Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services (BDS)
(formerly known
as the Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation and Substance
Abuse Services)
This is also a state agency that provides support to people with disabilities
of all ages who meet specific eligibility criteria. For the purposes
of this manual, we will focus on services that are provided to people
with a diagnosis of mental retardation, autism or pervasive developmental
disorder (PDD).
As with other agencies, there is a referral process that is necessary
to complete in order for your young adult to be determined eligible for
services, even if they have received services from BDS as a child. If
your child has a children’s case manager than that person may make
the referral for adult services through BDS. It is always beneficial
as a parent to check, at least by the time your child is 17, with the
intake coordinator of adult services for BDS to determine whether or
not BDS is aware of your child, the support needs that he/she has, and
to ensure that the referral to adult services is in process.
There are many services that BDS supports. They include services for
residential support, day habilitation support and employment support.
BDS usually will contract with a community provider organization that
will provide the desired service. There is choice for a young person
in deciding which provider organization will provide the necessary support.
If your young adult is eligible for services through BDS it is very
important for you to become familiar with what they have to offer, how
to apply for services, how their services interact with services from
other agencies (ex. Voc. Rehab.) and to determine if there is a waiting
list for services. It is also essential that a representative from BDS
be actively involved in the transition planning process.
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