Indianapolis — Indiana history was made in the field of human services on Thursday, May 1, when more than 650 case management and service provider professionals gathered in Indianapolis to discuss the state's Medicaid Waiver program. For the first time since the state's inception of the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs, service provider agencies and case management professionals met to learn how these two groups, who serve the more than 10,000 Hoosiers receiving Medicaid waivers annually, can more closely collaborate.

The one-day event, "Let's Collaborate: Creating Success in a Person-Centered World," was sponsored by Indiana Professional Management Group (IPMG) at the Marriott East. As the sole provider of case management services to Hoosiers with developmental disabilities receiving Waiver services, IPMG's 350 employees work daily with service provider agencies across Indiana to assist Waiver recipients with achieving their hopes and dreams, and thrive in their communities.

Indiana residents who receive services from IPMG are recipients of one of three Medicaid Waivers: Autism, Developmental Disabilities (DD), and Support Services (SS). Each waiver has specific requirements that must be met for eligibility as determined by Medicaid. Using experience and creativity to deliver quality case management services, IPMG assists each individual with achieving their dreams by mixing a person-centered approach with twenty-first century technology.

Rich Metzger, IPMG Managing Director, said the event was structured to build closer communication and understanding between IPMG's professional case management staff—who serve as the waiver recipient's primary advocate—and the many service provider agencies throughout the state that provide services to people with a disability.

"IPMG's goal is simple: to make the needs of the Waiver Consumer paramount," he said. "By developing collaborative efforts between IPMG, the State of Indiana, and the service provider community within Indiana, we can truly focus on the needs, hopes, and dreams of each individual, and assist them to thrive in their communities."