To be eligible for our services a person must be 21 years of age or older and, if not private-pay, have authorization from their "home" county to enroll.

Generally, a person considering our program is referred by their County Case Manager. Our Program Team then gathers information by making visits to the home and work/school site and conducting appropriate assessments to determine the person's support needs, service preference, environmental and social considerations, personal skills, etc. The type and amount of services to be provided are then determined through a person-centered planning process by the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) and specified by the Case Manager in the Individual Service Plan (ISP) or service agreement.

The following is the typical sequence of admission procedures.

• Merrick, Inc., is contacted to schedule an on-site tour, and a tour packet is sent to the legal guardian.
  
• The tour is completed.
• A referral packet that includes the individual's current ISP, psychological report (in compliance with Rule 185), and a letter from the Case Manager stating services requested is sent to the Assistant Program Director.
• Within 30 days of receipt of the referral packet, the Program Team determines the applicant's eligibility, identifies the support needs to determine placement on the waiting list, and notifies the Case Manager.
• The Assistant Program Director contacts the Case Manager when space becomes available and schedules a home visit and intake meeting.
• An admission date is established at the intake meeting and a transition plan specified.
• The applicant is admitted as a client of Merrick, Inc.
• The IDT meets within 45 days of admission to develop Day Training and Habilitation (DT&H) service outcomes.
• The IDT meets annually, or as requested, to review service outcomes.

To request a tour packet or to get more information on admission procedures and availability, please contact Sue Waite-Hanson, Assistant Program Director, at (651) 789-6231, or by email at suewh@merrickinc.org.