A useful referral gives the participant and provider a fair opportunity to determine fit. It identifies the program, authorized service, timing, decision-makers, support needs, and next step without turning a person into a diagnosis or sending records before anyone knows why they are needed.
Essential Living Support receives inquiries involving Wyoming DD Waiver services and the VA Medical Foster Home program in Cheyenne. These are separate authority areas. Referrals should state clearly which pathway is involved so families do not receive mixed information about eligibility, authorization, payment, or oversight.
Begin with the program and referral purpose
For a DD Waiver referral, name the authorized or proposed service, such as Community Living Services, Community Support Services, Companion Services, Adult Day Services, Respite, Homemaker Services, or Personal Care Services. State whether the request is an initial provider search, transition, added service, temporary need, or capacity inquiry.
For VA Medical Foster Home, identify the VA referral relationship and keep the discussion connected to VA coordination and Home-Based Primary Care. Do not describe VA Medical Foster Home as a Medicaid waiver service or assume that DD Waiver eligibility determines VA program eligibility.
Ask the participant before sending the referral
Confirm that the participant understands the referral in an accessible way and wants ELS considered. Explain what information will be shared, who may contact them, and whether a guardian or legally authorized representative should participate. Provider choice is meaningful only when the person can understand and express preferences using their communication method.
A referral should include strengths, routines, interests, and what a successful arrangement would look like—not only risks. This helps the provider evaluate compatibility and prepares the first conversation to focus on the whole person.
Information that makes a DD Waiver referral actionable
Include the participant’s preferred name and communication, the case manager and guardian contacts when applicable, the specific service, waiver and IPC status, expected schedule, target start date, current provider or transition context, supervision and personal-care needs, mobility and accessibility, behavioral or health protocols, transportation, household or setting preferences, and known safety considerations.
Send only information relevant to evaluating the referral. Before transmitting clinical, legal, or financial records, confirm why they are needed and use the appropriate secure method. A short accurate summary is more useful than an unorganized file dump.
Separate urgency from fit
A hospital discharge, caregiver crisis, provider closure, or placement breakdown may create real urgency. State the deadline and what happens if support is not available. Also describe the minimum safe conditions for the participant. Urgency does not make an unsuitable home, staffing model, or service category safe.
ELS may need time to review the IPC, meet the participant, examine accessibility and compatibility, clarify staff training, or coordinate with the plan-of-care team. A responsible “not yet” or “not a fit” is better than an acceptance that cannot be sustained.
What happens after the initial contact
A useful first response should clarify whether ELS provides the requested service, whether capacity appears possible, what additional information is needed, and who should participate in an introduction. No one should treat an initial inquiry as a confirmed start date or placement.
If both sides wish to continue, the next steps may include participant and guardian conversations, setting visits, record review, staff-training planning, authorization confirmation, transition scheduling, and coordination with the case manager or VA team. Responsibilities and dates should be written down.
When ELS is not the right match
Provider fit includes certification, availability, accessibility, staffing, support intensity, setting compatibility, geography, and participant preference. Declining a referral should be communicated respectfully and without blaming the participant.
The case manager or VA team retains responsibility for broader coordination. When appropriate and permitted, clear reasons for a decline can help the team refine the search or address missing information without disclosing confidential details about other people.
Questions for families and guardians
Ask who is making the referral, what program applies, and what decision is actually being considered. Share current information and correct misunderstandings early. The participant should know that speaking with a provider does not obligate them to choose it.
- What does the participant want, and how are choices communicated?
- What support is authorized, and what remains outside the provider’s role?
- Which routines, risks, relationships, and accessibility needs must staff understand?
- How will concerns or changes be communicated to the case manager?
Questions for coordinators and referral partners
A concise referral should enable a provider to answer three questions: Is the requested service within scope? Is there a realistic capacity and setting match? What must be clarified before a participant can make an informed choice?
- Does the referral identify the correct authorized service and current IPC context?
- Can the provider’s staffing, setting, training, and schedule meet the documented need?
- Are participant choice, transition risks, other funding sources, and non-overlapping service times addressed?
- Who owns each next step, and when will the team review whether the arrangement is working?
Frequently asked questions
Does an inquiry guarantee acceptance?
No. ELS must evaluate certification, capacity, participant choice, staffing, setting, timing, and safety before confirming fit.
Can a family refer directly?
Families may contact ELS, but DD Waiver authorization and coordination should involve the case manager. VA Medical Foster Home inquiries should connect with the appropriate VA team.
What should be sent first?
Start with a relevant summary of the program, service, timing, contacts, strengths, preferences, and major support needs. Arrange secure records only when needed.
How quickly will services start?
Timing depends on authorization, capacity, participant choice, required review, staff readiness, setting fit, and transition planning.
Related Essential Living Support resources
- Overview of Wyoming DD Waiver services
- Contact Essential Living Support
- About ELS
- Wyoming DD Waiver FAQ
- Community Living Services
- VA Medical Foster Home
- Refer a Veteran
Source note
Wyoming DD Waiver information is summarized from Wyoming Department of Health HCBS resources, including the current Comprehensive and Supports Waiver Service Index. VA Medical Foster Home information is summarized from official U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs program information. These are separate programs with different eligibility, funding, oversight, and service-planning processes.
Contact Essential Living Support
Essential Living Support, LLC is a Wyoming DD Waiver and HCBS provider in Cheyenne. Participants, guardians, case managers, and referral partners may contact Essential Living Support to discuss an authorized service, participant needs, transition timing, provider fit, and current availability. ELS does not determine waiver eligibility or replace the case manager or plan-of-care team.