Care, Finance and Insurance in Lansing

1. Financial and Cash Assistance/Grants

  • Sparrow Health System Financial Aid Services: Sparrow Health System provides financial assistance guidelines for medical services on their website. For patients and families lacking sufficient insurance or benefits, Sparrow Health System sponsors a financial support program called Sparrow Community Financial Aid (CFA). To read more about CFA guidelines, to see if you qualify, and to learn how to apply, visit the Sparrow Health System site here.
  • McLaren Financial Services and Assistance: Lansing’s other large health care provider, McLaren, also provides patient financial services and Patient Financial Services Counselors for families or patients with no health insurance, no secondary insurance, an insurance company that requires a large co-pay or deductible, or patients who have been denied by Medicaid.

2. Health Care

Healthcare Centers

  •  Sparrow Hospital, the largest hospital within Sparrow Health System, offers some of the region’s leading centers for trauma, pediatrics, orthopedics, neonatal intensive care, neurological care, and more. Sparrow is the largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation care in mid-Michigan and provides a range of clinical services, programs, and facilities, some of which include the following:
    • Sparrow Children’s Center: Sparrow Hospital was mid-Michigan’s first hospital to offer a unit specifically for children. Today, Sparrow’s Children’s Center receives more than 40,000 visits a year and offers a number of programs and clinical services, two of which include a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Rehabilitation Services.
    • Birthing Services: Nearly 4,000 babies are born at Sparrow Hospital every year in the Sparrow Mother Baby Center.
    • Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, the comprehensive rehabilitation hospital based out of Grand Rapids, has a partnership with Sparrow Hospital called Mary Free Bed at Sparrow. The partnership encourages collaboration and research exchange to provide the best possible rehabilitation practices for patients.
    • The Sparrow Professional Building, located next to Sparrow Hospital, partners with the University of Michigan Health System’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital to provide pediatric surgical care. The partnership aims to provide specialized, quality pediatric care to children close to home.
    • Cerebral Palsy Resources and Information in Lansing, MichiganSparrow St. Lawrence Campus: Sparrow St. Lawrence Campus provides emergency medicine, substance abuse services, and both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services.
    • Sparrow Specialty Hospital: Sparrow Specialty Hospital provides longer term health care for patients with traumatic injuries or other complex medical conditions. Patients with cerebral palsy, brain injuries, or other birth injuries can benefit from Sparrow Specialty Hospital’s services, which include occupational therapy, physical therapy, nutritional services, speech therapy, and more.
    • Sparrow Health System also has three locations outside the city of Lansing:
  • McLaren Greater Lansing offers a number of services in medicine, research, and education—some of these services of particular benefit to those affected by pregnancy, birth injuries, or developmental disabilities include the Women’s Services and Birthing Center, Pediatrics, and Rehabilitation.
  • McLaren Orthopedic Hospital: McLaren Orthopedic Hospital is located at a second site in Lansing and offers services including Orthopedics, Neurodiagnostics, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Diabetes Education, and more.

3. Insurance

  • Disability Determination Services: Lansing is home to one of Michigan’s four Disability Determination Services (DDS) offices. Michigan’s DDS is a sector of Michigan’s Department of Human Services (DHS), which provides family welfare and public assistance throughout the state. The DDS determines the eligibility of Michigan citizens to collect benefits under the Social Security disability programs, which include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the Social Security Disability Program (which we’ve explained in further detail below). Lansing’s DHS and DDS office is located at P.O. Box 30011 in Lansing, MI 48909, overseen by the area administrator Lural Baltimore, and can be reached at 1-800-366-3404.
    • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Social Security Administration (SSA) program that provides financial benefits to individuals who are older than 65, blind, or disabled. In Michigan, SSI benefits include a federal and state benefit, and the amount of the state benefit varies by living situation.
    • The Social Security Disability Program provides benefits to those severely disabled individuals whose impairments preclude them from performing profitable work. Michigan Social Security Disability programs are federally funded and make decisions based on federal rules and guidelines.
  • Social Security Disability Help: This site offers advice to Lansing residents regarding Social Security Disability benefits—qualification requirements, application guidelines, Lansing health resource centers, what to expect from disability benefits, and where to find Social Security Disability attorneys.

