Life Planning

What is Life Planning Services?

AHRC's Life Planning Services provides Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC) to individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
MSC allows individuals to enroll into Home and Community Based Waiver Programs (Day Habilitation, Residential Habilitation, Pre-Vocational, Supported Employment).

Service Coordinators meet with individuals and their families in a convenient location such as at their home or at an AHRC office.  Together, they evaluate the individual's needs for a wide range of services including education, housing, recreation, respite, residential habilitation, clinical services, physical and rehabilitative therapies, transportation services and supported or competitive employment opportunities.

All aspects of life for which the individual requires support are considered and a "life plan" is created to address these needs.  As life changes, so too, may an individual's plan for service and programs.  AHRC's service coordinators are trained in a Person-Centered Planning Method that enables them to place an individual's desires and needs first in making future plans.

How Does Service Coordination Work?

Individuals generally meet at least once a month with their personal Service Coordinator.  This relationship is built on trust and understanding and ensures that all of the individual's needs are considered when any significant life change occurs.  The Service Coordinator is available for counsel and provides a valuable resource to the individual as someone who is looking out for his or her best interests.

The Service Coordinator works with the program participant in the creation of an Individualized Service Plan, "ISP", which outlines in detail every support to be accessed by and for the participant.  Service Coordinators regularly review the ISP and suggest when changes are necessary that will better serve the individual's needs.  They maintain steady communication with all service providers and will advocate for the individual and document all coordination activities.  The ISP is reviewed on at least a semi-annual basis.

Outside Resource in AHRC's Network

Services are by no means limited to the programs of the AHRC Nassau.  Our community outreach is very extensive and the Service Coordinator's goal is to find the situation most appropriate for an individual based on his or her needs and choices.

Because the needs of each individual are unique, Life Planning Services has developed a very large network of service providers to add to the broad spectrum of programs available from AHRC Nassau, such as clinical, respite, and residential habilitation, to name just a few.  Some of the outside services accessed for individuals and families by AHRC Life Planning Services are:

• Seniors Helping Seniors
• Continuing Education
• Hospice
• Home Health Aide
• Estate Planning
• Guardianship
• Family Care
• Life-Line Phone Services
• Able Ride/Medicaid Taxi
• Parish Outreach
• Meals on Wheels
• Rebuilding Together Long Island
• Parenting Skills Training
• Adaptive/Environmental Modification

How do I Access Services?

AHRC Nassau Life Planning Services are available to individuals who:

• Have active Medicaid benefits.
• Have a diagnosis of mental retardation or a developmental disability.
• Have current evaluations.

Contact Life Planning Services

115 E. Bethpage Road

Plainview, NY 11803

Phone: (516) 293-1111

Fax: (516) 396-9530

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Contact: Zania Ledwidge, Assistant Director

zledwidge@ahrc.org