My Place Louisiana - Developmental Disabilities

The Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration (the Demonstration) is a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) grant designed to help states try new ways of delivering Medicaid services.  In Louisiana, the MFP Demonstration is called “My Place Louisiana” or "My Place", which helps people move, or "transition", from qualified institutions into a family home or community-based living setting, such as a house or an apartment.  Louisiana is participating in the Demonstration with 44 other states and the District of Columbia.  All states are working toward the same goal of finding ways to assist people using Medicaid long-term care services to live where they want to live and to receive the support and services needed.  Additional assistance is provided to My Place participants during planning and for 365 days after transition to ensure their health, safety, and well-being.

The Louisiana Medicaid Office is working with the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) and the Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS) to implement the Demonstration.  My Place Louisiana began as a four year (2008-2011) program focusing on Medicaid funding following participants transitioning from nursing facilities, hospitals, and intermediate care facilities for developmentally disabled (ICFs/DD) to home and community-based living settings.  At this time, My Place Louisiana has been extended through September 30, 2020.  In OCDD, the My Place program provides no services to people who transition with a waiver, however it does offer temporary assistance not found in waivers.

Yes, in Louisiana, the MFP Rebalancing Demonstration is also called “My Place Louisiana” or “My Place”.  This program is a 13 year (2008-2020) grant which focuses on Medicaid funding following OCDD participants in their transitions from nursing facilities, hospitals, and intermediate care facilities the developmentally disabled (ICFs/DD) to home and community–based services settings. My Place provides participants with pre- and post-transition assistances that are not provided by their waiver.

The purpose of My Place Louisiana is to offer additional assistance to eligible participants in making successful transitions from institutions to community-based living options of their choice.  A person can live in his or her own house or apartment, at home with family, or in shared living option with roommates who are also waiver participants.  To better understand the process of transitioning and how the OCDD My Place Louisiana program works, read Sara’s or Chuck's stories (Case Studies) in the booklets found in the OCDD Additional Resources on this website.

OCDD My Place Louisiana Eligibility Requirements

• Individuals must currently reside in a qualified institution [public or private intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled (ICFs/DD), specialty hospitals, and/or nursing facility] and have resided in the institution for at least 90 consecutive days;
• Be transitioning to the community;
• Be Medicaid eligible;
• Be receiving an OCDD waiver such as a New Opportunities Waiver (NOW), Residential Options Waiver (ROW) or Children's Choice (CC) Waiver; and
• Complete My Place Louisiana Informed Consent (IC) with a trained IC administrator.

Below are examples of assistance that will be available for people participating in the My Place program either pre-transition or during the demonstration period (first 365 days post-transition):

Pre-Move Supports:

• Community Living Training and Assistance-Funding for pre-move activities such as identifying possible housing, securing identification documents, and purchasing needed items that are not covered by other Medicaid or state-funded programs
• Family Training in Direct Care Responsibilities - Families who will provide supports for individuals can receive training in their roles and responsibilities
• Facilitated Family Communication - Family counseling for caregivers and siblings of individuals with DD moving home from nursing facilities, ICFs/DD, and hospitals
• Physician Consultation - Support for transition planning and completion of documents (90L)
• Housing Relocation Assistance - Real estate agents assigned to identify possible housing
• Direct Support Workforce Specialization Training
  • Positive Behavior Supports (12 hours)
  • Nursing/Medical/Physical Supports Training (24 hours)

Post-Move Supports:

• My Place Transition Coordinators - Available during transition planning and for 365 days following the transition to work with Support Coordinator (SC) and providers to make the transition successful.
• Post Move visits - My Place Transition Coordinators will visit individuals once they have transitioned to determine if planned services are being received and to assist SC and provider, should any problems arise that could result in reinstitutionalization.
• Transition Maintenance - Funding for post-move activities specifically related to achieving goals or accessing services in the plan of care. Transition Maintenance will only be used when no other resources are available and/or when available resources have failed to address the barrier.
• Direct Support Workforce Specialization Training-Two curricula
  • Positive Behavior Supports (12 hours)
  • Nursing/ Medical/ Physical Supports Training (24 hours)

A person must meet all program eligibility requirements. If a person qualifies for My Place Louisiana, he/she or a legally authorized representative must participate in a discussion of the individuals needs and wants when they plan to move to the community and sign the Informed Consent Form(s) for program participation.  The person, legally authorized representative or parent must participate in all transition planning.

If an individual is in a qualified institution and receives a waiver offer they should contact the My Place Program Manager, Tanya Murphy, Tanya.Murphy@la.gov or by calling (225) 432-9744.

Parents of children (before the child's 19th birthday) in nursing homes or specialty hospitals should contact Tanya Murphy to see if their child is eligible for the My Place program.

No.  My Place Louisiana is for anyone transitioning from a qualified institution [nursing facility, hospitals and/or intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled (ICF/DD)] to the community with waiver services.  Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals are very interested in capturing data and giving Medicaid recipients a voice in how they receive services.

No.  My Place Louisiana can offer assistance in locating housing through our Realtor Assistance program and/or assist institutionalized individuals in applying for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) or the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Programs.

No,  Participation is free.

My Place Program Monitor:  Krista Tipton (Children in Nursing Facilities or Specialty Hospitals), Krista.Tipton@la.gov, (601) 259-2646.

Feel free to contact Krista Tipton (Children in Nursing Facilities or Specialty Hospitals), Krista.Tipton@la.gov, (601) 259-2646 to discuss the program.