What Happens After You Apply for the Connecticut ABI Waiver? A 2026 Guide to the Application, Assessment & Service Planning Process
Published by The Supported Living Group | Connecticut ABI Knowledge Center
Applying for Connecticut's Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Waiver can feel like the beginning of a long and complicated process—and for many individuals and families, knowing what happens after the application is submitted can be just as important as understanding how to apply.
What happens next?
Who reviews the application?
What documentation is needed?
Does everyone who applies receive services?
What is the neuropsychological evaluation for?
What does the ABI Waiver assessment look at?
How does the waiting list work?
And, perhaps most importantly, what happens once a waiver slot becomes available?
This guide explains the Connecticut ABI Waiver application, eligibility, assessment, waiting-list, and service-planning process in practical terms.
Important: This article is intended as an educational resource and does not replace information or eligibility determinations provided by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). ABI Waiver requirements and procedures can change. Families should verify current requirements directly with DSS.
What Is the Connecticut ABI Waiver?
Connecticut's Acquired Brain Injury Waiver is a Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program designed to help eligible adults with acquired brain injuries remain in the community rather than requiring institutional care.
The program uses person-centered planning and provides a range of non-medical, community-based services intended to help individuals relearn, improve, or retain skills necessary for community living.
According to current Connecticut DSS information, applicants generally must be adults between 18 and 64, have an acquired brain injury that meets the program's requirements, meet applicable Medicaid financial and technical requirements, meet the applicable level-of-care requirement, and be able to participate in developing a service plan with DSS or have a conservator who can participate on their behalf.
The ABI Waiver can provide access to services such as:
Independent Living Skills Training
Recovery Assistant
Personal Care
Companion services
Supported employment
Pre-vocational services
Group day services
Respite
Transportation
Behavioral and cognitive supports
Care management
Other home- and community-based supports
The specific services available to an individual depend on their assessed needs and approved person-centered service plan.
Step 1: Submit the Connecticut ABI Waiver Application
The first formal step is submitting the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Waiver Request Form W-1130.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services currently lists the W-1130 as the official application for the ABI Waiver.
The application process can be initiated by contacting DSS and completing the required ABI Waiver documentation.
Don't stop at simply identifying the diagnosis
One of the most important things families should understand is that having an acquired brain injury does not automatically mean that someone will qualify for the ABI Waiver.
The assessment is concerned with the individual's functional needs and whether they meet the applicable program requirements.
This distinction can be especially important for individuals whose brain injury primarily affects:
Executive functioning
Memory
Judgment
Initiation
Problem-solving
Emotional regulation
Cognitive flexibility
Safety awareness
Insight
Communication
Community navigation
Ability to manage daily responsibilities independently
Someone may be physically capable of dressing, preparing a meal, or walking through a store while still requiring significant cognitive supervision, cueing, training, or support.
That is one of the reasons documenting functional impact is so important.
Step 2: Gather Supporting Documentation
After submitting an application, families should begin organizing documentation that demonstrates both the existence of the acquired brain injury and its ongoing functional impact.
Potentially relevant documentation may include:
Neuropsychological evaluations
Neurological records
Hospital records
Rehabilitation records
Medical records
Speech-language evaluations
Occupational therapy evaluations
Physical therapy documentation
Behavioral health records
Cognitive assessments
Previous service plans
Documentation from residential or community providers
Employment or vocational records
Documentation concerning safety concerns
Information regarding current supervision or support needs
The purpose is not simply to create a large medical file.
The goal is to provide a clear picture of how the brain injury affects the individual's ability to live safely and successfully in the community.
Step 3: Understand the Neuropsychological Evaluation
For individuals seeking placement on the ABI Waiver waiting list, Connecticut's current ABI materials identify a neuropsychological evaluation as a required component. DSS explains that applicants are screened for basic functional and financial eligibility and that a neuropsychological evaluation is required to get on the waiting list.
This is an important distinction.
A neuropsychological evaluation is not simply about determining whether someone has memory problems.
A comprehensive evaluation can help identify the broader cognitive and behavioral consequences of an acquired brain injury, including difficulties with:
Executive functioning
Attention
Processing speed
Memory
Reasoning
Problem-solving
Cognitive flexibility
Self-monitoring
Emotional regulation
Judgment
Insight
For some individuals, the most significant consequences of brain injury are not immediately visible.
This is sometimes referred to as the “invisible” nature of brain injury.
Step 4: Understand the ABI Waiver Level-of-Care Requirement
One of the most misunderstood aspects of the Connecticut ABI Waiver is the Level of Care requirement.
