For residents of the state of Florida, there is a legendary program available if you happen to get a brain or spinal cord injury called the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program. This program helps hundreds of disabled Floridians each year with permanent injuries. Originally set up to help people return to work, this program has evolved over the decades and now helps people with both TBIs and paralysis in all facets of life.
One of the biggest areas the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program helps is with transitioning home, whether from the hospital or nursing home. The trust fund will also help with things such as home renovations or an adapted van. As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, including being able to reintegrate back into the community and you are a Florida resident, this program may be for you. Read on to learn more about the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program.
History of the Program
Originally founded in 1978 by the Florida legislature, the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program was initially created to help people with their vocation needs. It is also funded by two major sources. The biggest source which accounts for 62% of the funding comes from traffic fines in the state of Florida. Surcharges for driving or boating under the influence, fees on license takings, and a percentage of fees for motorcycle specialty tags all go to the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program.
Medicaid funds the rest of the financial needs for this program, which accounts for 27%. This program also has two specific components. The first component is called a General Program, which helps people with needs related to assistive technologies, attending care, medical supplies, and behavioral programming.
The other component of the program is called the TBI/SCI Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waiver program, which has three more components, 1) General Waiver, 2) Consumer Care Directed Care Plus Program and 3) a Nursing Home Transition Initiative. When you work with this program, you'll be assigned to a case manager who will help you with your application and to ensure your request was approved.
Eligibility
If you're interested in applying for a grant with the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program, you must meet the following eligibility requirements. Please note not everyone injured in the state of Florida with the brain or spinal cord injury gets approved. Here are the requirements for the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program:
- Over 18 years old
- You must be diagnosed with up brain or spinal cord injury
- You must be medically stable and not need any IV support
- You must meet the level of care criteria for intermediate II, which is a statute in the state of Florida
- As soon as you see a Physician for your injury, make sure the hospital or doctor's office sends your files to the state's central registry as soon as possible. This will help you receive your grant money faster.
What It Covers
A great aspect of the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program is that your financial status does not matter. This is considered a last payer resort program, which means they approve most requests. Here are some of the things this program will assist with: Physical and occupational therapy, attendant care, medical supplies, counseling, life skills training, and behavioral programming. They will also help with adaptive modifications to your home and with any assistive technology that may need as well, such as a van or a computer.
How to Apply
Applying for a waiver with the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program is easy. You can either call the central registry toll free number at 1-(800)-342-0778 or you can apply on the department of health's website for the state of Florida here: http://www.floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/brain-and-spinal-cord-injury-program/applicants/central-registry.html
This site also provides instructions for the central registry referral form, as well as a Word doc version of the central registry form. If you have questions and would like to talk to someone directly at the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program, you can call 1-850-245-4045.
- Learn more/apply for the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program: http://www.floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/brain-and-spinal-cord-injury-program/index.html
