Library: Policy

317:30-5-482. Description of services

Revised 9-12-22

Habilitation services include the services identified in (1) through (15) of this Section. Habilitation services providers must have an applicable agreement with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to provide Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) through Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS).

(1) Dental services. Dental services are provided per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 317:40-5-112.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Dental services providers must have non-restrictive licensure by the Oklahoma State Board of Dentistry to practice dentistry in Oklahoma.

(B) Description of services. Dental services include services for maintenance or improvement of dental health as well as relief of pain and infection. These services may include:

(i) Oral examinations;

(ii) Medically necessary images;

(iii) Prophylaxis;

(iv) Flouride application;

(v) Development of a sequenced treatment plan that prioritizes:

(I) Pain elimination;

(II) Adequate oral hygiene; and

(III) Restoring or improving ability to chew;

(vi) Routine training of member or primary caregiver regarding oral hygiene; and

(vii) Preventive, restorative, replacement, and repair services to achieve or restore functionality provided after appropriate review when applicable, per OAC 317:40-5-112.

(C) Coverage limitations. Dental service coverage is specified in the member's Individual Plan (IP) in accordance with applicable Waiver limits. Cosmetic dental services are not authorized.

(2) Nutrition services. Nutrition Services are provided, per OAC 317:40-5-102.

(3) Occupational therapy services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants have current, non-restrictive licensure by the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. Occupational therapy assistants are supervised by occupational therapists, per OAC 317:30-5-295 (b) (1).

(B) Service description. Occupational therapy services include evaluation, treatment, and consultation in leisure management, daily living skills, sensory motor, perceptual motor, mealtime assistance, assistive technology, positioning, and mobility. Occupational therapy services may include occupational therapy assistants, within the limits of the occupational therapist's practice.

(i) Services are:

(I) Intended to help the member achieve greater independence to reside and participate in the community; and

(II) Rendered in any community setting as specified in the member's IP. The IP includes a practitioner's prescription.

(ii) For this Section's purposes, a practitioner means medical and osteopathic physicians, physician assistants, and other licensed health care professionals with prescriptive authority to order occupational therapy services in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the SoonerCare program.

(iii) Service provision includes a written report or record documentation in the member's record, as required.

(C) Coverage limitations. For compensable services, payment is made to the individual occupational therapist for direct services or for services provided by a qualified occupational therapist assistant within the occupational therapist's employment. Payment is made in fifteen-minute (15-minute) units, with a limit of four hundred and eighty (480) units per Plan of Care (POC) year. Payment is not allowed solely for written reports or record documentation.

(4) Physical therapy services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants must have current, non-restrictive licensure with the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. The physical therapist supervises the physical therapist assistant, per OAC 317:30-5-290.1 (b) (1).

(B) Service description. Physical therapy services include evaluation, treatment, and consultation in locomotion or mobility skeletal and muscular conditioning, assistive technology, and positioning to maximize the member's mobility and skeletal/muscular well-being. Physical therapy services may include physical therapist assistants, within the limits of the physical therapist's practice.

(i) Services are intended to help the member achieve greater independence to reside and participate in the community. Services are provided in any community setting as specified in the member's IP. The IP includes a practitioner's prescription. For this Section's purposes, practitioners are defined as licensed medical and osteopathic physicians and physician assistants in accordance with the rules and regulations covering the OHCA SoonerCare program.

(ii) Service provision includes a written report or record documentation in the member's record, as required.

(C) Coverage limitations. For compensable services, payment is to individual physical therapists for direct services or for services provided by a qualified physical therapist assistant within the physical therapist's employment. Payment is made in fifteen-minute (15-minute) units with a limit of four hundred and eighty (480) units per POC. Payment is not allowed solely for written reports or record documentation.

(5) Psychological services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Qualification to provide psychological services requires current, non-restrictive licensure as a psychologist by the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, or by the licensing board in the state where the service is provided. Psychological technicians who have completed all board certification and training requirements may provide services under a licensed psychologist's supervision.

(B) Service description. Psychological services include evaluation, psychotherapy, consultation, and behavioral treatment. Service is provided in any community setting as specified in the member's IP. The provider develops, implements, evaluates, and revises the Protective Intervention Protocol (PIP) corresponding to the relevant outcomes identified in the member's IP.

(i) Services are:

(I) Intended to maximize a member's psychological and behavioral well-being; and

(II) Provided in individual and group formats, with a six-person maximum.

