Westchester County is fortunate to be able to offer a diverse and rich array of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Part of our role as the Department of Community Mental Health is to assist you and your family members secure the developmental disabilities services you need. We do our best to provide up-to-date information in this field and on upcoming conferences, workshops, and information on how to access services and other community resources.
This department works cooperatively with agencies throughout the county to ensure that programs and services of the highest quality are available to meet the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
For example:
- Most services are available for children and adults who have a developmental disability. An individual is considered to be developmentally disabled if they have a disability that is attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, neurological impairment, or autism that originated before the age of 22, is expected to continue indefinitely, and constitutes a substantial handicap to their ability to function normally in society.
- People living at home are assisted in reaching the full range of available services, such as residential placement, Home and Community Based Waiver Services (HCBS), and Medicaid Service Coordination. In addition to being advocates for individuals with developmental disabilities residing at home, the department coordinates the selection of candidates for residential placement and development.