The waiver is intended for individuals whose needs are significant enough that, without appropriate home- and community-based services, they would otherwise require a qualifying institutional level of care.
Current Connecticut materials describe the Level of Care requirement as a mechanism for determining whether an individual would otherwise require placement in an institutional setting.
This is why a diagnosis alone is not enough.
The important question becomes:
What does this person's brain injury prevent them from doing safely and independently, and what level of support is necessary to allow them to remain in the community?
That can involve much more than traditional activities of daily living.
For example, an individual may physically be able to prepare food but lack the judgment or sequencing ability necessary to do so safely.
They may be able to enter a store but be unable to independently manage money, navigate unexpected situations, regulate frustration, or remember what they need.
They may be able to attend work but require significant assistance with organization, task initiation, transportation, communication, or workplace problem-solving.
These distinctions matter when documenting support needs.
Step 5: Waiting for ABI Waiver Placement
Another important reality is that applying for the ABI Waiver does not necessarily mean services begin immediately.
Connecticut currently maintains a waiting list for the ABI Waiver, and DSS encourages individuals to apply even when a waiting list exists.
The current DSS materials explain that applicants are contacted when a waiver space becomes available.
This creates an important distinction:
Applying is not the same as receiving a waiver slot.
An individual may move through eligibility-related steps and still have to wait for an available waiver opportunity.
For families, this period can be frustrating.
It can also be a valuable time to prepare.
What Should You Do While Waiting for the ABI Waiver?
Don't simply put the application in a drawer and wait.
Use the waiting period to create a stronger understanding of the individual's current needs.
Keep medical and neuropsychological documentation current.
Maintain copies of evaluations, treatment records, and relevant assessments.
Document changes in functioning.
Keep track of changes involving:
Safety
Employment
Independent living
Relationships
Medication management
Money management
Transportation
Community participation
Emotional regulation
Behavioral concerns
Executive functioning
Document the supports currently being provided.
Who helps?
How frequently?
What happens when that support is unavailable?
What problems occur without support?
This information can help demonstrate the difference between what someone can do occasionally and what they can consistently do safely and independently.
Begin learning about ABI services.
Understanding services such as Independent Living Skills Training, Recovery Assistant, Personal Care, supported employment, and other supports can help families participate more effectively in future planning conversations.
Research potential providers.
Families may benefit from learning about ABI providers before a waiver slot becomes available.
Questions to consider include:
Does the provider specialize in acquired brain injury?
Does it understand executive dysfunction?
Does it provide community-based services?
Does it have clinical support?
How does it develop individualized goals?
How does it communicate with families?
Does it have experience with complex ABI needs?
Step 6: A Waiver Slot Becomes Available
Once a waiver slot becomes available, the process moves toward the development of an individualized plan of care/service plan.
Current DSS materials explain that once a slot becomes available, a referral is sent to the regional Access Agency. The Access Agency care manager works with the participant and relevant members of the individual's team to develop a plan addressing cognitive, physical, and behavioral support needs.
This is a significant transition.
The conversation shifts from:
“Does this person qualify?”
toward:
“What does this person need to live successfully in the community?”
Step 7: Developing the ABI Waiver Service Plan
The service plan is intended to be person-centered.
That means it should not simply be a list of services.
It should describe the individual's:
Strengths
Needs
Goals
Preferences
Risks
Support requirements
Community-living objectives
Vocational goals
Independence goals
The plan should answer a fundamental question:
What supports will allow this person to live the life they want in the community?
For example, an individual may have a goal of obtaining employment.
The service plan may therefore need to address:
Transportation
Workplace organization
Executive functioning
Task initiation
Social communication
Problem-solving
Workplace routines
Community navigation
Another individual may want to live independently.
Their plan might focus on:
Meal preparation
Money management
Medication routines
Household management
Safety
Community access
Scheduling
Cognitive strategies
The objective should be functional improvement and meaningful participation, not simply filling authorized hours.
Why Person-Centered Planning Matters in Brain Injury
Acquired brain injury is highly individualized.
Two people with the same diagnosis can have dramatically different support needs.
One person may have relatively preserved memory but significant executive dysfunction.
Another may have physical limitations combined with cognitive impairment.
Another may appear highly independent while requiring extensive supervision because of impaired judgment or safety awareness.
This is why effective ABI services cannot rely exclusively on a checklist.
The service plan needs to understand the individual behind the diagnosis.
Choosing an ABI Waiver Provider
Once an individual is moving toward receiving services, selecting the right provider becomes an important decision.
Families should consider whether the provider understands the unique nature of acquired brain injury.