(ii) Service approval is based on assessed needs per OAC 340:100-5-51.

(i) Payment is made in fifteen (15) minute units. A minimum of fifteen (15) minutes for each individual and group encounter is required.

(ii) Psychological services are authorized for a period, not to exceed twelve (12) months.

(I) Initial authorization does not exceed one hundred and ninety-two (192) units, forty-eight (48) service hours.

(II) Authorizations may not exceed two hundred and eighty-eight (288) units per POC year unless the DDS Behavior Support Services director or designee makes an exception.

(III) No more than twelve (12) hours of services, forty-eight (48) units, may be billed for PIP preparation. Any clinical document is prepared within sixty (60) calendar days of the request. Further, if the document is not prepared, payments are suspended until the requested document is provided.

(IV) When revising a PIP to accommodate recommendations of a required committee review, the provider may bill for only one (1) revision. The time for preparing the revision is clearly documented and does not exceed four (4) hours.

(6) Psychiatric services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Qualification as a psychiatric services provider requires a current, non-restrictive license to practice medicine in Oklahoma. Certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or satisfactory completion of an approved residency program in psychiatry is required.

(B) Service description. Psychiatric services include outpatient evaluation, psychotherapy, medication and prescription management and consultation, and are provided to eligible members. Services are provided in the community setting specified in the member's IP.

(i) Services are intended to contribute to the member's psychological well-being.

(ii) A minimum of thirty (30) minutes for encounter and record documentation is required.

(7) Speech-language pathology services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Qualification as a speech-language pathology services provider requires current, non-restrictive licensure as a speech-language pathologist, speech-language pathology assistant, or speech-language pathology clinical fellow, by the Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, per OAC 317:30-5-675.

(B) Service description. Speech therapy includes evaluation, treatment, and consultation in communication, oral motor activities, and/or feeding activities provided to eligible members. Services are intended to maximize the member's community living skills and may be provided in the community setting specified in the member's IP.

(i) The IP includes a practitioner's prescription. For this Section's purposes, practitioners are defined as licensed medical and osteopathic physicians, physician assistants, and other licensed professionals with prescriptive authority to order speech or language services or both in accordance with rules and regulations covering the OHCA SoonerCare program.

(ii) A minimum of fifteen (15) minutes for encounter and record documentation is required.

(C) Coverage limitations. A unit is fifteen (15) minutes, with a limit of two hundred and eighty-eight (288) units, per POC. Payment is not allowed solely for written reports or record documentation.

(8) Habilitation training specialist (HTS) services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Providers complete Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) DDS-sanctioned training curriculum. Residential habilitation providers:

(i) Are at least eighteen (18) years of age or older;

(ii) Are specifically trained to meet members' unique needs;

(iii) Have not been convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled nolo contendere to misdemeanor assault and battery, or a felony, per Section (') 1025.2 of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes (56 O.S. ' 1025.2) unless a waiver is granted, per 56 O.S. ' 1025.2; and

(iv) Receive supervision and oversight from contracted-agency staff with a minimum of four (4) years of any combination of college-level education or full-time equivalent experience in serving persons with disabilities.

(B) Service description. HTS services include services to support the member's self-care, daily living, and adaptive and leisure skills needed to reside successfully in the community. Services are provided in community-based settings in a manner that contributes to the member's independence, self-sufficiency, community inclusion, and well-being.

(i) Payment is not made for:

(I) Routine care and supervision family normally provides; or

(II) Services furnished to a member by a person who is legally responsible, per OAC 340:100-3-33.2.

(ii) Family members who provide HTS services meet the same standards as providers who are unrelated to the member. HTS staff residing in the same household as the member may not provide services in excess of forty (40) hours per week. Members who require HTS services for more than forty (40) hours per week use staff members who do not reside in the household, and who are employed by the member's chosen provider agency, to deliver the balance of necessary support staff hours. Exceptions may be authorized, when needed, for members who receive services through the Homeward Bound Waiver.

(iii) Payment does not include room and board or maintenance, upkeep, or improvement of the member's or family's residence.

(iv) For members who also receive intensive personal supports (IPS), the member's IP clearly specifies the role of the HTS and person providing IPS to ensure there is no service duplication.

(v) Review and approval by the DDS plan of care reviewer is required.