Lansing Lifestyle Resources

1. Education

  • Pure Michigan Workforce Development Agency—Education and Training: Based out of Lansing, the Michigan Workforce Development Agency (WDA) works to cultivate and identify talent and provide employment training in Michigan in a way that supports, attracts, and retains the state’s economic development. In order to accomplish this, the WDA’s Education and Training resources provide information regarding adult education, adult education providers, apprenticeships, community colleges, training, youth education and secondary education. All Michigan citizens, regardless of ability, can use this database to locate, learn about, and utilize Michigan’s education resources.
  • Michigan Special Education Mediation Program (MSEMP): MSEMP, a service provided through the Community Dispute Resolution Program (CDRP) provides services that aim to resolve any disagreements that interfere with the ability for disabled children to receive proper educational resources. Neutral MSEMP conflict facilitators ensure participants communicate effectively to resolve meeting issues and act as discussion mediators. Furthermore, MSEMP employees train parents, educators, and service providers to develop conflict resolution techniques.
  • Lansing School District Department of Special Education: The Lansing School District’s Special Education Department offers home-based programs for children, work-based programs for adults, K-12 support in all school buildings, and special education classrooms for children with thirteen kinds of different disabilities. The Department of Special Education offers programs in Pre-Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. Additionally, the Beekman Center is reserved specifically for moderately to severely impaired children and youths.
  • Michigan Department of Education—Office of Special Education: The Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Special Education is based out of Lansing and offers a number of statewide educational resources and programs for special needs students, some of which include Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), School-age Special Education, and Michigan Mandatory Special Education (MMSE).
    • Michigan Office of Great Start: The Office of Great Start ensures that children from birth to age eight have high access to education and learning programs and enter kindergarten prepared for success. The Office particularly targets high needs children. Michigan’s Office of Great Start provides the following programs and services:
      • Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge Grant: Federal funds go to states with excellent early learning programs for high needs children.
      • Core Knowledge and Core Competencies for Early Care and Education (CKCC): CKCC trains teachers and other educators how to provide children with the best possible experiences, environments, and relationships for growing and learning.
      • Great Start Collaboratives (GSCs) and Parent Coalitions (GSPCs) are local organizations that support the development of a local early childhood system and ensure parent leadership, action, and involvement.
      • Early Childhood—Great Start Readiness Program is Michigan’s state-funded preschool program.
    • Other Education Programs of potential benefit to children with learning disabilities include the following:
      • Early On Program: Early On is Michigan’s statewide system of early identification and intervention for children from birth to age three.
      • Head Start: Head Start is a federally funded early childhood program that serves children ages 3 to 5. The program includes education; physical, oral and mental health; parent education; community services; promotion of literacy; transportation; nutrition; and physical activity.

 2. Care

  • Help for Cerebral Palsy (CP) in Lansing, MichiganThe Michigan Department of Community Health sponsors a number of programs that protect and provide children’s health care. Children with cerebral palsy, brain damage, or other lasting medical conditions from a birth injury benefit greatly from the following government health care programs:
  • Children’s Waiver Program (CWP): CWP is a federal entitlement program that provides home and community-based services to children that are at risk of placement into an Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR). Funded my Medicaid, this program serves children with developmental disabilities, behavioral abnormalities, and/or medically complex conditions.
  • Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS): CSHCS helps individuals with special needs access appropriate health care, health education, and resources. While there is typically a fee required to join CSHCS, this payment is waived if the child is on Medicaid.
  • The Family Center for Children & Youth with Special Needs (FC): This program is a section of CSHCS that gives the parents of special needs children the opportunity to impact the public policies that affect youths with disabilities or special needs.
  • MIChild State CHIP Program (Health Care for Low-income Uninsured Children): MIChild is a health care coverage program that uses funds from the state of Michigan and those secured under the Federal Social Security Act to provide health care coverage to individuals younger than 19 that do not qualify for Medicaid, whose family income is between 150% and 200% of the federal poverty level, and who do not have comprehensive health care coverage.
  • Healthy Kids: This Medicaid health care program is reserved for low-income children below the age of 19. Lansing’s local Department of Human Resources provides consultation and information about Health Kids.
  • Lansing Special Needs Care Directory: A list of special needs care providers around Lansing is available through Care.com.