Ask potential providers:
Do you specialize in ABI?
Brain injury is different from many other disabilities. Providers should understand the cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and physical consequences of ABI.
How do you address executive dysfunction?
Executive dysfunction can affect virtually every aspect of community living.
How do you develop goals?
Goals should be meaningful to the individual—not simply convenient for the service system.
How do you measure progress?
A strong provider should be able to explain how progress will be evaluated.
What clinical support is available?
Complex ABI needs may require collaboration among rehabilitation, behavioral health, nursing, neuropsychology, or other professionals.
How do you communicate with families and care managers?
Good communication is essential to maintaining continuity.
Why ABI Services Need to Look Beyond Physical Independence
One of the most persistent misunderstandings about brain injury is the assumption that physical independence equals overall independence.
It doesn't.
A person may be able to walk, dress, eat, and shower independently while still being unable to safely manage:
Money
Medication
Transportation
Employment
Relationships
Household responsibilities
Scheduling
Problem-solving
Unexpected situations
Community safety
Executive dysfunction can make seemingly simple activities extraordinarily complicated.
This is why ABI assessment and service planning must consider the individual's real-world functioning, not simply what they can demonstrate under ideal circumstances.
What Happens After the Service Plan Is Developed?
Once the plan of care is established and services are authorized, providers work with the individual and their team to implement the strategies identified in the plan.
Current DSS information describes services as supporting areas such as independent living, personal care, vocational goals, consumer skills, and strategies addressing behavioral, medical, and other identified needs.
The process does not end when services begin.
Effective ABI support requires ongoing evaluation.
As an individual's skills, needs, goals, or circumstances change, the team may need to reconsider the supports being provided.
The objective should always remain:
More independence. More meaningful choice. Greater community participation. Better quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Connecticut ABI Waiver
How do I apply for the Connecticut ABI Waiver?
The Connecticut Department of Social Services requires an ABI Waiver Request Form W-1130 as part of the application process. Current DSS application materials list the W-1130 as the official ABI Waiver request form.
Is there currently a waiting list for the Connecticut ABI Waiver?
Yes. Current DSS materials indicate that there is a waiting list and encourage eligible individuals to apply even when a waiting list exists.
Do I need a neuropsychological evaluation?
Current DSS ABI materials state that a neuropsychological evaluation is required to get on the ABI Waiver waiting list.
Does having a brain injury automatically qualify me for the ABI Waiver?
No. Applicants must meet applicable eligibility, financial, functional, and Level of Care requirements.
What is the ABI Waiver Level of Care requirement?
The Level of Care requirement is intended to establish whether an individual would otherwise require placement in an institutional setting without the waiver's home- and community-based services.
What happens when an ABI Waiver slot becomes available?
DSS materials indicate that a referral is made to the regional Access Agency, where a care manager works with the participant and their team to develop a plan of care.
Can ABI Waiver services help someone work?
Yes. Current ABI Waiver materials identify supported employment and pre-vocational services among available waiver services.
Can ABI Waiver services help someone live independently?
Yes. The waiver is specifically designed to provide home- and community-based supports intended to help eligible individuals remain in the community rather than require institutional placement.
How do I contact Connecticut DSS about the ABI Waiver?
DSS currently lists 860-424-4904 for ABI Waiver information and identifies option 5 under its Community Options telephone system for the ABI Waiver.
The Most Important Thing to Remember
The ABI Waiver process can feel like a series of forms, evaluations, eligibility decisions, waiting lists, and authorizations.
But behind every one of those steps is a person.
A person trying to return to work.
A parent trying to regain independence.
Someone trying to live in their own apartment.
Someone trying to rebuild relationships.
Someone trying to safely navigate their community.
Someone simply trying to understand what happened to the life they had before their brain injury.
The purpose of the ABI Waiver is not simply to provide services. It is to create the support necessary for an individual to live as independently and meaningfully as possible in the community.
Understanding the process can help families become stronger advocates, better prepared participants in service planning, and more informed partners in choosing the supports that will make the greatest difference.
Need Help Understanding Connecticut ABI Services?
Navigating acquired brain injury services can be complicated, particularly when cognitive, behavioral, physical, vocational, and community-living needs overlap.
The Supported Living Group provides specialized community-based services for individuals living with acquired brain injury throughout Connecticut.
Our approach is built around individual choice, meaningful community participation, skill development, independence, and long-term quality of life.
If you are exploring Connecticut ABI Waiver services or trying to understand what supports may be appropriate for yourself or a family member, learning more about the ABI service system can be an important first step.