DRM helped “Paul,” a 15-year-old in crisis, access DDA services so he can safely return to his mother’s home. Paul was a normally developing child before encephalitis resulted in intellectual disability, seizures, encephalopathy, and severe, aggressive and destructive behaviors. Firstly, DRM helped Paul obtain recommended treatment at a specialized inpatient program for children with brain injuries. He was then discharged to his single mother who sought to keep him at home, but was unable to attend to his daily needs when he resists and becomes aggressive. The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) verbally referred Paul to a residential school placement or foster care without giving his mother a response to her request for assistance so she could appeal DDA’s decision. DRM insisted that DDA make a written decision that included its reasons, and helped Paul’s service coordinator provide DDA with more information. DDA then agreed that Paul was in crisis and could be enrolled in the Medicaid waiver program to get support services at home.
