Is there a waiting list for the DD waiver in Virginia?
A plain-language answer for families and support coordinators in Virginia, with the official sources it is based on.
The short answer
Yes. Virginia has a statewide DD Waivers waiting list, kept by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and updated at least once a year. Slots are not handed out first come, first served. They are assigned by urgency of need, and getting on the list starts with a screening at your local Community Services Board (CSB).
The three priority levels
A support coordinator places each person in the priority level that best describes their need, based on talking with the person and family and on their diagnosis and assessment form.
- Priority One: needs a waiver service within one year and meets at least one urgent criterion, such as an unpaid primary caregiver whose own health condition significantly limits their ability to provide care, a risk to health or safety that cannot be managed even with other supports, living in an institution with a workable discharge plan, or being a young adult under 27 who has aged out of special education (IDEA) services and wants to live independently.
- Priority Two: will need a waiver service in one to five years, for example because a caregiver’s condition is declining or the person is at risk of losing housing or employment supports.
- Priority Three: will need a waiver slot in five years or longer, as long as current supports stay in place.
Who decides who gets a slot
Each area has a Waiver Slot Assignment Committee (WSAC): trained community volunteers who are not employees of a CSB or of a private provider of support coordination or waiver services. When a slot opens, the committee reviews the people in Priority One who are most in need and recommends the person with the highest need. DBHDS makes the final determination.
Emergency access
Virginia sets aside emergency slots for a short list of situations, for example when the primary caregiver has died or no other caregiver is available and the person cannot care for themselves, or when adult protective services finds that the person needs and accepts protective services. Emergency requests go from the CSB to DBHDS.
Staying on the list
Every year, people on the waiting list must complete the Annual Attestation Documentation of Individual Choice for Home and Community-Based Services form (the Choice form) to stay on it. The Needed Services form is optional. Both can be completed online through the DBHDS waitlist portal, and My Life, My Community answers questions at 844-603-9248, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM.
What this means at At Home Family Services
A waiver slot is not the only route to placement. At At Home Family Services, Medicaid waiver, private pay and other arrangements can be discussed, and coverage is confirmed on the screening call. If you are still on the waiting list, call (804) 919-3030 and we will talk through what is possible.
Sources
- 12VAC30-122-90, Waiting list, criteria and slot assignment
- Virginia DBHDS: Waiver information for individuals and families
- My Life, My Community: Accessing the waiver waitlist forms
- Virginia DMAS: Developmental Disability (DD) Waivers
Sources reviewed November 2, 2026. Rules and programs change, so confirm current details with your Community Services Board or support coordinator. This page is general information, not legal or benefits advice.