Oklahoma shrinks its waiting list for developmental disability support

Over 900 Oklahomans who have been waiting years for developmental disability support now have been connected with services as Oklahoma continues its push to become a "no-wait state" by next June.

Thousands of Oklahoma families are still waiting for services, including some who applied more than a decade ago.

But officials with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services said the state is on pace to meet its goal of providing services without delay.

“We're making strides in our mission to move families off the DDS waitlist and onto services,” Deb Shropshire, director of DHS, said in a Tuesday statement.

State services are very 'individualized' and take time to work out

The agency began a two-year plan to process the applications of nearly 5,000 Oklahomans last year, including those waiting for several years. The state Legislature agreed to spend $32.5 million last year to end the waitlist, reversing years of underfunding that led to the lack of care for thousands of Oklahomans.

Some of the individuals now receiving services had been waiting since 2010 and are now adults, said Amy Baustert, deputy director of administrative services. Services could include money for direct support care staff, architectural modifications to a home, or vocational training.

"It's all very individualized. It's not like getting a food stamp card," Baustert said. "We have a conversation about what we can do to meet each individual's unique needs."

More: Oklahoma's waiting list was just a symptom of a larger problem. But things are changing.

When it began to go through the waiting list last year, the state DHS divided those waiting for support into seven cohorts, beginning with those who had been waiting the longest.

It plans to reach out to the sixth cohort in October, which includes those who applied in 2019. Once contact is made with families, transitioning someone onto services can take six to nine months, Baustert said.

“We’ve met with hundreds of families at our PossABLE regional family meetings to help them navigate the process to realize the opportunities available for their loved ones, and it’s been incredible to see them gain access to services they’ve been waiting for,” said DDS Division Director Beth Scrutchins. “The work is not over, but we are excited about the progress we’ve made so far, and all Oklahomans in need remain on track to receive services by June 2024.”

The state has received another 1,028 applications for services since it started to address the list last year. But Baustert said the state is on track to reach a point next year when new applicants can expect a near-immediate response.

Families with questions about their process of coming off the waitlist should email TellDDS@okdhs.org, or call 1-800-500-1866.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma DHS removes more than 900 from waiting list