Positive Alternative for Enrichment
What is the NC Innovations Waiver?
NC Innovations is a Medicaid Waiver program for individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or developmental disabilities. It provides support to give individuals and families more control over their lives by offering a large array of service options to the members.
NC Innovations seeks to support individuals to live the life they choose by:
- Promoting promising practices that result in real-life outcomes for participants;
- Offering service options that will ease participants’ abilities to live in homes of their choice, have employment, engage in a purposeful day of their choice and achieve their life goals;
- Valuing and supporting individuals as members of the community;
- Developing stronger natural support networks;
- Providing the opportunity for all participants to direct their services to the extent they choose; and
- Providing educational opportunities and support to foster the development of stronger natural support networks and enable participants to be less reliant on formal support systems.
Registry of Unmet Needs (RUN)
Trillium Health Resources maintains a registry of unmet needs (RUN) for members who are interested in receiving Innovations Waiver (IW) services. Members who believe they may qualify for Innovations Waiver should complete the application process to be placed on the RUN for IW services. In order to process your request, you must complete the application and submit a psychological evaluation. Being placed on the RUN means you are potentially eligible for Innovations Waiver services. Final eligibility is determined when a slot becomes available.
Individuals who are on the RUN will periodically be contacted to ensure information is accurate and to help look for other resources or services that would benefit the member while waiting. While on the RUN it is important to note that there are still services that can be available based on medical necessity.
For any questions or to submit your RUN application please contact: RUN@TrilliumNC.org
NC Innovations Information from DHHS
Trillium NC Innovations Forms and Documents
- Registry of Unmet Needs (RUN) application form
- Beneficiary Responsibilities
- NC Innovations Incident Report for Failure to Provide Back-up Staff
- Innovations Waiver Services Definitions Guide
- Brief Definition of NC Innovations Services
NC Innovations Renewals and Updates:
- Approved Innovations Waiver Renewal - July 2019
- Innovations Waiver Renewal Changes Fact Sheet
- Please email IDDListeningSessions@dhhs.nc.gov with any questions about the renewal.
Innovations Frequently Asked Questions
You can always reach your Care Manager by calling Member & Recipient Service Line at 1-877-685-2415 and request to speak with your Care Manager
You can always reach your Care Manager by calling Trillium’s Member & Recipient Service Line at 1-877-685-2415 and request to speak with your Care Manager.
- Your Care Manager will contact you and/or your legally responsible person in advance of your birth month to begin the process related to your new ISP.
- Trillium uses a telephonic and face-to-face Care Coordination model to facilitate any conversations before your planning meeting as well as for the ISP meeting. This means you can choose to have your meeting face to face or by telephone.
- Your Care Manager will send copies of ISP-related paperwork that will be reviewed during your ISP meeting in advance so you have time to review the information.
- Your Care Manager assists the individual in facilitating their ISP meeting and once all the input from team members is collected, develops the ISP and other supporting documentation.
- Your Care Manager will obtain signature(s) on the completed ISP and submit to the Trillium Utilization Management department for review and approval.
- Assessments are helpful in demonstrating the medical necessity for services that are requested in an ISP.
- Information gathered through different types of assessments (i.e. Speech, OT, PT, and Psychological) helps to assure that the services, interventions, and strategies are appropriate for the person.
- It is important to have updated assessment(s) that reflects the individuals current support needs.
- Face-to-face contact with you and members of the Individual Support Plan team.
- Telephone contact with you and members of the Individual Support Plan team.
- That services are provided as outlined in your Individual Support Plan.
- That you have access to services.
- That any problems that may arise are identified and resolved.
- That those services meet your needs.
- That backup staffing plans are implemented.
- That you are healthy and safe.
- That you are offered a free choice of network providers.
- That your non-waiver service needs have been addressed.
Yes, you have the right to have choice of provider, and may change providers at any time. Visit our Network Provider Directory.
The Role of the I/DD Care Manager
At Trillium, individuals receiving services through the Innovations Waiver receive Care Management, which:
- is family-focused
- acts as an information hub between agencies and systems
- coordinates a community-level service plan
- develops or ensures development of a crisis plan
- focuses on understanding needs in the context of strengths and connecting people to appropriate services
- facilitates planning with inclusion of community and natural supports, monitoring services and celebrating successes
- focuses on assessment, service planning, referral and linkage, monitoring and risk management
If at any time, you would like to discuss making changes to your Individual Support Plan, please contact your assigned Care Manager at 1-877-685-2415
Individual and Family-Directed Supports
Trillium offers two ways in which services may be provided for individuals receiving services through the NC Innovations Waiver.
- Provider-Directed Supports - The provider is in charge of hiring and managing staff. You depend upon the provider to carry out the services in your Individual Support Plan (ISP).
- Individual & Family-Directed Supports - You and your family have more control over the way your services are provided by directing them yourself. You, your family, or the legally responsible person direct services. You may decide to self-direct one or all of the eligible services you receive through the NC Innovations Waiver. There are two models for you to choose under this option:
- Agency with Choice Model - You partner with the provider to supervise or manage support workers.
- Employer of Record Model - You, your family, or the legally responsible person supervise or manage support workers.
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