3. EmploymentLansing, Michigan Cerebral Palsy (CP) and Disability Resources

  • The Pure Michigan Workforce Development Agency, which we discuss in further detail in the Education Resources section, provides a number of employment resources for Michigan citizens. Employment resources include employment assistance for job seekers, hiring assistance for employers, reemployment and lay off, policy guidance, and more.
  • Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS): MRS helps people living with disabilities find and maintain employment. Additionally, MRS transition services support the transition of disabled high school students to adult activities, employment, and independence.

4. Housing

  • Michigan Cerebral Palsy Non Profit Housing Corporation is a public charity that provides housing for those with birth defects and genetic diseases including cerebral palsy. To learn more about this resource, click here.

5. Transportation

  • CATA: Lansing’s public transit Service, CATA, provides the following special services and resources for its disabled users:
    • CATA Spec-Tran Service: Spec-Tran is CATA’s paratransit service for those patrons unable to use the fixed-route system. Spec-Tran works on an advance reservation, curb-to-curb service with small lift-equipped buses and vans. This webpage lists additional information about wheelchairs and other mobility devices, services animals, and more.
    • CATA Disability Resource Page: This webpage lists CATA’s disability resources, which include long print schedule access and online audio schedules for the visually impaired, access to bus hailing kits, Michigan Relay Center Voice TDD, service animal information, facilities and fleet information, and directions for voicing concerns or complaints.
  • Michigan Transportation Services provides transportation services for ambulatory and non-ambulatory passengers around Lansing and a number of other cities in Michigan.

6. Adaptive Equipment

  • Michigan Integrated Technology Supports (MITS): MITS provides technical assistance, support materials, training, and a large assistive technologies lending library in order to support the needs of students with disabilities. MITS education services include workshops, seminars, and training opportunities for educators and professionals. Both the MITS office and the MITS Lending Library are located in Lansing.
  • Sparrow Hospital Children’s Center provides personalized orthotics to children with bone, joint, or muscle impairments from injury, illness, or disease.
  • Clock Mobility: Lansing is home to one of Clock Mobility’s four Michigan locations. Clock Mobility, a company that provides mobility vehicles, has inventories for custom vehicles, pre-owned custom vehicles, and wheelchair accessible van rentals.

 7. Accessible Playgrounds

  • Lansing children can enjoy the accessible playground at the North School. The playground offers flat, wheelchair-accessible surfaces and can be found at 333 E. Miller Road Lansing, MI 48911.

 Disability Organizations, Support, and Information

1. Foundations and Charities

  • Sparrow Foundation: The Sparrow Foundation, a charity organized and sponsored by Sparrow Hospital, raises funds for the research, medical, and educational pursuits of Sparrow Health System. Sparrow aims to support the health, equality, and well-being of all patients through fundraising events and developmental activities.
  • The Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan, a charity designed to support the overall health and well-being of children affected by medical difficulties, is located adjacent to Sparrow Hospital. The Ronald McDonald House provides family members of a sick child with a comfortable, relaxing place to stay near the hospital.
  • Children with Special Needs (CSN) Fund: The CSN Fund is a privately funded program within Michigan’s Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) program that was designed as a backup fund for assisting children with special needs when other funds are unavailable. The CSN Fund helps families acquire equipment and resources to aid the child’s mobility, health, independence, and quality of life.
  • Easter Seals AgrAbility is a statewide program that provides adaptive equipment for Michigan farmers who have an injury, disability, or illness and require accommodations to continue farming.
  • McLaren Greater Lansing Health Care Foundation raises money for the personal care of its patients.

