Housing for People with Mental Illness and Mental Retardation / Developmental Disabilities

Supportive Housing for adults who are diagnosed with Mental Retardation or a Developmental Disability requires that the applicant has a disability that meets one of the following:

1. Is attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, neurological impairment or autism; or
2. Is attributable to any other condition of a person found to be closely related to mental retardation because such condition results in:
   • similar impairment of general intellectual functioning OR
   • adaptive behavior to that of mentally retarded persons OR
   • requires treatment and services similar to those required for such persons
3. Is attributable to dyslexia resulting from a disability described in bullet 1 or 2

In addition, the disability must:

• originate before age 22
• continue or can be expected to continue indefinitely
• constitute a substantial handicap to such person's ability to function normally in society

Eligibility | Models | How to Apply

Eligibility/Criteria

Applications for housing under the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) must go through the local Developmental Disability Service Office (DDSO). Before an application for housing can be submitted, the DDSO will first need the following information, in most cases, to determine whether someone is eligible for OMRDD services:

• A medical or specialty report (for example, a neurological report) including health status and diagnostic findings to support a qualifying diagnosis other than mental retardation;
• For persons qualifying with mental retardation only, a recent general medical report, if available;
• A psychological report which includes:
  1. assessment of intellectual functioning with reporting of intelligence scores (including subscale, part, and full scale scores); and
  2. for people with IQs above 60, standardized assessment of adaptive behavior with reporting of scale and summary scores
  3. for people with IQ's below 60, assessment may be based on qualitative review via interview with care-providers, review of records, and direct observation

• A social history, psychosocial report, or other background report that shows the person became disabled before age 22 (background information is still needed if the person is a child or adolescent)
• In some cases when the DDSO will not be able to decide whether someone is eligible based on the reports that are provided, the DDSO may request further information or different reports, and will either recommend where these tests can be done, or arrange for them to be done.

Models

• Family Care (Family Type Home for Adults, or FTHA): A licensed residential program that provides a structured and stable home environment within a family unit.

• Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF): This is a residential setting for people with severe disabilities that provides a full array of direct-care and clinical services.

• Individualized Residential Alternatives (IRA): This is a residential setting which meets the individual needs for up to eight individuals.

• Individualized Support Services (ISS): the ISS model helps individuals to remain in their own home or apartment by providing the support necessary to be successful.

• Home Sharing: available to highly functioning developmentally disabled individuals of any age through the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, Inc.

How to Apply

To make a referral to the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities housing system, please contact your local Developmental Disabilities Services Office (DDSO). For the number to your local DDSO, you can call NYS OMRDD at (866) 946-9733 or visit online.