Looking for a PASS (Personal Assistance Services and Supports)?

PASS can help help families of special needs children with their daily life skills, improving accomplishing daily life activities, improve safety skills, & participate in social situations.

These services can be in the community or in the home by a direct support worker who can be hired by the family and manages their hours. Of course, they help write the Care Plan and keep in touch with the agency staff. Families get help from a PASS agency or an online resource to do this. Training & supervision of the support worker is supplied by the family.

Here are the eligibility requirments:
* A child must meet the following requirements to be eligible for Personal Assistance Services and Supports (PASS). He or she must be eligible for Medical Assistance,
* under age 21
* a Rhode Island resident (please check with a your local social service agency to see if there is a comperable service)
* live at home, and
* have a chronic condition- cognitive, physical, developmental and/or psychiatric that is moderate to severe.

There is no cost for Medicaid eligible children.

A PASS worker implements a Care Plan to provide guidance & direction; provides opportunity for social interaction; provides hands-on assistance; keeps progress notes on service plan goals; provides information to families on service plan goals. He or she also needs to attend on-going training with a PASS agency.

Again, contact your state social service agency asking if there are any similar programs to take advantage of. Another service that may be of help is 'home based therapeutic services' or HBTS.