Home-Enabling Supports NY

For families

Home-Enabling Supports for families

A practical guide for parents, siblings, and guardians considering HES for a family member with a developmental disability.

HES can fund technology and remote support that help a person live at home with less hands-on staffing. This page covers what it funds, how to raise it with the Care Manager, and what happens after approval.

What you'll find here

  • What HES funds — and what it excludes (phones, internet service, tablets bought outright).
  • What to say when you bring it up with your Care Manager.
  • What the assessment visit looks like once HES is approved.
  • Which deadlines are published, and which aren't.

A starter script

What to say at your next Care Manager meeting

Copy or adapt this to start the conversation. The Care Manager handles the paperwork from here.

"I've been reading about Home-Enabling Supports. I think it could help with [one specific goal — e.g. nights without a live-in, medication adherence, getting around safely]. Can we add HES to the Life Plan and pick an HES provider in our region? I think the [Assistive Technology / Remote Supports / HACS] category would be the right starting point."

Not sure which category to ask about? Run the 2-minute screener first — it returns a recommendation and a category to mention.

After approval

What the assessment visit looks like

Once OPWDD authorizes HES, the provider — not you — drives the next steps.

  1. 1 Within 30 days of enrollment, an assessor from your regional HES provider visits the home — or meets remotely where that's HIPAA-compliant. The assessor holds an ETIS or ATP credential, or is a clinician with at least two years of I/DD experience.
  2. 2 The visit produces a written HES Plan, matched to the goal in the Life Plan.
  3. 3 The provider acquires and sets up the technology.
  4. 4 A 3-month training and troubleshooting window follows — not a one-time demo.
  5. 5 The provider reviews how HES is working no later than one year from acquisition.

How long does the whole process take? ADM 2024-02 gives the provider 30 days from enrollment to complete the assessment. It sets no deadline for OPWDD's authorization decision. Ask your Care Manager how long recent authorizations in your region have taken.

Resources

Eligibility deep-dive

Setting and waiver enrollment determine almost everything.

How the process works

The steps between raising HES and technology arriving at home.

Frequently asked

Do I need a special form?
No — there is no family-facing referral form. Raising HES with your Care Manager is the first step; the Care Manager submits the request to OPWDD. See the full process.
Can HES buy an iPad, a phone, or internet service?
Cell phones and internet service are excluded entirely, along with unmodified household appliances, one-way cameras, and therapy animals. Laptops and tablets can be provided only as a managed lease through the HES provider — never purchased outright.
Does living with us count as a non-certified home?
Yes — a family home that isn't an OPWDD-certified residence is an eligible setting.
What if my loved one lives in a group home?
OPWDD-certified homes (group homes / IRAs, Family Care, ICFs) aren't HES-eligible — HES becomes available once your loved one is living outside the certified setting. If a move is in the plan, the Care Manager, the provider, and an HES vendor can prepare the referral ahead of time so it is ready once the move is complete. Technology can also help make the move itself smoother outside of HES — ask the provider or a vendor. More on setting eligibility.

Last verified