Transportation (TRA)

Service Description

Transportation is a service that provides or assists in arranging transportation to meet specific needs. It includes non-emergency ground transportation when approved in advance by the Division and when transportation is not already required under another service specification.

There are two types of transportation:

• Scheduled Transportation: Authorised when a Division member requires regular transportation to a day programme or employment-related service.
• On-Demand Transportation: Authorised when a member requires occasional transportation to access an authorised service or fulfil an obligation specified in the member’s planning document (e.g., Individual Support Plan [ISP]).

Service Requirements and Limitations

1. This service shall not be provided to members receiving habilitation services in residential settings unless all the following conditions are met:
   • 1.1 The service is required by the member’s planning document.
   • 1.2 Providing the transportation would place an extraordinary burden on the developmental home or group home Qualified Vendor.
   • 1.3 The member’s natural supports cannot provide the transportation.
   • 1.4 The service has been approved and authorised by the Division’s District Program Manager or designee.
2. Transportation services authorised by a member’s health plan or the Division’s Health Care Services shall be the responsibility of the health plan or Division’s Health Care Services, unless the transportation is considered reasonable community transportation provided by the residential habilitation provider.
   Transportation to medical appointments is typically coordinated through the member’s Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) or Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) health plan. Transportation to behavioural health services is typically coordinated through the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA).
3. Responsibility for school-related transportation is specified in the member’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Service Goals and Objectives

Service Goal

To increase or maintain members’ self-sufficiency, mobility, and access to the community.

Service Objectives

Meaningful Life Behavioral Health shall ensure that the following objectives are met:

1. Provide or arrange transportation to and from an ALTCS-covered service, including travel to designated pick-up and drop-off locations at specified times.
2. Assist the member with entering and exiting the vehicle as needed. Ensure that the method of transportation does not compromise the member’s health or safety.
3. Schedule pick-up and drop-off times so that the member does not have to wait more than twenty (20) minutes.
4. Notify the member or the member’s representative if the driver is twenty (20) or more minutes late or unable to provide transportation. Maintain a backup plan in case the scheduled driver or vehicle is unavailable.
5. Ensure that all transportation methods allow for communication through a two-way radio or cellular phone with adequate coverage for the vehicle’s operating range.
6. Ensure that vehicles used for transportation have valid registration and licence plates and, at a minimum, the level of liability insurance required by the State of Arizona.
7. Maintain vehicles in safe working condition and ensure they are equipped with functioning heating and air conditioning systems and a first aid kit.
8. Ensure that vehicles are designed or equipped for the safe transportation of members. All seats must be secured to the vehicle’s body, and members must be properly seated while the vehicle is in operation. Vehicles must have operational seat belts that are safe for passenger use. Members must be secured using age- and weight-appropriate restraints as required by state law.
9. Provide transportation in vehicles adapted to accommodate members with special mobility needs, as necessary to ensure adequate access to services.
10. If a vehicle is used to transport members in wheelchairs, it shall be equipped with floor-mounted seat belts and wheelchair tie-downs or comparable safety equipment for each wheelchair transported.
    10.1 Qualified Vendors transporting a member who remains in their wheelchair shall maintain documentation confirming that the worker has completed orientation on the proper use of the safety equipment being used.
11. Ensure that all individuals providing transportation are at least eighteen (18) years of age and possess and maintain a valid driver’s licence.
12. Review the driving records of individuals operating transportation vehicles periodically to ensure that they continue to meet driver qualification requirements.
13. Ensure that Meaningful Life Behavioral Health’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) certification includes transportation as an authorised service.
14. Provide sufficient staff to maintain the health and safety of all members being transported, including appropriate supervision during boarding and exiting.

Source: Arizona Department of Economic Security

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