1. Program Definition and Services

Environmental Modification Services in Virginia provide person-centered, non-medical supports designed to help individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD), physical disabilities, or complex functional limitations acquire, maintain, and improve skills necessary for everyday living. Administered under multiple Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers via the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), these services promote independence and inclusion. Services include:

• In-Home & Community Support: Individualized evaluation, selection, customization, and deployment of structural adjustments, such as wheelchair ramps, widened doorways, roll-in showers, grab bars, stair lifts, and reinforced walls for behavioral safety delivered from the individual's private home or primary residence
• Community Access & Participation: Tailored home safety navigation training, environmental accessibility instruction, and functional modification usage practice designed to expand functional safety, residential independence, and active community involvement

2. Regulations

The program is governed by the following regulations:

• Virginia Regulations Implementing the Developmental Disabilities Services Act
• Virginia Community Services Board and Developmental Services Minimum Standards
• Federal Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Final Settings Rule (42 CFR 441.301)
• Virginia Mandated Reporter Laws (Protection Against Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation)

3. Licensing or Certification

Providers must secure an agency service contract, subcontractor agreement, or formal provider approval via an authorized regional Community Services Board (CSB) or Managed Care Organization (MCO) and maintain compliance with Virginia HCBS quality frameworks. Contractors must hold a valid Virginia Contractor’s License through the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).

4. Responsible State Agency

The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), acts as the primary administrative authority. Business registrations are processed through the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), and professional credentials are valid under DPOR.

5. Application Process

• Register the corporate entity with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Corporate Division
• Obtain an appropriate contractor license through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)
• Apply for a background clearance profile and submit provider affiliation credentials to the regional network
• Enroll the corporation through the state portal as an active Virginia Medicaid provider with DMAS via the MES portal
• Execute a formal service delivery plan and matching sequence through the electronic CSB/MCO network

6. Required Documentation

• Verified business formation records, active Federal EIN, and corporate Type 2 NPI
• Active DPOR Contractor License and proof of general liability insurance
• Active CSB/MCO Service Agreement or formal provider approval credentials
• Environmental Modification Services Policy & Procedure Manual (covering intake, job bidding, safety risk management, and mandatory abuse reporting protocols)
• Signed HCBS Settings Transition Provider Self-Assessment Tool and formal Attestation documents

7. Timeline for Approval

The combined processing pipeline spanning contracting reviews, background registry clearings, DMAS provider enrollment, and final authorization matching typically averages 2 to 3 months.

8. Pre-Application Process

Prospective providers must form an LLC or Corporation with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, secure an EIN, and obtain a corporate Type 2 National Provider Identifier (NPI) mapped to developmental disabilities, specialized home-based habilitation, or accessibility modification taxonomy paths.

9. Pre-Application Training

The state hosts mandatory administrative and compliance training modules online. Agency owners, designated program managers, and lead technical workers must successfully complete the formal approved Core Competency Orientation sequences.

10. Additional Notes

• All provided structural modifications must directly link to the participant's Individual Support Plan (ISP) and focus explicitly on building or maintaining long-term physical independence
• Providers must formalize a clear Service Agreement for every participant, detailing specific project specifications, warranty rules, and emergency contact lists
• Any project completed must strictly align with state building codes, pass safety inspections, and include hands-on training for the individual and their care team
• Structural quote sheets, before-and-after photo portfolios, and final inspection logs must be archived chronologically within each participant file to satisfy state Medicaid audits

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