"Crisis" means a set of circumstances or events that:

(1) Put a participant at risk of hospitalization, institutionalization, or loss of residence;

(2) Exceeds a participant's individual ability to cope/remain stable; or

(3) Exceeds the ability of the participant's caregivers to provide necessary supports.

"CRM/SW/SSS" means the DDA case resource manager, DDA social worker, or DDA social service specialist assigned to an individual or participant in the intensive habilitation services (IHS) for children program.

"Developmental disabilities administration" or "DDA" means the developmental disabilities administration within the department of social and health services.

"IHS review team" means DDA staff who review referrals to the IHS for children program.

"Individual" means a person who has a developmental disability as defined in RCW 71A.10.020(5) who also has been determined eligible to receive services by the administration under chapter 71A.16 RCW. Other terms used in the field include "client" and "resident."

"Participant" means the individual who is accessing the intensive habilitation services.

"Participant team" means individuals who work together to provide formal and informal supports to a participant. A typical team includes IHS staff, the CRM/SW/SSS, the participant's family/legal representative(s), and service providers working with the participant.

"Regional clinical team" means DDA staff who may respond to crisis situations by providing assessment, training, behavior support and consultation as well as behavioral health stabilization services to DDA enrolled individuals.

The purpose of the intensive habilitation services for children program is to provide short-term behavioral health supports to participants who are in crisis.

A person is eligible for the intensive habilitation services for children program if:

(1) The person is eligible for DDA services under chapter 388-823 WAC;

(2) The person is eligible for medicaid services;

(3) The person or their legal representative voluntarily consents to intensive habilitation services;

(4) The person is age eight or older but under age twenty-one;

(5) The person has no pending investigations of abuse or neglect with the department of children, youth, and families; and

(6) DDA determines the person needs the level of service provided in the intensive habilitation services for children program.

The participant may receive services for a maximum of one hundred eighty consecutive days per admission, from the date of admission to the program.

The individual or family/legal representative may request intensive habilitation services for children through the CRM/SW/SSS.

(1) Placement in the intensive habilitation services (IHS) for children program is only considered when there are no other DDA services available that can safely and appropriately meet the individual's needs.

(2) Through a referral process, review and discussion, the IHS review team determines whether the individual needs the level of service provided in the program. When there are multiple clients requesting the IHS program services, placement is offered at the sole discretion of the IHS review team to the client who currently demonstrates the greatest need for services.

(3) DDA and the family/legal representative must be in agreement about the need for IHS and that placement in the program is in the client's best interest.

Family/legal representatives retain custody of their child at all times when the child is receiving services in the intensive habilitation services (IHS) for children program. Family/legal representative responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Maintain ongoing and regular contact with their child;

(2) Agree to work cooperatively with their child's DDA CRM/SW/SSS, and other DSHS staff and persons caring for the child;

(3) Participate in decision making for the child;

(4) The right to make all nonemergency decisions about medical care, enlistment in military service, marriage and other important legal decisions for the person under eighteen years of age; and

(5) Agree that if their child's IHS placement disrupts, their child will return to the parents physical care until a new placement is developed.

A combination of state and federal funds cover the cost of the participant's care while in the intensive habilitation services for children program. The family/legal representative is encouraged to support the participant with typical items or activities, e.g., presents, clothing, special items, special outings which are not supported by state or federal funds.

(1) You have the right to appeal decisions made by DDA in accordance with WAC 388-825-120 through 388-825-165.

(2) Once the one hundred eighty day maximum stay is reached, the intensive habilitation services (IHS) have been completed and terminating the service and returning the participant to another residential placement is not considered a termination, denial, or move to a different type of residential service as described in WAC 388-825-120.

(3) A participant may appeal eligibility for the IHS program but participation in the program is determined by WAC 388-833-0030 and is dependent on bed and funding availability. There is no appeal right to an IHS participation determination.

The DDA assistant secretary may approve exceptions to the requirements specified in this chapter.