Overview
ACAP is a one-stop shop focused on continuity, flexibility, integration, and coordination of services for Pennsylvania adults living with Autism.
ACAP is one of two programs in Pennsylvania specifically designed to help you, or the adult(s) with autism spectrum disorder that you care for, participate in your community in the way that you want to, based on your needs.
ACAP offers a comprehensive system of care to eligible Pennsylvanians living in Dauphin, Lancaster, Cumberland and Chester Counties. ACAP includes physical health, behavioral health, social, recreational, transportation, employment, therapeutic, educational, crisis, in-home support, and independent living services.
ACAP is administered by the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), which is part of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services.
Goals of ACAP
The goals of ACAP are to provide high quality services that support you and your family by:
- Increasing your ability to care for yourself
- Decreasing your family/caregivers’ stress
- Increasing you and your family’s quality of life
- Getting you the specialized services you need
- Helping you reach your goals for employment
- Helping you get more involved in your community
- Decreasing crisis episodes and psychiatric hospitalizations
- Supporting more social interaction with your peers
ACAP Documents
Additional Resources
Eligibility
To be eligible for ACAP, you must meet the following eligibility requirements.
- Be age 21 or older
- Be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien
- Live in Dauphin, Lancaster, Cumberland or Chester counties.
- Have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
- Be eligible to receive services in an institution, but choose to receive them in your community, and
- Meet the functional and financial eligibility requirements listed below
Functional Eligibility Requirements
You must have substantial functional limitations in three or more of the major life activities listed below:
- Self-care
- Understanding and use of receptive and expressive language
- Learning
- Mobility
- Self-direction
- Capacity for independent living
Financial Eligibility Requirements
You must be financially eligible for Medicaid to be eligible to receive this waiver. If you do not already receive Medicaid, you will need to apply for Medicaid through your county assistance office (CAO). If the CAO determines you are not eligible for Medicaid, the application process will not continue.
If you are employed, you may be eligible for Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) program, a type of Medicaid that will allow you to be eligible for ACAP. Your CAO will be able to help you in this area.
Apply Now
Contact your local County Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities office to apply
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions you might have about ACAP. If you can't find the information you are looking for here, please contact ODP or Keystone Autism Services using the contact information provided.
Yes. You can request an application while receiving services from another waiver program, but, before you enroll in ACAP, you will need to disenroll from the other waiver program. Timelines are coordinated, however, so that you will continue to receive services from your waiver program until ACAP services start.
As long as you continue to remain eligible for the program, there is no time limit or maximum age limit to remain in the program. Once enrolled, you will be reassessed each year to ensure you continue to meet all eligibility requirements
You can be on a waiting list for another program while receiving services from ACAP.
You are at the center of service planning and ISP development. Services are based on assessed needs as well as your interests. Your ISP team includes you, your Supports Coordinator, staff who provide you services, your legal guardian (if applicable), and anyone else you or your legal guardian chooses to have involved.
Monitoring of the program is an ongoing process throughout the year and includes the following: reports, on-site reviews, interviews with participants, an annual quality review by an outside agency, quality performance outcome measures, and oversight of provider qualifications (including training). A sample of participants of the program are interviewed annually to find out if they are getting the services in their plan, if they are happy with their services, and if they are treated well by their providers. ODP also checks to make sure participants of the program are healthy and safe.
Contact Information
Please contact the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) or the ACAP service provider if you are unable to find the information you need.