Community Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities

The Big Sky Waiver Program allows people, who would otherwise be institutionalized, to live in their own home and community. The services are made available through the Senior & Long Term Care Division (SLTC) with the Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS).

How to Apply

To make a referral to the Big Sky Waiver Program, contact the Mountain Pacific Quality Health at 1-800-219-7035.

Eligibility specialists at your County   Office of Public Assistance  (OPA office) can determine Medicaid eligibility.

Eligibility

To qualify for the Big Sky Waiver Program, a recipient must be financially eligible for Medicaid and meet the minimum level of care requirements for nursing facility placement. Individuals must have an unmet need that can only be resolved through the Big Sky Waiver Program services in order to qualify for the program. Currently, there are waiting lists for the Big Sky Waiver Program.

Montana Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)

Montana Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services Waiver

Available Services

Case Management Teams (CMT)  consist of a nurse and social worker and provide a holistic approach to care planning. They look at each individual’s medical and psycho-social needs and then develop a plan of care based on the person’s needs and choices. Each Case Management Team has a fixed number of individuals they can serve per year. The following are examples of services that may be available through the Big Sky Waiver Program:

  • Adult Residential Living
  • Adult Day Health
  • Case Management
  • Chemical Dependency Counseling
  • Dietician
  • Environmental Adaptations
  • Habilitation Services
  • Homemaker Services
  • Nutrition
  • Personal Assistance
  • PERS
  • Private Duty Nursing
  • Psychosocial Consultation
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Respite Care
  • Special Child Care
  • Transportation
  • Therapies (OT, PT, Speech)
  • Specially Trained Attendant
  • Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies
  • Services for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury

Find Assisted Living and Other Health Care Facilities

Regulated Health Care Facilities   These facility lists have been compiled by the Licensure Bureau of the Quality Assurance Division. Because the information herein contained is otherwise open to public inspection, dissemination of this list does not violate the provisions of 2-6-109, Montana Code Annotated, which prohibits state agencies from distributing any mailing list without first securing the permission of those who are a part of the list. It is not the intent of the Licensure Bureau that this list be used for any unsolicited commercial activity.  

Contact for More Info

Senior and Long Term Care Division
(406) 444-4077

 

PLEASE NOTE: The names of Community First Choice and Personal Attendant Services (CFC/PAS) programs are changing to Community First Choice Services and Personal Care Services (CFCS/PCS), to more accurately align with federal naming conventions. The commitment to providing essential, person-centered, in-home care remains steadfast, and the valuable services that enable elderly and disabled individuals to maintain their independence at home will continue uninterrupted. The transition to the CFCS/PCS name will be gradual, with full implementation expected by the end of 2025.

CFCS and PCS programs are designed to provide long-term supportive care in a home setting. These programs enable thousands of elderly and disabled citizens to remain in their homes. The type of care authorized is tailored to each individual in a person-centered planning manner based upon their needs, living situation, and availability of caregivers.

Download the CFCS/PCS brochure

Eligibility

To be eligible for CFCS and PCS you must:

  • have a health condition that limits your ability to perform activities of daily living;
  • participate in the screening process; and
  • be eligible for Medicaid.

To qualify for the CFCS program, you must also meet a nursing home level of care.

For information on Medicaid eligibility and member services go to: Member Services

Montana Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)

Available Services

Services available through the CFCS/PCS programs include the following activities of daily living (ADL):

  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming
  • Toileting
  • Eating,
  • Medication assistance
  • Ambulation and exercising
  • Medical escort is also available

Under the PCS program, additional time is available for limited grocery shopping, housekeeping, and laundry. Under the CFCS program, additional time is also available for skill acquisition, community integration, yard hazard removal (for the purpose of providing safe access and entry to the home), and correspondence assistance. CFCS recipients may also receive personal emergency response systems (PERS).

The CFCS/PCS program does not pay for tasks such as lawn care other than the removal of yard hazards to assure health and safety, household repair or modifications, major cleaning, shopping for non-essential items, escort to non-medical services, pet care, or general transportation. Some of these tasks are allowed through waiver programs, depending upon an individual’s needs and required level of care.

