnut Street
Lansing, MI 48913
517-241-5763
Craft@michigan.gov

Subcontractor(s)

Michigan Public Health Institute

Target Population(s)

Families of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and/or serious emotional disturbance.

Goal

The goal of this study is to support the increase of Medicaid-funded respite for children as a (b)(3) service when it is medically necessary and identified through a person-centered planning process in an Individual Plan of Service (IPOS).

Activities

  • Conduct a needs assessment using surveys, interviews, and case studies to identify the options needed to provide real choices to families.
  • Determine the costs of various models of respite services, factoring in eligibility, limits on amounts of respite, and the extensiveness of options.
  • Standardize respite services using information obtained from the study.
  • Modify the state data collection system to identify children with DD as a specific population, and collect data on family and child satisfaction with respite services and caregiver well-being.
  • Develop an implementation plan.
  • Develop an evaluation plan.

Abstract

The Partnership Panel on Respite (PPR) was established by the Division of Mental Health Services for Children and Families (MHSCF), Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), to identify barriers to family choice and control over respite services, develop a list of strategies to improve family choice and control, and select the strategies to be included in the feasibility study. The PPR includes family members, respite providers, advocates, and MHSCF staff.

The primary goal of this project is to support the increase of Medicaid-funded respite for children as a (b)(3) service when it is medically necessary and identified through a person-centered planning process in an IPOS. Planned products of this project are (1) a feasibility study of providing respite as a Medicaid-covered mental health service, (2) a detailed implementation plan to phase in respite as a Medicaid-covered mental health service, (3) a detailed implementation plan to phase in a standardized array of respite services at Community Mental Health Service Programs (CMHSPs), and (4) an evaluation plan.

The project has several well-defined outcomes. The Medicaid-managed specialty services 1915b/c Waiver will be amended to include respite as a (b)(3) mental health service. State policy will be amended to require CMHSPs to provide an array of respite services. The state data collection system will be modified so that the impact of these changes can be evaluated.

The PPR will include the State Medicaid Agency, three to four community mental health service programs, the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council, the Michigan Mental Health Planning Council, Michigan Protection and Advocacy, and ARC-Michigan. The Panel will provide guidance and feedback to MDCH and to the Michigan Public Health Institute, Systems Reform Office, which will carry out the feasibility study under contract with MDCH.