The next quarterly Waiting List Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 9 from 2 - 4 p.m. in the Sequoyah Building basement meeting room C-47. The Sequoyah Building is located immediately northeast of the State Capitol Building.
The State of Oklahoma offers services to its citizens who have developmental disabilities. These services are designed to help improve their lives and allow them to live in their homes and communities.
Home and community based services are offered so that these individuals don't have to go into an institution. These are referred to as waivered services and are provided where the individual lives. The Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) of OKDHS administers the program services.
Currently the program does not have the resources necessary to serve everyone that applies. When a new person applies they are placed on the waiting list. There are now more people on the waiting list than are receiving waivered services - more than five thousand. The agency has not been able process a new application in more than five years.
Several years ago the Waiting List Meetings were started through the encouragement of a family member whose child was waiting for waived services. The new director of OKDHS, Howard Hendrick, agreed and the meetings began.
The Waiting List Meetings are an opportunity for Director Hendrick, administrators of DDSD and other public and private program administrators to hear from individuals and family members stuck on the waiting list.
Those seeking waivered services are given the opportunity to share the challenges they face due to the wait for services. Director Hendrick and program administrators use the opportunity to help find other services and supports to assist during the wait for waivered services. The meetings are an important time for administrators to hear first-hand about the impact the wait has on those seeking these important services.
The meetings are open to anyone and if you are affected by the delay in services you are encouraged to attend. If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to ask a question please e-mail Wanda Felty, the waiting list facilitator, at wfelty@okphotopros.com.
Please visit the Waiting List website for more information.
