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Steps to Qualify for 24 Hour Support in Nevada

Step 1

Determine if the person has either an intellectual or developmental disability or an acquired brain injury. These are the disabilities that will qualify the person for Services

In order to know if the person has one of these disabilities, it is important to define these terms:

Intellectual disorders are characterized by limited cognitive functioning and difficulty with adaptive behaviors such as handling routines or social situations. Medically, an intellectual disability describes someone who has a below-average intelligence quotient (IQ) and who needs support or assistance with activities of daily living. Intellectual disabilities include disorders that originate before 22 years of age, possibly resulting from physical or genetic causes such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, etc.
- An important additional bit of information is to define a “developmental disability.” The term developmental disability encompasses people with intellectual disabilities but also includes physical disabilities. The terms “intellectual disability” and “developmental disability” are often used interchangeably by providers and state caseworkers when discussing eligibility for services.
Acquired Brain Injury (often referred to as an ABI) refers to any type of brain damage that happens after birth. Causes of ABI include disease, blows to the head, alcohol and drug use, or oxygen deprivation.
- You may also hear the term “traumatic brain injury” (or TBI). A TBI is just a subset of ABI. It is a brain injury that occurs from external forces such as falls, injuries, motor vehicle accidents, etc.

For more information about defining the disabilities that qualify a person for Chrysalis services in Nevada, you can go to this website.

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Important!

Developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries are NOT the same as mental illnesses or behavioral health disorders. The individual may have mental illnesses in addition to the developmental disability or brain injury but the developmental disability or acquired brain injury is the key requirement to getting services at Chrysalis.

Developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries are not the same as mental illnesses or behavioral health disorders. Mental illnesses include a wide range of disorders such as anxiety, depression, personality disorders, psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia), bi-polar disorder, etc. Behavioral health disorders include things like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

While debilitating, and often requiring support and treatment, mental illnesses or behavioral health disorders are NOT the diagnoses that qualify people for Chrysalis services. Chrysalis serves many people with these disorders, but only when they are co-occurring with a developmental disability or an acquired brain injury (ABI). Again, it is the developmental disability or acquired brain injury (ABI) that will make the person eligible for Chrysalis services. Once they are determined to be eligible we can help with both the developmental disability and the mental illness.

**If the person you are trying to support does not have a developmental disability or acquired brain injury but they do have mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder etc. scroll to the bottom of this page where we have included links to resources that may help.

Step 2

Confirm the eligible diagnosis and apply for services with the State of Necada Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD) Regional Center.

Chrysalis does not actually conduct the eligibility process. That is done by the government since the government ultimately provides funding and oversight for these services. In Nevada, the government agency that provides this oversight is ADSD. ADSD is sub-divided into three Regional Centers:

Deseret Regional Center (DRC), which serves the greater Las Vegas Area
Sierra Regional Center (SRC), which serves the greater Reno Area
Rural Regional Center (RRC), which serves the remaining parts of the state of Nevada.

You can apply for services with the Regional Center (or learn more about applying) by directly contacting the Regional Center nearest you. The following website will give you the contact information for all Regional Center offices across the state: https://adsd.nv.gov/Contact/Contact_DevServices/

The process can take several weeks to several months to complete. It is important to see the process through all the way to the end. Chrysalis (or any other developmental disability service provider) cannot help you until the Regional center is involved.
If the person qualifies for Regional Center services, you can move onto the next step.
If the person does NOT qualify for Regional Center services, unfortunately Chrysalis will not be an option to help the person. The person likely still needs some support and may be eligible for other ADSD services, or services through other agencies. We recommend you go to this website to help identify other resources that may be available for the person.. You might also consider contacting your health insurance provider for mental health resources.
- In rare circumstances, people are interested in non-government-funded, private-pay options for Chrysalis services. We generally discourage this. The services are cost-prohibitive for most, and paying privately often inhibits one’s ability to access publicly funded services. If you would like to discuss this further, feel free to contact our Corporate Office at 801-655-4950.

