What is it?
HCS stands for Home and Community-Based Services. It is a Medicaid Waiver Program coordinated and monitored by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). It provides an array of services to people with intellectual developmental disabilities.

What services are available?
Services are determined based on individual needs, and can include the following:

• Nursing: A Nurse will be assigned to oversee the individual’s health needs.
They can provide direct nursing care and also help coordinate doctor’s appointments if desired.

• Individualized Skills & Socialization: The individual can attend a Day Program 5 days a week, 6 hours a day.
The Day Program not only offers supervision and recreation, but individualized training programs
to help each person learn practical skills at their own level.

• Supported Employment: For individuals who want to work but need support to be able to do so,
a “job coach” can be assigned to go to work with the individual and help them learn their job responsibilities
and general work skills.

• Respite: Each year, the program allows for up to 300 hours of respite.
The purpose of respite is to offer temporary relief to the primary caregiver, and it can be provided
in the individual’s own home or at another location.

• Supported Home Living: Providers can go to the home and assist with daily activities such as meal preparation,
bathing, and grooming, and can also teach household skills such as cooking, cleaning, etc.
SHL also covers transportation to the Day Program and doctor’s appointments.

• Counseling and Therapies: These include physical, occupational, and speech therapies, counseling with a licensed
social worker, and behavior support services for individuals needing behavior programs.

• Dental: Medicaid does not cover dental services for people over 21.
The HCS Program can pay $2,000 per year for dental treatment.

• Adaptive Aids: Up to $10,000 per year for adaptive aids not covered by Medicaid.

• Minor Home Modifications: A lifetime maximum of $7,500 for modifications needed to make
the home accessible for the person.

• Host Home/Companion Care: If the individual is 18 or over, the caregiver can be paid as a HH/CC provider.

• Out-of-home placement: HCS Programs offer 3- and 4-bed group homes in typical homes in the community.

Who is eligible for HCS Services?
To receive services, a person must have a diagnosis of mental retardation.
They must be eligible for Medicaid, and they must have an HCS slot.

How are HCS Services funded?
All HCS services are covered by Medicaid, and there is no cost to the family.

How can I learn more about local HCS Programs?
HCS describes the funding for the program, and the companies that actually provide the services do not always have “HCS” in their name. Some examples of local HCS Providers include Valley Family Limited, EduCare, Premiant, Jubilee, New Awakenings, etc. Tropical Texas Behavioral Health is the Local Authority (LA), and they maintain a list of all local providers. They can provide you with names, addresses and phone numbers of local providers. You can then call or visit the providers to learn more about them. While all HCS Programs are required to provide all of the services described, each program has its particular strengths and weaknesses.