Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319b - Department of Developmental Services
Section 17a-218. (Formerly Sec. 19a-464a). - Programs of community-based residential facilities, respite care and emergency placement for persons with intellectual disability. Requirement re enrollment in federal programs.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Developmental Services; “department” means the Department of Developmental Services; and “emergency placement” means cases in which there has been a request for a residential accommodation for an individual for whom there is an unforeseen emergency in the individual's current living arrangement, or cases in which the department has had no previous knowledge of a need for placement, or cases in which such a placement is needed because of actions of another state agency or department, including, but not limited to, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Department of Children and Families, and any court, or cases prior to any other planned placements, because the health or safety of the individual needing such placement would be adversely affected without such placement.

(b) The commissioner shall plan, develop and administer a comprehensive program of community-based residential facilities including, but not limited to, transitional facilities, group homes, community companion homes, community living arrangements and supervised apartments.
(c) The commissioner may provide, within available appropriations, subsidies to persons with intellectual disability who are placed in supervised apartments, condominiums or homes which do not receive housing payments under section 17b-244, in order to assist such persons to meet housing costs.
(d) The commissioner may provide, within available appropriations, respite care services which may be administered directly by the department, or through contracts for services with providers of such services, or by means of direct subsidy to the family or legal representative of a person with intellectual disability to enable the family or legal representative to purchase such services.
(e) The commissioner may, within available appropriations and in accordance with individualized plans of care, provide a full range of services to support persons with intellectual disability living with their families, caregivers, independently or in community-based residential facilities licensed pursuant to section 17a-227. Such services may include, but are not limited to, education and training programs, social services, counseling services, medical services, physical or occupational therapy, parent training, recreation and transportation. Such services may be provided by the department or be purchased from persons or private agencies through contracts pursuant to subsection (d) of section 4-70b or purchased directly by the person receiving services or the person's family or legal representative. The department may provide a direct subsidy to persons with intellectual disability or their families or legal representatives to be used for such purchases of such support services. The person receiving such subsidy or the person's family or legal representative shall provide a documented accounting of such subsidy to the department.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of part III of chapter 59, the commissioner may, within available appropriations, enter into a rental or lease agreement for an apartment, home, or similar private residence if it has been determined by the commissioner that an individual is in need of an emergency placement. Such agreements shall not exceed the fair market price for the area in which the leased premises are located and shall not be for more than twelve months. Upon entering such agreements, the commissioner shall notify the State Properties Review Board and shall begin the leasing procedures outlined in part III of chapter 59.
(g) Any person who is in or is seeking a placement through the Department of Developmental Services or is receiving any support or service that is included within or covered by any federal program being administered and operated by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Developmental Services, and who meets the eligibility criteria for the federal program, shall enroll in such program in order to continue in the existing placement or to remain eligible for a placement or continue to receive such support or service. Any person who is ineligible for such federal program due to excess income or assets may continue in existing placement, or continue to receive existing supports and services through the Department of Developmental Services while spending down available excess income and assets until such person qualifies for enrollment in the applicable federal program. The Commissioner of Developmental Services may make exceptions to the requirements of this provision and provide or continue to provide, within available appropriations, placement, support or services to individuals who are not eligible for enrollment in such federal programs and for whom it is determined there is a legal requirement to serve pursuant to state or federal law or court order.
(P.A. 83-64, S. 2, 4; P.A. 87-152, S. 3, 4; P.A. 88-28, S. 3, 8; P.A. 89-375, S. 1, 5; P.A. 90-230, S. 29, 101; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 94-222, S. 1; P.A. 95-257, S. 11, 58; P.A. 96-186, S. 5, 6; P.A. 05-280, S. 31; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a), (b); P.A. 09-210, S. 7; P.A. 11-16, S. 8; P.A. 18-32, S. 7.)
History: P.A. 87-152 added provisions designated as Subsecs. (a) and (f) re emergency placement, relettering prior Subsecs. accordingly; P.A. 88-28 added “within available appropriations” in Subsec. (c), (d) and (e) and authorized placements in “condominiums or homes which do not receive payments under section 17-313b” to Subsec. (c); P.A. 89-375 made technical changes in Subsec. (c); P.A. 90-230 corrected internal references in Subsec. (f); Sec. 19a-464a transferred to Sec. 17a-218 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-222 amended Subsec. (e) to add provision to permit direct subsidies to persons with mental retardation or their families and made technical corrections; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Mental Health with Commissioner and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-186 amended Subsec. (b) by adding lowest-bidder requirements, effective May 31, 1996; P.A. 05-280 added new Subsec. (g) re enrollment in federal programs, effective July 1, 2005; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 “Commissioner of Mental Retardation” and “Department of Mental Retardation” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Developmental Services” and “Department of Developmental Services”, effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 09-210 amended Subsec. (e) by making a technical change, effective July 8, 2009; P.A. 11-16 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting “community companion homes, community living arrangements” for “community training homes” and by eliminating requirement that commissioner award contracts re community-based residential facilities to lowest responsible and qualified bidder, amended Subsecs. (c) to (e) by substituting “intellectual disability” for “mentally retarded” and “mental retardation” and amended Subsecs. (d) and (f) by making technical changes, effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 18-32 amended Subsec. (a) by making a technical change, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing references to parents with references to family or legal representative, and amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “caretakers” with “caregivers”, making technical changes and adding references to legal representative, effective July 1, 2018.
See Sec. 17a-219 re regulations concerning community-based residential facilities and respite care services for persons with intellectual disability.