Behavior Support Services
Behavior Support Services (BSS) are available to eligible individuals as part of the Medicaid funded Home and Community-Based Care Waiver. The program is designed to help people receiving care attain and maintain a maximal level of emotional and social functioning. Services are provided by specially trained “Behavior Consultants” utilizing a model of Positive Behavior Support. BSS focuses on developing supports within the person’s environment and improving interactions with caregivers to address:
- Challenging behaviors
- Cognitive processing
- Communication skills
- Self-help activities
- Impulse control
- Adaptive skills
The goal of Behavior Support Services is to reduce the frustration, injuries, stress, placement failures and concerns that can be present when individuals who have persistent and difficult behaviors are not provided the support that they and their caregivers need.
Behavior Consultants focus on changes that can be made by the caregiver or within the person’s environment. Using observation, interviews, and environmental assessments the Behavior Consultant completes a Person-Centered Evaluation and develops a Behavior Support Plan to help caregivers create or maintain a positive relationship with the person they serve.
The Behavior Consultant then teaches caregivers how to carry out and revise the Behavior Support Plan through individual coaching, group training, and modeling.
Medicaid-eligible individuals who are receiving Home and Community Based Care Waiver 1915c services (and their caregivers) are eligible for BSS if they have one or more of the following needs:
- Client has received or will receive a move out notice due to challenging behaviors.
- Client’s Assisted Living Facility, Residential Care Facility, Adult Foster Home, or in-home agency provider is requesting assistance to address client behaviors which are disruptive to other residents or challenging for caregivers.
- Existing behavior plan for a client has been identified as inadequate, not used, or ineffective.
- Client is in a new placement and has had a recent placement failure due to challenging behaviors.
- Client has been assigned a special rate to support caregivers who are expected to implement a behavior plan.
- Client is receiving as needed (PRN) psychotropic medications for specific behavior but there is no behavior plan in place to augment the medication plan.
Services are authorized on a case-by-case basis by the client’s Senior and Disability Services case manager. Contact the client’s case manager to make a request for BSS. Once approved, a BSS consultant will coordinate with caregivers to begin the process. Click here for local State of Oregon SPD contact information
Counties that Woollard Ipsen Management provides BSS services to:
- Benton
- Coos
- Crook
- Curry
- Deschutes
- Douglas
- Gilliam
- Harney
- Hood River
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Josephine
- Klamath
- Lake
- Lane
- Linn
- Lincoln
- Sherman
- Wasco
- Wheeler
Behavior Support Services that are provided by a Behavioral Consultant include:
- Assessment of all environmental, social, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors influencing the person’s behaviors.
- Identification of the person’s desires and preferences.
- Observation of the primary caregiver’s abilities and routines and to assist with developing new strategies to minimize challenging behaviors and to encourage alternate behaviors.
- Development of a positive behavior support plan describing the procedures and interventions needed to support the agreed upon strategies.
- One to one instruction or “coaching” to caregivers so they can implement the positive support plan.
- Monitoring and revision of the behavior support plan as needed.
Woollard Ipsen Management is proud to provide these services to eligible State of Oregon Medicaid clients and to the private pay population. Please contact us directly for any private pay referrals.
Behavior Support Services Brochure