MCS provides supports to individuals who qualify for a variety of waiver services, one of these waiver services being the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and the other Moving Forward Plan (MFP) waiver service.
In order to qualify for these waiver services, the applicant must be living in a Nursing Facility or chronic rehabilitation hospital and have an acquired brain injury after the age of 22. One is then eligible to apply for one of two waivers: the ABI-Residential Waiver or the ABI Non-Residential Waiver. Once the individual applies for a Waiver service and moves out into the community, supports can be provided.
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the brain, which is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative or induced by birth trauma. It is an acquired brain injury that has occurred after birth. This also includes all types of traumatic brain injuries and also brain injuries cause after birth by cerebral vascular accidents (strokes) and loss of oxygen to the brain (hypoxic brain injury).
MCS has been serving the population with Acquired Brain Injury since 2012. Eligible individuals are now being served in the communities of western Mass., where they live on their own or with other family members.
The services MCS offers are Adult Companion and Individual Supports. Adult Companion services provide opportunities for companionship, socialization, shopping, eating out, going to special events, etc. Individual supports provides opportunities for individuals to enhance, restore and build upon their independent living skills such as learning how to cook, cleaning of the home, assistance with or doing the laundry, setting up appointments, and assistance with their PCA supports (scheduling, time sheets, etc.).
Brenda Norton
1000 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA. 01109
brendanorton@mcsnet.org
(413) 782-2500, ext. 328
Mary Wilson
1000 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA. 01109
maryewilson@mcsnet.org
(413) 219-6956
Brain Injury Association of America: www.biausa.org
Brain Injury Association of Mass.: www.biama.org
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC): mass.gov
UMass ABI Waiver Unit E-mail: ABIinfo@umassmed.edu