CLASS is also known as Community Living Assistance and Support Services. This is a home- and community-based service provided through Texas Health and Human Services. It is ideal for individuals who have intellectual disabilities or other related conditions that warrant the need for care in Medicaid Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with intellectual disabilities. Specifically, the CLASS program is a way for the individual to avoid placement in an intermediate care facility, thereby, giving the disabled person a chance to exercise independent living skills as much as possible.
The goal of this program is to give disabled individuals a chance to take part in the community as opposed to a long-term care confinement in a facility where they have limited social interaction and few opportunities to develop coping skills. The program includes services such as habilitation, cognitive rehabilitative therapy, employment assistance/supported employment, nursing care, occupational/physical therapy, speech and language pathology and others.
To be eligible for the CLASS program, an individual must have been diagnosed with a related condition before they reached 22 years old. Other general requirements include:
- Eligibility for Medicaid coverage (not enrolled in any other Medicaid waiver program)
- Meets care criteria that requires placement in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
- Must require habilitation and case management
- Must be living in own or the family’s home
- Has income and resources that does not exceed specified limits
We can determine if your loved one is eligible to take advantage of the CLASS program. We encourage you to get in touch with us for a consultation – 972-904-9926.