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Community integration is both a goal and a federally mandated standard for HCBS waiver services. It means that individuals with disabilities participate in and are part of their communities — living in typical homes, working in competitive jobs, using community resources (libraries, parks, stores, restaurants), developing relationships with people without disabilities, and making choices about their daily lives. The 2014 CMS HCBS Settings Rule requires that all waiver-funded settings be integrated in and support full access to the greater community. Settings must ensure individual rights to privacy, dignity, freedom from coercion, and the ability to control personal resources. Services that segregate people with disabilities from the community — such as sheltered workshops or isolated group settings — do not meet the federal standard.
Federal rules require your waiver-funded services to promote community integration. If your day program or residential setting isolates your family member from the broader community, it may not comply with the HCBS Settings Rule. You have the right to request more integrated options.