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DHS Support Centers > Behavioral Health and Wellness > Services > Client Services > Registering DHS Chil...
Registering DHS Children with the Office of Mental Retardation
The following information will advise DHS case management staff about the process of registering children who have developmental disabilities for services with the Office of Mental Retardation Services (MRS). Whether the child is in care or lives at home, it is advantageous to register these children. The process of registering a child is as follows:
1. The first step to accessing the mental retardation system is to register the child by calling the new Centralized registration system. Please call (215) 685-4677 to make an appointment with the MRS Registration Unit.
2. When you call, please have available the child's name, birthdate and social security number. The parent should call if the children are living at home. If the children are in placement, the DHS SW should call and accompany the parent to the initial appointment.
3. After the initial information is processed, an MR registration specialist will call back to schedule the initial appointment which can take place at the MRS office at 701 Market Street, 5th floor, Suite 5200, Phila. 19106 or in the child's home.
To be eligible for Mental Retardation services you must:
- Have an IQ of 70 or below
- Have significant limitations in two areas such as communication, self-care, home living or social skills.
- Have proof of mental retardation before your 22nd birthday
- Be a legal resident of the U.S.
The DHS SW and /or the parent will need to bring the following to the Intake appointment :
- A current psychological evaluation
- The consumer's financial information
If all the information is complete, the consumer will receive a letter within 45 days to notify them of their eligibility status. If the consumer is eligible they will be given a choice of agencies for supports coordination services right away. The supports coordinator helps the individual or family plan, identify, locate, coordinate and monitor community services to meet the child's or family's needs.
Other services are not always immediately available and the consumer may be placed on a waiting list. These services include respite, employment, family aid, recreation etc.
It is also important and beneficial to refer those youth on your caseload with a diagnosis of mental retardation who are in care 12 to 15 months prior to their 21st birthday, so that their case can be reviewed at the weekly DHS/MRS meeting. At this meeting, DHS and MRS will plan to transition the young adult from the child welfare system to the adult MR system.
Contact Judy Frank at 683-0414 or Judy.Frank@phila.gov with referrals or questions. |
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