(vi) Pre-authorized HTS services accomplish the same objectives as other HTS services, but are limited to situations where the HTS provider is unable to obtain required professional and administrative oversight from an OHCA-approved oversight agency. For pre-authorized HTS services, the service:

(I) Provider receives DDS area staff oversight; and

(II) Is pre-approved by the DDS director or his or her designee.

(C) Coverage limitations. HTS services are authorized per OAC 317:40-5-110, 317:40-5-111, 317:40-7-13, and 340:100-3-33.1.

(i) A unit is fifteen (15) minutes.

(ii) Individual HTS service providers are limited to a maximum of forty (40) hours per week regardless of the number of members served.

(iii) More than one (1) HTS may provide care to a member on the same day.

(iv) Payment cannot be made for services provided by two (2) or more HTSs to the same member during the same hours of a day.

(v) An HTS may receive reimbursement for providing services to only one (1) member at any given time. This does not preclude services from being provided in a group setting where services are shared among group members.

(vi) HTS providers may not perform any job duties associated with other employment including on-call duties, at the same time they are providing HTS services.

(9) Remote Supports (RS). RS is provided per OAC 317:40-4-4.

(10) Self Directed HTS (SD HTS). SD HTS are provided per OAC 317:40-9-1.

(11) Self Directed Goods and Services (SD GS). SD GS are provided per OAC 317:40-9-1.

(12) Audiology services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Audiologists have licensure as an audiologist by the Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology per OAC 317:30-5-675 (d) (1).

(B) Service description. Audiology services include individual evaluation, treatment, and consultation in hearing to eligible members. Services are intended to maximize the member's auditory receptive abilities.

(i) The member's IP includes a practitioner's prescription. For this Section's purposes, practitioners are defined as licensed medical and osteopathic physicians, and physician assistants in accordance with OAC 317:30-5-1 covering the OHCA SoonerCare program.

(ii) A minimum of fifteen (15) minutes for encounter and record documentation is required.

(13) Prevocational services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Prevocational services providers:

(i) Are eighteen (18) years of age or older;

(ii) Complete OKDHS DDS-sanctioned training curriculum;

(iii) Are not convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled nolo contendere to misdemeanor assault and battery, or a felony per 56 O.S. ' 1025.2, unless a waiver is granted per 56 O.S. ' 1025.2; and

(iv) Receive supervision and oversight from a person with a minimum of four (4) years of any combination of college-level education or full-time equivalent experience in serving persons with disabilities.

(B) Service description. Prevocational services are not available to persons who can be served under a program funded per Section 110 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) per Section 1401 et seq. of Title 20 of the United States Code.

(i) Prevocational services are learning and work experiences where the member can develop general, non-job, task-specific strengths that contribute to employability in paid employment in integrated community settings.

(ii) Activities include teaching concepts such as communicating effectively with supervisors, co-workers, and customers, attendance, task completion, problem solving, and safety. These activities are associated with building skills necessary to perform work.

(iii) Pre-vocational services are delivered to further habilitation goals that lead to greater opportunities for competitive, integrated employment. All prevocational services are reflected in the member's IP. Documentation is maintained in the record of each member receiving this service, noting the service is not otherwise available through a program funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or IDEA.

(iv) Services include:

(I) Center-based prevocational services, per OAC 317:40-7-6;

(II) Community-based prevocational services per, OAC 317:40-7-5;

(III) Enhanced community-based prevocational services per, OAC 317:40-7-12; and

(IV) Supplemental supports, as specified in OAC 317:40-7-13.

(C) Coverage limitations. A unit of center-based or community-based prevocational services is one (1) hour and payment is based on the number of hours the member participates in the service. All prevocational services and supported-employment services combined may not exceed the annual costs set forth in OKDHS Appendix D-26, Developmental Disabilities Services Rates Schedule. The services that may not be provided to the same member at the same time as prevocational services are:

(i) HTS;

(ii) IPS;

(iii) Adult Day Services;

(iv) Daily Living Supports (DLS);

(v) Homemaker; or

(vi) Therapy services, such as occupational therapy; physical therapy; nutrition, speech, or psychological services; family counseling; or family training, except to allow the therapist to assess the individual's needs at the workplace or to provide staff training, per OAC 317:40-7-6.

