When your child is enrolled in Florida's iBudget waiver, the person you will talk to most is not at APD headquarters. It is your waiver support coordinator (WSC). APD's support coordination page says individuals on the waiver "choose a Waiver Support Coordinator" who helps them access supports and services. A good WSC can make the waiver work for your family; a poor fit can make it feel impossible. This guide explains how support coordination is set up in Florida law, the tools APD gives you to compare coordinators, and the questions to ask before you choose. It reflects the 2026 Florida Statutes and APD's pages as of October 2026.
What does a waiver support coordinator do?
APD describes waiver support coordination as "ongoing case management to ensure that clients access services needed to maintain their health, safety, and well-being." According to APD, WSCs:
- lead person-centered planning to identify your child's needs and goals and write the support plan;
- help you access services "from all available resources," not only the waiver;
- build the cost plan within your child's iBudget and submit requests for significant additional needs;
- monitor whether services are working and advocate for your child.
Florida law adds specific duties. Section 393.0662(3) requires APD to certify that your child has used Medicaid state plan services, school-based services, private insurance and other resources before iBudget funds pay, and your WSC documents those resources. Section 393.0651(9) says the WSC "shall inform" you about the Consumer-Directed Care Plus program when developing or reviewing the support plan; see CDC+ in Florida. And under section 393.0663, every WSC must educate families about identifying and preventing abuse, neglect and exploitation, and about mandatory reporting.
What is a "qualified organization," and why does it matter?
Florida requires every support coordinator to work for a qualified organization (QO). Section 393.0663(2) says that to qualify, an organization must, among other things:
- employ four or more support coordinators;
- keep a professional code of ethics and a disciplinary process for all of its coordinators;
- require coordinators to complete APD-approved training and pass a competency-based assessment;
- run an APD-approved mentoring program for coordinators with less than 12 months of experience;
- prohibit dual employment that hurts a coordinator's availability to clients; and
- submit documentation for significant additional needs requests on time.
For you, this means your coordinator has a supervisor and an organization behind them. If you have a complaint, there is an organizational disciplinary process as well as APD.
APD itself must require QOs to report ethical or professional violations by their coordinators, and it can stop new client assignments, fine an organization, require a remediation plan or end its waiver services agreement when an organization breaks the rules (s. 393.0663(3)).
What does APD have to give us, and what can we look up?
| Tool | What the law or APD says | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| List of qualified organizations | Section 393.0662(5): APD "shall, within 5 days after enrollment, provide the client with a comprehensive and current written list of all qualified organizations located within the region in which the client resides." | If you do not receive it within about a week of enrollment, ask your APD regional office for it. |
| Public registry of support coordinators | Section 393.0663(3)(b): APD must "maintain a publicly accessible registry of all support coordinators, including any history of ethical or disciplinary violations." | Ask APD where to view the registry, and check any coordinator you are considering. |
| WSC Scorecard | APD's online WSC Scorecard "provides information about Waiver Support Coordinators currently working in the State of Florida," searchable by county. | Search your county and compare. APD notes the Scorecard "will not allow you to choose or change" a WSC; you still contact your local APD office. |
| Training on the iBudget system | Section 393.0662(5) requires APD to make training and education available to clients and caregivers about the iBudget system and self-direction. | Ask your region about family training sessions before your first support plan meeting. |
Limited, full or enhanced: which kind of coordination will my child get?
APD's iBudget services page lists three types of support coordination: limited, full and enhanced. For most families of autistic children, one rule decides it: section 393.0662(8)(b) says limited support coordination services "are the only support coordination services that may be provided to persons under the age of 18 who live in the family home." Expect the level to be reviewed as your child approaches adulthood or if living arrangements change. Ask the coordinator what limited coordination includes in practice, such as how often they will meet with you.
What should we ask before choosing?
Interview two or three coordinators if you can. Use this checklist and write down the answers.
Experience and fit
- How many families of autistic children do you support now? Any with behavior needs like my child's?
- Which counties do you cover? Do you do home visits in our area?
- Do you or your organization have staff who speak our language?
- How long have you been a WSC? If less than a year, who is your mentor?
Availability
- How many clients are on your caseload?
- How quickly do you return calls and emails? Who covers when you are out?
- How do you handle urgent problems, such as a provider not showing up or a safety concern?
Knowledge
- How do you document that insurance, school and Medicaid state plan services were used first?
- Have you submitted significant additional needs requests? How do you prepare them?
- Can you explain CDC+ and help us decide whether it suits us?
- How do you coordinate with my child's IEP team and ABA provider?
Accountability
- What does your organization's disciplinary process look like, and how do I raise a concern?
- May I see your entry on APD's registry?
Red flags and green flags
| Green flags | Red flags |
|---|---|
| Explains the support plan and cost plan in plain words, and sends copies | Asks you to sign plans you have not read or that leave out needs you raised |
| Asks about all your child's coverage (insurance, school, TRICARE) and helps you use it | Tells you a service is "not possible" without checking or putting it in writing |
| Returns calls within a stated time and names a backup | Goes weeks without contact or misses annual plan deadlines |
| Tells you about CDC+ and your appeal rights | Pushes you toward specific providers without explaining your choices |
| Clean registry history, or is open about past issues | Registry shows ethical or disciplinary violations they will not discuss |
Can we change support coordinators?
APD's Scorecard page says that to choose or change a WSC, "you will still need to contact your local APD office." Before switching, write down the specific problems and the dates, ask the coordinator's supervisor at the qualified organization to fix them, and then contact your APD regional office if things do not improve. Ask APD for the current QO list for your region again before you pick a new one.
If the support plan itself is the problem, section 393.0651(8) gives a parent of a minor client who is "substantially affected" by the initial support plan or its annual review the right to challenge it under sections 120.569 and 120.57, and the notice of that right must be in every support plan. Disability Rights Florida handles some waiver disputes for free.
How does the WSC work with my child's ABA provider?
For children, ABA is usually paid by the family's health plan or another source before the waiver. Section 393.0662(3) means your WSC should know what ABA your child already gets and through whom. Share the treatment plan summary and progress reports with your WSC so the support plan reflects them, and invite the WSC to coordinate with your BCBA on goals like safety, communication and daily living skills. Read more in who pays first for autism services and the iBudget waiver guide.
Hope Center for Behavior Change is a private ABA provider, not an APD waiver provider. We work with Florida Blue, Aetna, Cigna, UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East, offer self-pay with a sliding scale, and have no waitlist. If your child has Medicaid, center policy does not allow self-pay at Hope Center; you can add marketplace or employer insurance, which we accept, and the sliding scale can help with your share. Our BCBAs train parents weekly, and our staff can join IEP meetings where allowed. Request a free consultation or call 561-337-8865.