Step 3

Regional Center eligibility, funding, and choosing the type of supports the person needs.

Once an individual is determined eligible for services, the Regional Center must approve funding to meet the person’s needs. As with eligibility, Chrysalis is not involved in determining the person’s funding needs. This is done directly with the person and the Regional Center. The Regional Center will assign the person a Service Coordinator, who will help with this process. To learn more about the role of the Service coordinator, click here.

Once the person has a Service Coordinator, the person can work with the Service Coordinator to determine what type of support is needed. You may already know what kind of supports the person needs. But it is important to know the wide array of options available. Every person is unique, and so the way their services are delivered should be best suited to meet the person’s needs.

Many individuals choose supports that are provided by private provider agencies (like Chrysalis). These provider agencies offer a wide range of services including supported living arrangements, host homes, jobs and day training services, in-home supports, etc. Click here to learn more about the services Chrysalis offers.

If the person chooses to receive services through a traditional, private provider agency, move to the next step.

Step 4

Choosing the provider (like Chrysalis) and the service setting.

This step may seem obvious. You are on Chrysalis’ website, so you might already be considering Chrysalis as a service provider. We believe our services are excellent. We also believe it is important for you to consider all of your service provider options. Chrysalis is not the only provider of services in the state. There are many qualified providers providing these critical services.

It is important to be aware that some providers may be selective of who they decide to serve. Just as individuals served have choices among providers, providers are not required to serve any individual who seeks their services. This is to ensure that no one is ever placed in a situation where a provider does not believe they can safely or successfully provide supports for a person.

The provider you choose and the setting those services are provided in often go hand-in-hand. Here are some examples of what we mean by this:

Example #1: If the person wants services in a 24-hour supported living arrangement (SLA), the provider helps the individuals secure the lease on the house, and coordinates details of the shared setting among all house mates. Therefore, choosing the house the person wants to be in, and the provider they want to help with the services are one-in-the-same. Usually, when a person is new to services, this involves choosing between houses where there might be an open (or vacant) bedroom. However, in some cases, the provider may open a home for this purpose.
Example #2: If the person wants site-based day services in a jobs and day training (JDT) environment, the provider already has a site in the community where these services are provided. Therefore, choosing the day service site and the provider are one-in-the-same.
Example #3: If the person wants services in a host home, the professional host home family must contract with a provider to support and oversee that services are delivered in accordance with state rules. Therefore, choosing the host family involves selecting the provider that the host family is contracted with.

Your Service Coordinator can help you identify your provider options. Each Regional Center office does this in slightly different ways. But, most often, it involves the Service Coordinator sending out a “vendor referral.” A vendor referral is a brief document that is sent out by the Regional Center to all providers inviting them to respond if they are willing/able to provide services to the person. The vendor referral contains a brief description of the person’s support needs and what services they are seeking. Providers respond with interest to the vendor referral, and the Service Coordinator helps facilitate meetings and/or tours with the provider and the person seeking services. Choosing a provider via the vendor referral process is not required, but can be a helpful way to identify and evaluate all of your options.

Alternatively, you can simply reach out individually to a provider and seek meetings and/or tours with the provider directly. If you choose to contact Chrysalis for placement options, we would be happy to talk to you over the phone, via email, meet in person, or set up tour of service sites. The best person to speak with is the Area Director of the geographic region you live in. For Host Home inquires, contact the state-wide Host Home Director, Steven Wrigley. If you are unsure who to contact, call any of our offices; we will be happy to direct you to the right person. Or, send an email to iso@gochrysalis.com.

Other Resources to Consider

Below is a list of other resources that may be helpful as you seek to understand what help is available.

Dial 211 on your telephone to access information on available governmental services or visit https://211utah.org/
The Medical Home Portal provides information for children who have or at increased risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions. The Medical Home Portal has lots of information covering a wide array of topics that may be helpful in your journey. The Utah specific portal is located at https://nv.medicalhomeportal.org/. Their page devoted to caring for children with special needs is located at https://nv.medicalhomeportal.org/living-with-child.