There are 29 licensed ICFs/MR in 11 Kansas counties with a total of 295 available beds. ICFs/MR are categorized by size and level of care. Level of care refers to level of severity of disability of the persons served in the ICFs/MR.

There are three size categories of ICFs/MR: Large (16+ beds); Medium (9-16 beds); Small (4-8 beds). There are five levels of care, with level one being the most severe.

Currently in Kansas, there is one (1) large size ICF/MR at 72 beds; seven (7) medium sized ICFs/MR and 21 small sized ICFs/MR.

Persons/guardians who seek ICF/MR services make application through their local area Community Developmental Disability Organization(CDDO). The CDDO has a gatekeeping role in access to ICF/MR services. They facilitate a gatekeeping meeting with the person/guardian seeking ICF/MR services to ensure that ICF/MR services are consistent with the person’s Person Centered Support Plan, that it is the least restrictive setting for the person and that barriers to community services have been identified and addressed.

The CDDO makes a recommendation to the Program Administrator, Community Supports and Services for a final determination.

Historically, ICFs/MR were established in Kansas to assist in reducing the census at its state hospitals and to provide separate facilities for persons who are mentally retarded or developmentally disabled from those serving the elderly. The 1990s saw a major shift away from institutions to community settings with the enactment of the DD Reform Act in 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C. in 1999, and Kansas’ adoption of the Home and Community Based waiver in 1990.

As a result of this movement, the number of ICFs/MR declined from 61 in 1990 to 29 in 2003.

Page last updated : April 1, 2008