(14) Supported employment.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Supported employment providers:

(i) Are eighteen (18) years of age or older;

(ii) Complete the OKDHS DDS-sanctioned training curriculum;

(iii) Are not convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled nolo contendere to misdemeanor assault and battery, or a felony, per 56 O.S. ' 1025.2 unless a waiver is granted, per 56 O.S. ' 1025.5; and

(B) Services description. For members receiving HCBS Waiver services, supported employment is conducted in various settings, particularly worksites where persons without disabilities are employed, and includes activities that are outcome based and needed to sustain paid work, including supervision and training. The supported employment outcome is sustained paid employment at or above minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and benefit level the employer pays for the same or similar work individuals without disabilities perform. The paid employment occurs in an integrated setting in the general workforce in a job that meets personal and career goals.

(i) When supported-employment services are provided at a worksite where persons without disabilities are employed, payment:

(I) Is made for the adaptations, supervision, and training members require as a result of their disabilities; and

(II) Does not include payment for the supervisory activities rendered as a normal part of the business setting.

(ii) Services include:

(I) Job coaching per OAC 317:40-7-7;

(II) Enhanced job coaching per OAC 317:40-7-12;

(III) Employment training specialist services per OAC 317:40-7-8; and

(IV) Stabilization per OAC 317:40-7-11.

(iii) Supported-employment services furnished under HCBS Waivers are not available under a program funded by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or IDEA.

(iv) Documentation that the service is not otherwise available under a program funded by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or IDEA is maintained in each member's record.

(v) Federal financial participation may not be claimed for incentive payment subsidies or unrelated vocational training expenses, such as:

(I) Incentive payments made to an employer to encourage or subsidize the employer's participation in a supported employment program;

(II) Payments passed through to users of supported-employment programs; or

(III) Payments for vocational training not directly related to a member's supported-employment program.

(C) Coverage limitations. A unit is fifteen (15) minutes and payment is made per OAC 317:40-7-1 through 317:40-7-21. All prevocational services and supported-employment services combined cannot exceed $27,000, per POC year. The DDS case manager assists the member to identify other alternatives to meet identified needs above the limit. The services that may not be provided to the same member, at the same time as supported-employment services are:

(i) HTS;

(ii) IPS;

(iii) Adult Day Services;

(iv) DLS;

(v) Homemaker; or

(vi) Therapy services, such as occupational therapy; physical therapy; nutrition, speech, or psychological services, family counseling, or family training, except to allow the therapist to assess the individual's needs at the workplace or to provide staff training.

(15) IPS.

(A) Minimum qualifications. IPS provider agencies must have a current provider agreement with OHCA and OKDHS DDS. Providers:

(i) Are eighteen (18) years of age or older;

(ii) Complete OKDHS DDS-sanctioned training curriculum;

(iii) Are not convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled nolo contendere to misdemeanor assault and battery, or a felony, per 56 O.S. ' 1025.2 unless a waiver is granted, per 56 O.S. ' 1025.2;

(v) Receive oversight regarding specific methods to be used with the member to meet the member's complex behavioral or health support needs.

(B) Service description.

(i) IPS:

(I) Are support services provided to members who need an enhanced level of direct support in order to successfully reside in a community-based setting; and

(II) Build on the support level HTS or DLS staff provides by utilizing a second staff person on duty to provide assistance and training in self-care, daily living, and recreational and habilitation activities.

(ii) The member's IP clearly specifies the role of HTS and the person providing IPS to ensure there is no service duplication.

(iii) The DDS POC reviewer is required to review and approve services.

(C) Coverage limitations. IPS are limited to twenty-four (24) hours per day and are included in the member's IP, per OAC 317:40-5-151 and 317:40-5-153.

(16) Adult day services.

(A) Minimum qualifications. Adult day service provider agencies:

(i) Meet licensing requirements, per 63 O.S. ' 1-873 et seq. and comply with OAC 310:605; and

(ii) Are approved by the OKDHS DDS director and have a valid OHCA contract for adult day services.

(B) Service description. Adult day services provide assistance with retaining or improving the member's self-help ability adaptive and socialization skills, including the opportunity to interact with peers in order to promote a maximum level of independence and function. Services are provided in a non-residential setting away from the home or facility where the member resides.

(C) Coverage limitations. Adult day services are furnished four (4) or more hours per day on a regularly scheduled basis, for one (1) or more days per week. A unit is fifteen (15) minutes for up to a maximum of six (6) hours daily, at which point a unit is one (1) day. All services are authorized in the member's IP.