DDD & Individual Support Plans (ISPs)

How the System is Supposed to Work

Arizona and Missouri Group Home Neglect Attorneys

All across America, there are vulnerable and incapacitated adults residing in group homes — homes intended to provide a supportive, nurturing and safe environment for developmentally challenged children and adults.

Many of those homes do just that. Others do not and some of our society's most vulnerable, voiceless individuals suffer terribly as a result.

At Knapp & Roberts, we care about giving voice to those with special needs … and we can help. Let us tell your story. Call our lawyers for a free consultation today at (480) 991-7677 or toll free at (800) 541-4477.

How Group Home Placement Works

In Arizona, group home placement may be made by the Department of Economic Security's DDD (Division of Developmental Disabilities), by private placement, or upon recommendation of a medical provider or case manager. In Missouri, the Department of Mental Health is the relevant government agency and the modes of placement in a group home residence are much the same.

What Should Be in an Individual Support Plan?

Every person who enters a group home must have an ISP, or "Individual Support Plan." The ISP is the road map that outlines what kind of care the State and the group home must provide. In it should be details about everything from meals, individual care and medication regimens to therapeutic care, behavior intervention techniques and assistance with personal hygiene.

The individual support plan is filled out by the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities — in Missouri, by the Department of Mental Health — and by a group home representative/program coordinator and a guardian or relative of the disabled individual.

Why the System Breaks Down

When individual support plans are not followed, the system breaks down. Group homes that cannot or do not follow individual support plans (i.e., residences that cannot or do not meet the care needs of their clients) are often the same ones with staffing problems — problems caused by financial restraints, profit motives, management issues, poor screening procedures for job applicants, inadequate training or any number of other reasons.

What matters right now is that there is something you can do to fix those problems and that our firm has the experience it takes to help.

Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation.