Living on Your Own
We want to make sure adults with disabilities, mental illness, or traumatic brain injuries (and their family members, friends, or guardians) know that you can live on your own and receive the services and supports that fit you and your needs.
*Consider having a meeting with your waiver case manager if you are interested in living on your own to learn even more about all the services and supports available!
If you aren't familiar with the term "waiver" - you can learn more about who is eligible and what they do by clicking here. In general, waivers are a way people with disabilities or people who may benefit from a high level of care and support can connect to/have MA pay for a variety of services.
Individualized Home Supports...
or IHS, is a completely customizable service that was created to support people with living in their own homes. Some people receive or participate in this service for several hours each day and others may meet with an IHS worker for just a couple of hours each week.
There is IHS without training that can provide more hands-on assistance for activities of daily living or IHS with training that focuses more on skill-building and coaching.
People can also receive "Home Delivered Meals" and "Homemaking Services" on a long-term basis or as they learn how to more effectively cook and clean for themselves.
24-Hour Emergency Assistance...
is available to people living independently. With this service, people have a phone number that they can call 24/7 to ask for additional support during times of crisis or emergencies. Support can be provided over-the-phone or in-person based on the person and situation.
This service can also include scheduled "check-ins" (by phone or in-person) for additional support with stressors or areas of need before they turn into a crisis or emergency.
"Night Supervision" is a service available for people who may need a significant amount of support at night to feel safe. With this service, a staff member can stay in a person's home overnight to provide immediate in-person assistance, as needed.
Housing Stabilization Services...
help people find and move into affordable housing. They can also support a person with getting settled into a new place and learning some of the basic responsibilities of living in your own home.
There are several state, federal, and local benefits and resources that can help people afford rent, food, bills, and other costs.
Employment services through the waiver and VRS that can help a person find and keep a competitively paying job. These services can help prepare people for employment with resume building and benefit analyses to providing on-the-job support once they are hired!
"Customized Employment" is a service or approach to employment that can support people who may benefit from less traditional jobs or job settings with finding employment where they can thrive.
If you want to take a deeper dive into some of these services, click on the names below. Most of these links will take you to the Minnesota DHS website for that specific service that includes information about what the service can and can't do, referred to as "Covered services" and "Non-covered services". Some of the info on these pages might not make the most sense, since it's specifically written for case managers or companies providing the service. Remember that your case manager can give you more information or answer any questions you may have!
(Please note- Breaking Barriers does NOT provide all of the services listed below)
*Find and click on "Housing Transition" and "Housing Sustaining" for service information (when you are on a waiver, you skip the "Housing Consultation" part)
(a PDF giving an overview of the customized employment process.)
This is now available for people who are not employed and/or want to use their Lyft rides for personal trips.
