Resources

A plain-language guide to Utah's DSPD waivers for families.

If your case manager has talked about a Community Supports Waiver, or you are at the start of figuring out how supportive living gets paid for, this is the page we wish someone had given us at the beginning.

Plain-language summary

Utah pays for most adult supportive-living placements through a system called the DSPD waivers, which are a kind of Medicaid. To use one, your family member has to be on the wait list, then selected, then authorized. Once that is done, the waiver pays for residential, day, and respite supports. The family pays nothing additional for waiver-covered services. The wait list is long. The work is worth it.

What is DSPD?

DSPD stands for the Utah Division of Services for People with Disabilities. It is a division of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. DSPD does two main things: it operates the wait list and intake process for Utahns with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and it administers the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers that fund residential, day, employment, and respite services for eligible people.

If your family member is not yet known to DSPD, the first step is the DSPD intake process. The DSPD intake page on dspd.utah.gov has the application. Most families work with a Support Coordinator at this stage, who can be employed by DSPD or by a community-based agency.

Which waiver are we talking about?

The waiver most commonly used for placements like ours is the Community Supports Waiver. It covers a broad range of residential supports including supportive living, host homes, respite, day services, and supported employment. There are other Utah Medicaid waivers (for example, a brain injury waiver and a smaller acquired brain injury waiver) that may be the right path for some people. Your DSPD support coordinator helps determine which waiver is the right fit.

What the waiver covers is set by what is called a person-centered budget. The budget reflects the person's assessed support needs, not what a family hopes for. Coordinators advocate to make sure assessments are accurate; we help families think through what to ask for.

The wait list, honestly

Utah's DSPD wait list has historically run several years long for most applicants. The wait depends on needs level, age, and how much money the Utah legislature appropriates each session. There is no shortcut around it that we know of. Two things that do help: getting on the list as early as possible, and keeping contact information current with DSPD so you do not miss the call when it comes.

Once a person is selected from the wait list, expect a formal needs assessment and authorization process that can take several more months before an actual placement. We can be in conversation with you during that period.

What does this cost?

Industry estimates put the all-in annual cost of 24-hour supportive living in Utah between roughly 90,000 and 140,000 dollars per resident. The exact number depends on staffing intensity and medical complexity. We do not invent these numbers; they reflect what it actually costs to run a safe, well-staffed home. Most families never see this number, because the waiver pays it.

If a service is private-pay (because waiver coverage is not in place, or because someone wants something the waiver does not cover) we publish rates and tell you the dollar amount before you sign anything. We will not surprise a family with an invoice.

Group home, supportive living, ICF: same thing?

Mostly, in everyday Utah usage, "group home" and "supportive living" mean the same thing: a single-family house shared by adults with disabilities, staffed around the clock. Aspen Living calls our homes supportive living homes because that phrase more accurately describes the day-to-day reality (ordinary domestic life with the right supports), but if your case manager says "group home" they almost certainly mean what we mean.

ICF/IID is a different thing. It stands for Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. ICFs are larger congregate-care facilities run under a different federal Medicaid funding stream, with required medical staffing and an institutional model. Aspen does not operate ICFs. The HCBS waiver model exists to be the alternative to ICF placement.

External resources

FAQ

Questions families ask most.

DSPD is the Utah Division of Services for People with Disabilities, a division of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. DSPD administers the Medicaid HCBS waivers that pay for supports like supportive living, host homes, day programs, respite, and supported employment for eligible Utahns with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
The Community Supports Waiver is the Utah Medicaid HCBS waiver most often used to fund placements like Aspen's. It covers a broad range of residential, day, employment, and respite services. Eligibility runs through DSPD intake; authorization is set by a person-centered planning process led by your DSPD support coordinator.
It has historically run several years long for most applicants. Actual wait depends on needs assessment, age, and Utah legislative funding. Get on the list as early as possible and keep your contact info current with DSPD.
Industry estimates put the all-in annual cost between roughly 90,000 and 140,000 USD per resident, depending on staffing intensity and medical complexity. Waiver-covered placements cost the family nothing additional. Private-pay rates are published; we tell you the dollar amount before you sign anything.
In practice, the terms refer to the same thing in Utah: a single-family home shared by adults with disabilities, with around-the-clock staffing. We use "supportive living" to describe ordinary domestic life with the right supports.
ICF/IID stands for Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. ICFs are larger congregate-care facilities under a different federal funding stream with institutional requirements. Aspen does not operate ICFs. The HCBS waiver model exists to be the alternative to ICF placement.
Yes, in two situations: on a private-pay basis with rates published in advance, or in respite care or day program under self-direction or interim funding while waiver authorization is being completed. Coordinate with your DSPD support coordinator and us at the same time.
Yes. Our staff are trained in positive behavior support, and a person-specific behavior support plan is part of every placement. We do not promise we are the right home for every person, and we will tell you if we think another provider would be a better fit.
Yes. Communication style is part of intake conversation, not a barrier to placement. We use augmentative and alternative communication tools, sign, picture exchange, and whatever else works for the person.
If you are a family member, call us or fill out the intake form on the contact page. We respond within one business day. If you are a DSPD support coordinator, see the For Case Managers page for current openings and the referral form.
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