NEW HOPE, Minn. — Minnesota's Developmental Disabilities waiver serves children and adults diagnosed with developmental disabilities or related conditions who require intensive support but prefer to live in their communities rather than institutional settings. For families navigating disability services, understanding the DD waiver's eligibility requirements, available services and person-centered approach helps open pathways to independence and community integration.
What Is the DD Waiver?
The Developmental Disabilities waiver provides funding for home and community-based services for children and adults with diagnosed developmental disabilities or related conditions who require the level of care typically provided in an intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities. These services offer an alternative to institutionalization, helping individuals live as independently as possible in community settings.
Services may be provided in various settings including a person's own home, biological or adoptive family home, relative's home, family foster care home or corporate residential home. The DD waiver emphasizes person-centered planning, self-determination and community integration.
Understanding Developmental Disabilities
Developmental disabilities represent conditions characterized by significant impairment in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that originate during the developmental period and continue indefinitely. The DD waiver serves individuals with various diagnoses including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, seizure disorders and hundreds of specific syndromes that result in impairments similar to intellectual disabilities.
Unlike acquired brain injuries that occur after typical development, developmental disabilities are present from birth or early childhood, requiring support approaches focused on skill development, habilitation and adaptive strategies throughout the lifespan.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for DD waiver services, individuals must choose to live in the community and meet these criteria:
Developmental Disability or Related Condition: Individuals must be determined to have a developmental disability or related condition as defined by Minnesota regulations.
Level of Care: Individuals must require the level of care provided in an intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities as determined through a comprehensive MnCHOICES assessment.
Medical Assistance Eligibility: Individuals must be eligible for Medical Assistance based on disability or other eligibility status.
Disability Certification: Individuals must be certified disabled by the Social Security Administration or the State Medical Review Team. As of March 2023, all new DD waiver applicants must obtain disability certification.
Informed Choice: Individuals must make an informed choice requesting home and community-based services instead of services in an intermediate care facility.
Ongoing Support Needs: Individuals must have ongoing, intensive support needs that require coordination and planning throughout each day as specified in the person-centered support plan.
Need for Habilitation: Individuals must have an assessed need for habilitation, which involves teaching and training to learn skills and assistance with applying skills learned in one situation to different situations.
Services Covered Under the DD Waiver
The DD waiver offers comprehensive services tailored to individual needs:
Individualized Home Supports: Services for people living in their own homes or family homes, offering support and training in community participation, health and wellness, household management and adaptive skills. Services are available with training, with family training or without training based on assessed needs.
24-Hour Emergency Assistance: On-call assistance providing crisis prevention, problem-solving and in-person response when needed, helping individuals live safely and independently.
Community Residential Services: Licensed residential settings provide around-the-clock staff support, personalized care and skill-building for individuals with extraordinary needs.
Employment Services: Employment exploration services, employment development services and employment support services help individuals achieve and maintain competitive employment based on their strengths and interests.
Day Services: Adult day services provide supervised care and activities outside the home for individuals 18 and older who need structured daytime support.
Additional Services: The DD waiver also covers assistive technology, home modifications, caregiver living expenses, case management, consumer-directed community supports, night supervision, prevocational services, personal support and crisis respite based on individual needs.
The Assessment and Enrollment Process
Accessing DD waiver services begins with contacting your county social services agency or tribal nation. County or tribal agencies have 20 days from the request to complete the MnCHOICES assessment. A certified assessor conducts a comprehensive evaluation of functional abilities, support needs, medical conditions and living situation preferences.
If not already certified disabled, individuals work with financial workers to submit referrals for disability determination. The MnCHOICES assessment determines whether the individual meets level of care criteria. If eligible and waiver slots are available, individuals receive waiver allocation and work with case managers to develop person-centered support plans identifying goals, preferences and service needs.
Person-Centered Planning and Self-Determination
Person-centered planning forms the foundation of DD waiver services. This approach ensures services reflect what matters to individuals rather than fitting people into predetermined programs. The DD waiver also offers consumer-directed community supports, giving individuals more choice, control and responsibility for services and supports, including hiring and managing support workers.
How DD Waiver Services Differ From Other Waivers
While the DD waiver shares similarities with other Minnesota disability waivers including BI, CADI and CAC programs, several factors distinguish DD waiver services:
Lifelong Nature: Developmental disabilities are present from birth or early childhood and continue throughout the lifespan, requiring different support approaches than conditions acquired later in life.
Habilitation Focus: DD waiver services emphasize habilitation, teaching skills and helping individuals apply skills across different situations, rather than rehabilitation of previously possessed abilities.
Ongoing Support Requirements: DD waiver eligibility requires ongoing, intensive support needs reflecting the continuous nature of developmental disabilities.
Level of Care: The DD waiver serves individuals who require the intensive level of care provided in specialized intermediate care facilities for persons with developmental disabilities.
Policy Developments and System Changes
Minnesota's disability waiver programs continue evolving through legislative changes and policy updates. The 2025 legislative session resulted in several modifications affecting DD waiver services, and additional changes may take effect in 2026. Families and providers should consult with case managers and county agencies about current service requirements and any upcoming policy changes.
The Waiver Reimagine initiative aims to simplify Minnesota's disability waiver system. The Minnesota Department of Human Services continues working with stakeholders on implementation planning, though specific timelines remain under development as the department addresses technical and policy considerations.
Moving Forward With DD Waiver Services
Developmental disabilities create lifelong support needs, but Minnesota's DD waiver offers a framework for accessing services that prioritize independence, dignity and community integration over institutional placement. Approximately 14,000 people receive DD waiver services annually, accessing supports that help them live, work and participate in their communities.
If you or a family member has a developmental disability and needs support services, connecting with your county social services agency or tribal nation represents the first step. Service providers work alongside case managers and families throughout the assessment and service delivery process, providing person-centered support needed to build meaningful, independent lives.
Minnesota's Developmental Disabilities waiver provides home and community-based services for children and adults with developmental disabilities or related conditions who require intensive care. Understanding eligibility requirements, available services and the person-centered planning process helps families access supports that promote independence, community integration and lifelong skill development.
BrightPath is a 245D-licensed service provider offering Individualized Home Supports, 24-Hour Emergency Assistance, Community Residential Services, Crisis Respite and Intensive Support Services to individuals enrolled in Minnesota's BI, CADI, DD and CAC waiver programs. We serve individuals throughout Ramsey County, Hennepin County and across Minnesota. For more information about our services or to discuss how we can support your journey toward independence, contact our team today.