Fort Wayne—Paul Newhard stands to shake hands and greet guests to his home, then welcomes them with warm conversation and a broad, relaxing smile. His polite sociability is more reflective of a person well beyond his 21 years, and new people he meets are intrigued by the level of maturity and poise he presents. It doesn’t take long to understand this is just one engaging aspect of this courageous and talented Fort Wayne resident.

Newhard has shared a snug and tidy bungalow with a roommate since January 2009. Their well-maintained yard is capped by a small porch on the house, like a welcoming portal to Newhard’s home and much-desired stability.

“I’m happy with my life right now. I’m working on it every day, but I’m in a good place,” he said.

It wasn’t so long ago, however, that Newhard struggled to meet the most basic of his needs, including shelter, and the dream of an independent, stable home life was just that—a dream. For Newhard, who has a passion for theatre and the movies, his life so far has read like a script, with events worthy of Hollywood’s best, and him in the leading role. A supporting cast of characters have helped move him toward a happier ending.

His story began years ago, when, as a student in a neighboring county, Newhard was one of the more than 60,000 Hoosier elementary, middle, and high school students with an intellectual, physical, or developmental disability. As the years progressed, he was left to rely upon the school system for assistance. After graduation, Newhard was struggling not only with the direction of his life, but also how to support himself and meet the special needs required by the existence of a developmental disability.

A former Eagle Scout, Newhard had the skills to survive, but what he really needed was someone to help support and advocate for him.

Enter Barbara Richardson.

Although Richardson had met Newhard when he was a middle school student, their friendship didn’t really develop until he was nearing graduation and preparing to leave the school system. “I emailed his teacher to ask what would happen to him after graduation. He had no place to go, no family support, not even a place to live—nothing,” Richardson said. “I was compelled to help.”

Their goals at the start were simple: look at what Newhard’s needs were and find some resources to assist him. “We started navigating the system together, and found it to be harder than I thought. We needed some help,” she said.

Enter the State of Indiana.

When Newhard and Richardson turned to the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS), part of the State of Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), she wasn’t sure what to expect from a State service. What they received was more than anticipated. “Our local BDDS office was very helpful and instructive, and I felt as if I had really tapped into a source that could actually help Paul,” Richardson said. “I was very impressed.”

BDDS provides services for individuals with developmental disabilities that enable them to live as independently as possible in their communities, and works to match services with the type of support needed by each person. Developmental disabilities are mental or physical impairments that manifest prior to the age of 22, and are lifetime challenges for the individual. More than 70,000 Hoosiers have a developmental disability, including autism, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities.

Initially, the effort to evaluate Newhard’s circumstances and needs presented its own challenges. “But not because of BDDS,” Richardson said. “One of the biggest hurdles was just getting a physical, because we couldn’t get a doctor to agree to see him.”

“That was the only day I cried,” she said. “But I’ve seen some modern-day miracles through the course of this whole thing. It’s been amazing how everyone has worked together to help Paul.”

With the assistance of the local BDDS office, by January 2008, Newhard was the recipient of a Support Services Waiver, part of the State of Indiana’s Medicaid waiver program. The waiver program provides funding for individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently within their communities as they receive needed supports.

“I am really grateful that Governor Daniels opened up additional funding that got me into the waiver program,” Newhard said in reference to a priority criteria initiative that made a waiver accessible to him. “I don’t know what I would do without the waiver.”

Under one of two priority criteria initiatives of the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS), a department of the FSSA that administers the State’s waiver program, individuals such as Newhard who are aged 18-24, not receiving services, and out of the school system and needing supports are targeted for waiver services. (Another initiative targets individuals living with caregivers aged 80 and older.)

Now, with the waiver in hand and Richardson and BDDS beside him, Newhard needed someone to help him maximize his waiver by finding the right supports to meet his needs and move his dreams forward.

Enter Indiana Professional Management Group (IPMG).

Since September 2006, IPMG has served as the sole provider of case management services to Indiana’s waiver recipients. IPMG provides person-centered services to more than 12,700 Hoosiers receiving an Autism, Developmental Disabilities, or Support Services Waiver as part of the Medicaid waiver program.
After receiving his waiver, Newhard met with a representative from IPMG, an intake specialist, who would assist Newhard with the initial process of obtaining supports and understanding his waiver. (Newhard would also choose an IPMG Case Manager during this period, who currently serves as his primary advocate.)

For Indiana’s waiver recipients, the speed of the intake process directly affects how quickly supports and services are accessible for the individual. Indiana’s current intake process time is less than 90 days, a major improvement over the more than 100 days the intake processing took just over three years ago, prior to IPMG. For Newhard, the efficiency of the intake process was personal: it meant less days being homeless.

“When he received the waiver, his biggest goal was to find a new place to live,” said Cassie Balk, IPMG Supervisor. Balk is one of over 400 IPMG case management professionals statewide who advocate for waiver recipients. As part of her responsibilities, Balk ensures Newhard’s waiver funds are utilized to meet the things that are important for him, such as health and safety issues, as well as those things important to him, such as his life goals and dreams. “His first goal with IPMG, however, was to find him a place to live,” said Balk.

“When the waiver came through, I was like, ‘Bless Governor Daniels,’” said Richardson. “I don’t care about your affiliation; you can’t deny he’s doing so much for the waiver program. I don’t know where we’d be—where Paul would be—without it. I think, without the waiver, he’d be homeless.” 

“I didn’t eat that whole day,” Newhard said, recalling moving day. “I was so excited to finally have a place to live.”

Balk and Richardson continue to advocate for Newhard, focusing support on his unique needs and life goals. “Listening to what Paul is interested in doing with his life ensures his waiver is being directed as he wants,” Balk said. “He’s very independent and very self-directed.”

“I do sometimes play the role of the protective or angry mom—but only when he needs it,” Richardson said with a laugh. “For the most part, Paul is very determined, and desires to be equally independent, but he knows he has me and Cassie, his case manager, available when he needs help.”

Since IPMG began providing consolidated case management services in 2006 for those receiving waiver services, more than 4,000 individuals like Newhard have started receiving waivers. Of those, 50 percent have originated from Indiana’s waiver waiting list.

In addition to housing needs and support, waiver services can include behavioral management, therapy, daily living assistance, or vocational assistance to locate jobs within the community.

Newhard currently works at a pizza company in town—a position he landed without assistance—and, while he appreciates his employer, would love someday to work for a movie theatre. “I love the movies, especially musicals,” said Newhard. “I like to be entertained!”

“I think Paul has a lot of gifts, and I just hope people in the community realize that,” Richardson said. “He’s got a lot to offer, and, long term, some company is going to benefit from having him.”

Newhard feels confident that he can take his skills, including a passion for people, an outgoing personality, a dedicated work ethic, and, as a bonus, conversational fluency in German (his family is German), and develop them into a career. Newhard views working through challenges as merely plot thickeners in the movie of his life—not script-enders.

“I think I have a great future now,” he said.