Waivers
What Your SSA Actually Does, and How to Work With One
The short answer
A Service and Support Administrator (SSA) is the case manager assigned by the Lucas County Board of DD to every person on a DODD waiver or eligible for DODD services. The SSA writes the Individual Service Plan, opens authorizations for providers, monitors quality, and is the family's first call for waiver questions. They do not provide direct care and they do not control waiver waitlist movement on their own.
What to remember
- SSA = Service and Support Administrator. Assigned by your county board of DD.
- Your SSA writes the Individual Service Plan (ISP), authorizes provider hours, and reassesses annually.
- Not the same as a Social Security Administration representative. Different agency, different role.
Who the SSA is, in one sentence
The SSA is the Lucas County Board of DD employee assigned to your file. They are not your provider. They are not your friend at the board (although the good ones feel that way). They are the case manager whose job is to coordinate the services in your Individual Service Plan (ISP).
What an SSA does
Writes and updates your Individual Service Plan once a year, more often if your situation changes.
Opens authorizations so the providers you choose can bill for services.
Monitors that the services in the plan are actually happening.
Helps you understand the waivers, the waitlist, and your options.
Coordinates with school, medical providers, and adult day programs.
Helps document current need when your IO waitlist assessment happens.
What an SSA does not do
They do not provide direct care. They will not be in your home doing personal care or behavior support.
They do not single-handedly move you up the IO waitlist. The state rules and the standardized assessment determine slot order, not your SSA. A good SSA documents your situation thoroughly, which is how your file is ready when slots open.
They do not hire your providers for you. You choose the agency or independent provider. The SSA opens the authorization.
How to work with your SSA
Email instead of phone tag. Most SSAs in Lucas County manage dozens of cases. Short, specific emails get answered faster than voicemails.
Update them on changes. Hospital admissions, school discharges, caregiver changes, behaviors, anything that changes the picture. Documented changes are what update the ISP and the current-need record.
Ask for the ISP in writing every year. Read it. If something is wrong (the wrong respite hours, the wrong adult day provider, the wrong contact number), tell them immediately. The plan is what providers bill against.
Treat them like a partner. SSAs who feel respected by families work harder on those files. Not fair, but true.
When to escalate
If you are not getting responses for two weeks on something time-sensitive, ask for the SSA Supervisor. Lucas County Board of DD has a clear escalation path and they will tell you who that is.
If you feel like you have been given wrong information about a waiver or rule, call the Ohio DODD Resource Line at 1-800-617-6733. They do not run your case but they can clarify state policy.
What we tell Lucas County families
We tell families to keep their own one-page summary of their loved one. Diagnoses, medications, what works and what does not, recent incidents, current providers. Hand it to every new SSA, hospital social worker, and provider. It is the single best way to make sure your story does not have to be retold every time staff turns over.
What your SSA can and cannot do
Can: write the ISP, request more hours when needs change, refer to providers, coordinate behavioral or nursing supports.
Can: help you appeal a denial, attend ISP meetings, mediate provider issues.
Cannot: directly provide care services (they are coordinators, not caregivers).
Cannot: bypass DODD eligibility rules or change waiver caps unilaterally.
Frequently asked
How do I find out who my SSA is?
Call Lucas County Board of DD at 419-380-4033 and ask. They will tell you who is assigned to your loved one's file.
Can I request a different SSA?
Yes. You can request a change through the SSA Supervisor. Be specific about why. They take it seriously.
How often should I hear from my SSA?
At minimum, once a year for the ISP review. More often if your loved one has significant medical or behavioral changes. Some SSAs touch base quarterly.
Is the SSA the same as a case manager on PASSPORT?
Conceptually similar, but SSA is the DODD term and only applies to people served by the county DD board. PASSPORT case managers work at the Area Office on Aging.
Can my SSA help me apply for SSI?
Not directly. They can refer you to a benefits counselor. Disability Rights Ohio and the Ability Center of Greater Toledo both help with SSI applications.
Does Reliance work with SSAs?
All the time. Most of our DODD-waiver clients have an SSA we are in regular contact with about authorizations, hours, and changes.
Sources we cite
Cite this page
Reliance Care coordinator team. (2026). What Your SSA Actually Does, and How to Work With One. Reliance Care Solutions. https://www.reliancecaresolutions.com/resources/news/what-your-ssa-actually-does-dodd-families
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