Transition Services
What are Transition Services?
At CHT we assist you during the process of moving out of a skilled nursing facility and back into the community. You have the option of moving home with family or friends or moving into your own apartment.
- We coordinate all of the details.
- We talk to all of the agencies involved.
- We are with you every step of the way.
This program is offered only to Medicaid members living in a Nursing Facility.
If you feel that you are capable and willing to live on your own and manage the responsibilities of being independent, this program is for you.
steps in a transition
Step 1 - Options Counseling
Call the Denver Regional Counsel of Governments - also known as DRCOG.
Tell them you would like to live independently and use Transition Services. They will then set an Options Counseling Meeting with you. For more information - click the button.
Step 2 - meeting your transition agency and transition coordinator
Once you have completed your Options Counseling with DRCOG. A Transition Coordination Agency will contact you to complete an assessment for eligibility. A Transition Coordinator will be assigned to assist you with the transition.
Colorado carries a Person-Centered philosophy. You have a right to choose your Transition Agency.
Step 3 - assessment
The Transition Coordinator will complete an intake assessment. The answers collected are to assist the Coordinator to shaping a supportive transition and community living plan.
The Coordinator will need to collect important documents needed to proceed.
Colorado ID
Social Security Card
Award Letter
.....just to name a few
Step 4 - housing voucher, housing search
The documents that the Transition Coordinator collects will be submitted along with Housing Documents to the Department of Housing.
The Department of Housing will review your file, looking for past evictions and surmounting debt.
Once approved by the Department of Housing, you will attend housing voucher informative class and a voucher will be presented to you for housing search and rent support.
In addition to help applying for vouchers, a member who qualifies can access housing navigation services to support them in the search for housing in the community that meets their needs.
Navigation Services begin work on locating an apartment in the area of choice for the member. Once an apartment is found the application process begins.
The apartment management companies complete their approval process and a lease is signed!
Step 5 - setting up the apartment with necessities
Medicaid provides a small stipen for the Transition Agency to buy furniture, household necessities and groceries for a successful living situation.
The Transition Agency collects the furniture and moves it into the apartment. Getting it all set for your new chapter.
Step 6 - living independently with community support
Once you are in your new apartment, the community transition services program provides the support you need to be successful. We work with several Home Health agencies to provide:
- Nurse for medication, wound care, diabetic issues.
- CNA is needed for transfers and bathing
- Caregiver/homemaker to assist you with grocery shopping, laundry and light housecleaning
- Life Skills Trainer to assist you in navigating your new responsibilities, budget and getting to know your community.
In home support is vital to your success!
What is Options Counseling and Why is it important ?
Options counseling and why it is important
Medicaid Transition Services Options Counseling is a program of the Area Agency on Aging that provides options counseling for Medicaid members living in skilled nursing facilities, Regional Centers and intermediate care facilities.
Options counseling at DRCOG helps long-term residents of local skilled nursing facilities and other qualified facilities learn what options might be available for community living. DRCOG’s options counselors will provide you with the information necessary to determine whether moving back into the community is right for you.
What can I expect at the options counseling meeting?
At your Aging and Disability Resource Center options counseling meeting, you will receive:
- A personalized needs assessment.
- Information about community services including Medicaid transition services like targeted case management-transition coordination (known as TCM-TC for short), Home and Community-Based Services (sometimes referred to by its acronym, HCBS) and the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (known as PACE for short).
- Referrals to community services.
Who can request a meeting and how do I get an options counseling form?
Who can request a meeting and how do I get an options counseling form?
Anyone can make a referral to options counseling. To make a referral, choose one of the following methods of contact:
- Call 303-480-6838.
- Fax a referral form to 303-480-6827. (If you reside in a nursing home, you can ask your social worker for a referral form or they can complete one for you.)
- Fill out the Medicaid Member Options Counseling Referral Form (the link will take you to a Google form created by the State of Colorado)(link is external)