Service Options

CFCS/PCS-eligible individuals can choose from two service delivery options:

  • Agency-Based CFCS/PCS (AB-CFCS/PCS) – Services are managed and provided through an agency. 
  • Self-Direct CFCS/PCS (SD-CFCS/PCS)  – Individuals have greater control over their services.

The SD-CFCS/PCS program was developed for individuals who wish to direct their own care. The person or their personal representative (PR) is responsible for hiring, training, and managing their personal care attendants (PCAs). In addition to the above-mentioned services, individuals under the SD-CFCS/PCS program only can be authorized by their health care professional to receive the following four skilled services:

  • bowel program
  • urinary systems management
  • medication assistance
  • wound care

Any time a consumer chooses SD-CFCS/PCS, they must obtain authorization from their health care professional. The consumer or their PR must also meet capacity, which means they have the ability to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the program requirements.

Contact for More Info

406-444-4564 

Eligibility

To be eligible for home health services, a beneficiary must meet the following criteria:

  • Be Medicaid eligible; and
  • Have a medical necessity for home health services to be delivered in the beneficiary's residence, on his or her physician's orders as part of a written plan of care which is reviewed and renewed every 60 days.

Available Services

Home health services include:

  • Nursing services that are provided on a part-time or intermittent basis by a home health agency;
  • Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology services provided by a home health agency or by a facility licensed by the State to provide medical rehabilitation services;
  • Home health aide services, when aide services are not available through a Medicaid personal assistance program such as the Community First Choice Program; and
  • Medical supplies, equipment and appliances.

Contact for More Info

Christina Rees
Home Health Program Manager
(406) 852-0322
Email: christina.rees@mt.gov

Hospice

Hospice is a program of care and support for people who are terminally ill and have chosen not to pursue curative treatment. Hospice is palliative care only, in other words, services are aimed at comfort not curing an illness. (Children under the age of 18 years of age may continue curative treatment while receiving hospice services.) A specially trained team of professionals and caregivers provide care for the "whole person," including his or her physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. Services include physical care, counseling, drugs, equipment, and supplies for the terminal illness and related condition. Support is given to the individual and his or her family members.

Eligibility

A member is eligible for hospice services if he or she meets all of the following conditions:

  • the individual is eligible for Medicaid;

  • the individual's doctor and the hospice medical director certify that the individual is terminally ill;and has six months or less to live if the illness runs its normal course;

  • the individual signs a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered benefits to treat your terminal illness. Medicare will pay for covered benefits for any health problems that are not related to the individual's terminal illness; and

  • treatment is delivered by a Medicare-approved hospice program

Contact for More Info

Christina Rees
Hospice Program Manager
(406) 852-0322
christina.rees@mt.gov

Aging Services

The State Unit on Aging administers a wide variety of senior based services for Montana residents who are age 60 or older. Programs and services are primarily delivered by a network of 9 Area Agencies on Aging, which reach all geographic areas of the state. Our goal is to provide services that allow older adults to remain independent.

We offer a choice in living and care arrangements for older adults, as well as have programs to protect their rights and personal autonomy. Please review the links below for more information on the programs we provide.

Mission

The mission of the Community Services Bureau is to address the needs of Medicaid eligible Montanans who require assistance and support in meeting their on-going health needs by developing, managing, funding, and ensuring quality in home-based services that foster independence and dignity, contain costs, and provide options to consumers.

A wide range of community-based long term care services have been developed. They are designed to keep people independent and living in their communities for as long as possible.

Many individuals in need of long term care services choose to remain in their own homes or select other community options to meet their needs. The Community Services Bureau administers a number of Medicaid-funded options that enable people who are aged or disabled and have limited income and resources to remain in their homes, rather than receive services in a hospital or nursing facility.

Community Services Bureau staff are located throughout the State. Staff monitor services, provide training for local staff, assist people in accessing services and implement policy.