CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Franklin County officials are working to reduce waiting lists for services that help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live independently, receive care and remain in their communities.
Stacey Wilkins, administrator of the county’s intellectual and developmental disabilities program, told the county commissioners on Thursday that a new statewide strategy is designed to help more residents receive services by better coordinating funding, staffing and the availability of care providers.
The effort addresses a long-standing problem for families whose adult children or other relatives need continuing support but cannot immediately obtain services.
“The waivers that we have right now, there is an extensive wait list,” Wilkins said. She explained that the goal is to decrease waiting times and improve access to services.
The state Department of Human Services has been implementing a multiyear strategy to expand services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. State figures show that the emergency waiting list for adults declined by 31 percent between February 2024 and December 2025, although thousands of people remain on waiting lists.
Different levels of assistance
Wilkins explained that the county administers three Medicaid waiver programs, each designed for people with different levels of need.
The Person/Family Directed Support waiver provides up to $47,000 annually for less intensive assistance. The Community Living waiver provides up to $97,000 for people needing additional support, while the Consolidated waiver covers more intensive services without a fixed annual funding cap.
The programs can help eligible adults obtain assistance with daily living, participate in community activities and receive residential care when necessary.
Access depends on individual eligibility, the urgency of a person’s needs and the number of waiver openings authorized by the state.
Wilkins said the new strategy is intended to make better use of available funding while allowing service providers to plan for gradual increases in the number of people they serve.
When families face crisis
The waiting lists can become particularly difficult for families when circumstances suddenly change.
Wilkins described a situation in which an adult with disabilities lives with parents who provide daily care. If those parents die unexpectedly and no other relatives can take over, the individual may immediately need a more intensive level of assistance.
Wilkins said the county has encountered situations of that kind, where such circumstances can move a person higher on the waiting list because the need has become urgent.
The new planning approach is intended to help the county anticipate demand rather than respond only after families reach a crisis.
Rural communities face challenges
Commissioners also asked whether Franklin County has enough organizations available to provide disability services.
Wilkins said the county has a reasonable number of providers, but expanding services into rural communities can be difficult because organizations need enough clients to support staffing and operating expenses.
For example, a provider might need 12 residents to make a group home financially viable, even though only five people in a particular area are waiting for that type of placement.
The county and state encourage providers to expand while keeping people close to their families and existing support networks, rather than requiring them to move to another community for care.
Wilkins said the strategy should help officials identify future needs, coordinate with providers and adjust services as funding becomes available, and that the county will continue working with state officials and service providers to expand access and make better use of available resources.
