Indiana seeks new short-term residential facility for disabled adults

State officials want to establish a second short-term residential facility to stabilize intellectually disabled adults who need temporary around-the-clock supervision, following the 2024 closure of a co-ed facility in Marion.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration recently issued a request for proposals in search of a provider to operate a 10-20 bed short-term residential facility to replace a shuttered facility and correct a service gap for adults of both genders, particularly women who have no place to go.

The facility, known as a comprehensive rehabilitative management needs facility, would provide intermediate-level care for intellectually disabled adults with severe behavioral, psychiatric or medical needs demanding intensive, coordinated and around-the-clock clinical support, according to the state’s RFP.

“These facilities play a critical role in ensuring that individuals experiencing acute or high-risk needs receive timely, structured, and clinically informed services that promote stabilization and prepare them for successful transition back to a less restrictive community setting,” the RFP reads.

Adults who meet standards for admission “cannot be effectively served within traditional group home models or standard community-based settings,” the RFP reads. “Indiana’s current service system lacks sufficient capacity to provide the level of standardization and active treatment these individuals require.”

The only comprehensive rehabilitative management needs facility for intellectually or developmentally disabled adults in Indiana is a male-only facility.

A separate co-ed facility voluntarily closed in 2024.

“As a result, individuals — particularly females — may experience extended stays in inappropriate environments, delays in stabilization, or challenges transitioning back to the community,” the state’s RFP reads. A second facility “will address this gap by establishing an additional resource capable of delivering consistent, high-quality, short-term intensive services for individuals experiencing complex crises, regardless of gender.”

Lawmakers want transparency in Medicaid waiver denials

The state is looking for a secure campus-style environment, where residents would have access to outdoor and recreational space and other programming alongside clinical support.

A spokesperson for Family and Social Services Administration said the current per diem rate for a comprehensive rehabilitative management needs facility —  Medicaid certified and licensed — is $703.

The request renewed concerns among disability advocates who fear the state’s new assessments for Medicaid disability waivers, which allow disabled people to remain in their communities, signal a desire to return to institutionalization.

The Family and Social Services Administration is denying a higher rate of disability waivers this year following the implementation of interRAI assessments, which determine who is eligible for family supports and community integration and habilitation Medicaid waivers.

“Families deserve to know whether people could be referred to this institution because their assigned waiver budgets are insufficient to support them safely in the community,” said Jan Steck Huffman, a parent and disability advocate.

“Before awarding this contract, FSSA must disclose the projected total cost, explain exactly how individuals will be selected, and guarantee that interRAI results or inadequate waiver funding will not become a pathway to institutionalization,” she said. “Indiana should invest first in the community-based services that allow people with disabilities to remain in their homes, with their families and in their communities.”

The Arc of Indiana, which advocates for disability rights, reached out to FSSA for clarity.

“The Arc of Indiana remains committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the services and supports they need to live in their homes and communities,” said Tom Crishon, the organization’s chief legal officer.