This policy is for the Support Services Provider (SSP) Program eligibility requirements for DeafBlind individuals in Ohio.
In order to be eligible for services from the SSP Program at Columbus Speech & Hearing (CSH), an individual must:
- Be a permanent Ohio resident
- Be over the age of 18 or not covered by an Individual Education Plan (IEP) through a school system
- Meet the DeafBlind Eligibility criteria
- Meet the funding and service criteria
- Have an ability to be self-determining
- Be a willing participant in surveys and data collection regarding SSP services
Ohio Residency
A person is considered a permanent resident if they meet the criteria for Ohio residency status according to the definitions established by OOD.
DeafBlind Eligibility
Following guidelines from Helen Keller National Center, in general, the individual must have a certain vision loss and a hearing loss that, when combined, cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities.
Who can attest to a person’s disability eligibility?
A practicing professional who has direct knowledge of the person’s vision and hearing loss, such as:
- Audiologist
- Community-based service provider
- Educator
- Hearing professional
- HKNC representative
- Medical/health professional
- School for the deaf and/or blind
- Specialist in DeafBlindness
- Speech pathologist
- State equipment/assistive technology program
- Vision professional
- Vocational rehabilitation counselor
Existing documentation that a person is DeafBlind, such as an OOD referral, or a statement from a public or private agency, such as a Social Security determination letter, may serve as verification of DeafBlindness.
Funding and Service Eligibility
To be eligible for services under the SSP Pilot Program funded through Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), no other entities are legally required to pay for the services being billed.
The SSP Program Manager or other designee will verify no other entities are legally required to pay for the services being billed. The program manager may obtain a release of information to confirm with county or contracted caseworkers. Records of phone calls, emails or other documents to this effect will be kept in the consumer’s file.
Exceptions may be made for persons on a waiver, who receive county services, or who participate in other DeafBlind services; provided that that funding source will not pay for the specific service/time currently being billed to the SSP Pilot Program.
The initial pilot program has allowed for the funding of services for 10 DeafBlind participants.
Service Definitions
SSP is defined as Support Service Provider.
Support Service Providers (SSP’s) are specially trained individuals who enable people who are DeafBlind to access their environments and make informed decisions by providing them with visual and environmental information, human guide services and communication facilitation.
SSPs do not make decisions for the clients but rather provide information empowering the clients in making their own informed choices.
Service Determination
The SSP Program Manager or other designee will determine if SSP services are appropriate for the individual and the number of service hours available to the individual.
- SSP Service Goals
Individuals who receive SSP services are self-directed and determine their goals and what they want to accomplish with their services. These individuals are responsible for adhering to the terms in the participant agreement and for determining and revising their goals in the individual service plans (ISPs include hours, frequency of service and tasks to accomplish).
- SSP Service Hours
Several factors will be considered in determining the required service hours, including the goals, frequency of service, tasks to accomplish and travel time/distances required per task.
Service Hour Usage
During the pilot program, a suggested allotment of 16 hours per participant per month is recommended.
- SSP hours will not be banked or rolled from one month to the next.
- The SSP Program Manager maintains the authority to allow additional SSP service hours for a participant in an emergency such as a medical emergency.
- The program will follow quarterly reviews of usage per individual and for the program as a whole. Should additional hours be available, the Program Manager may allocate hours to participants based on a reevaluation of needs and funds available.
Study for Evidence-Based Services
In order to be eligible for services under the SSP Pilot Program, individuals are asked to willingly participate in studies for evidence-based services. These studies are in collaboration with our partners at Capital University. The purpose of the study is to show the need for SSP Services as well as the benefit of SSP services on the wellbeing of participating DeafBlind individuals. The study will include but not be limited to an initial evaluation, data collection and assessments during services, and a pilot program final assessment. Surveys may be given and data collected on individuals who were not among the 10 selected DB individuals but who applied for the SSP Pilot Program.