Find Out If You or a Loved One is Eligible
To find out if you or a loved one may be eligible for services through the Division of Services for People with Disabilities, call us at 1-844-ASK-DSPD or 1-844-275-3773 and choose the apply for services option to speak with an intake worker.
Who is eligible
A person may be eligible for services if they have qualifying disabilities in one of the three areas listed below:
Find out if you or a loved one may be eligible for services
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Intellectual Disabilities or Related Conditions
An intellectual disability is a disorder in which a person’s overall intellectual functioning is well below average – an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 70 or less. Individuals with intellectual disability have a significantly impaired ability to cope with common life demands and lack some daily living skills expected of people in their age group and culture. To be eligible for services, the person’s disability must result in a substantial functional limitation in three or more of the following areas of major life activity:
Physical Disabilities
A physical disability is characterized by a physical impairment resulting in the functional loss of two or more limbs, which a physician expects will last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. A person must be capable of supervising, training, and managing his/her attendant, as well as managing his or her own financial and legal matters. The illness or injury could have occurred at any age but the applicant must be over age 18 to be eligible for services.
Acquired Brain Injury
An acquired brain injury is the result of a traumatic injury to the brain that occurred after birth. An acquired brain injury may be the result of physical trauma to the brain or non-traumatic injury resulting from an external source such as a stroke, brain tumor, infection, hypoxia, toxic exposure, or substance abuse. A person may be eligible to receive services if the acquired brain injury results in substantial functional limitation in three or more cognitive abilities or physical functioning:
Service Criteria
People We Serve
Our Division serves a number of people with the following:
In order to be eligible for services through DSPD, a person must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, and a resident of the State of Utah.
We do not serve people whose only diagnosis is:
Eligibility Determination
How Eligibility is Determined
A person may be eligible for services if they have qualifying disabilities in one of these four areas:
Conditions due solely to
If a person meets the qualifying disability requirements in one of the four areas listed above, they are determined eligible for state services. In order to determine this, you or your loved one should contact DSPD and ask to speak with an intake worker.
After You or Your Loved One Has Been Determined Eligible for State Services
DSPD is not usually able to offer immediate services to people eligible for state services. Funding for services is determined by allocations from the Utah State Legislature each year. Until funds are available, individuals are placed on a waiting list and ranked according to an individual’s needs based on a variety of factors:
These factors are considered through the administration of a standardized evaluation called the Needs Assessment. It establishes a “needs score” which determines an individuals ranking on the waiting list.
This score is updated annually, but can also be updated any time an individual’s circumstances change or there is a suspected change in one or more of the factors described above.
How the Intake Process Works
Intake Workers
DSPD has intake workers on staff whose primary responsibility is to work with you to determine if you or your loved one is eligible for services.
During the intake process, you will be asked to provide information to the Division which demonstrates your qualifying disability in one of the four areas that DSPD serves. That information may include
90 Days to Complete
You have 90 days to complete the intake process. If you are unable to complete the intake process within those 90 days, you will be placed on inactive status. You may continue your application at any time and are not penalized whatsoever when you are place on inactive status. If at any time you wish to continue the intake process, an intake worker will be more than happy to assist you.
If a significant amount of time has passed you will be responsible to update any information that is no longer current.
Determine if you are eligible
To find out if you or a loved one may be eligible for services through the Division of Services for People with Disabilities, call us at 1-844-ASK-DSPD or 1-844-275-3773 and choose the apply for services option to speak with an intake worker;
– Or –
You may start the intake process immediately by completing one of the following applicable intake packets and returning it to the Division of Services for People with Disabilities.
Intake Packet for Applicants with Intellectual Disabilities or Related Conditions
Notice of Agency Action and Hearing Rights Form
After you have submitted all information required, DSPD will mail you a Notice of Agency Action and Hearing Rights Form.
This form will inform you whether you have been determined eligible for DSPD services. It will also inform you as to your hearing rights, should you disagree with DSPD’s decision.
Waiting List
Once you have been determined eligible for DSPD services, you will be placed on a waiting list until sufficient funds are given from the Utah State Legislature to bring you off.
For more information on the Waiting List and how funds from the Utah State Legislature are used to bring people off the waiting list and into services, please look at our section on How the Waiting List Works.