2. Disability Organizations

  • Arc of Michigan: The Arc of Michigan’s State Office is located in Lansing, Michigan. The Arc Michigan facilitates a network of programs and services assisting people with developmental disabilities through training, education, assistance, and advocacy.
  • Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS): MPAS is an independent, private non-profit organization that advocates and protects the legal rights of Michigan’s disabled citizens. MPAS services include information, referral, short-term assistance, legal representation, advocacy, monitoring, and training.
  • The Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP), a department within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, assists blind citizens with defining and reaching goals. The BSBP provides training and counseling, adaptive equipment, and post-secondary education services.
  • The Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns (MDCR) responds to advocates on behalf of Michigan’s citizens with disabilities. The agency offers information and technical assistance resources for employers, state and local government, people with disabilities, families, and the public.
  • The Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of Michigan aims to promote the well-being and educational pursuits of people living with learning disabilities. To learn more about the LDA of Michigan events and projects, click here.
  • The Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council helps people with developmental disabilities achieve their goals through advocacy, promotion of proper treatment and public services, channeling federal funds in the form of grants, and more. The Council is made up of 21 individuals from around Michigan and holds meetings throughout Lansing.
  • The Capital Area Center for Independent Living provides a range of programs and services for the disabled residents of Lansing. Primary services include information, referral, community awareness, advocacy, independent living support, skill development, peer support, and nursing home transition.

3. Family and Parent Resources

  • Michigan Parent Teacher Association (PTA): The PTA creates programs to encourage the involvement of parents in their children’s lives through school and school-related programs and events. Members of the PTA understand the importance of parent involvement in the well-being of kids’ lives, particularly in children that are living with a disability.
  • Michigan Parent Training and Information Center (PTI): The PTI offers information, referral services, and training to parents of kids with disabilities and those educators and professionals who work with them.
    • Citizens Alliance to Uphold Special Education (CAUSE) is a Michigan-wide non-profit program sponsored by the Parent Training and Information Center. Located in Lansing, CAUSE provides information, referral, advocacy, support, and workshops to the Michigan parents and professionals working with disabled and special needs children. Members of CAUSE work to education Michigan residents, influence special needs legislation, initiate disability organizations and programs, represent parents and professionals at the national level, and dispel disability information.
  • The Michigan Department of Education provides a directory of resources for parents of school-aged children. The various resources and articles available here provide training, guidelines, support, tips, and access to other resources for parents.

Treatment and Therapy Resources

1. Interdisciplinary Therapy Programs

  • Children’s Therapy Corner (CTC) provides therapeutic and rehabilitation services for children from birth through school age. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation team at CTC specializes in therapeutic services for children with sensory, physical, cognitive, and communication issues. Services and programs include Applied Behavioral Analysis, Aquatic Therapy, Autism, Feeding Difficulties, Music Therapy, Occupational Therapy, the P.L.A.Y. Project, Physical Therapy, Sandbox, Speech and Language Therapy, and Therapeutic listening. CTC has locations in Midland, Traverse City, and Lansing, Michigan.

2. Physical Therapy

  • Sparrow Specialty Hospital: Physical therapy services at Sparrow Specialty Hospital work to improve, conserve, and restore the functions and movements hindered by cerebral palsy, brain injury, birth injury, or other medical conditions.
  • Sparrow Children’s Center Rehabilitation Services provide physical therapy for infants, premature newborns, children with dysphagia (impaired swallowing), patients with bone, joint, and muscle impairments, and more.
  • Sparrow Ionia Outpatient Rehabilitation Services provide physical therapy for patients with balance problems, back and neck pain, post-surgical orthopedic and neurological issues, muscle injuries, and more.
  • Carson City Hospital offers physical therapy and rehabilitation treatments on inpatient, outpatient, and home health care bases.
  • Sparrow Clinton Hospital Physical Therapy and Fitness Center provides rehabilitation services for adult patients only. The program offers traditional physical therapy exercises and non-traditional forms of therapy, including yoga, spinning, and more.
  • McLaren Greater Lansing Physical Therapy provides therapy for a number of injuries and conditions, some of which include musculoskeletal disorders, neurological injuries, and more.
  • CAPTA Physical Therapy’s physical therapy services aim to prevent and manage patients’ conditions with unique therapy plans. CAPTA Physical Therapy also provides occupational therapy, pediatric therapy, hand therapy, and other forms of therapy, so children with conditions like cerebral palsy can participate in comprehensive treatment plans. CAPTA has locations in Lansing, East Lansing, Delta, DeWitt, and Charlotte.

3. Recreational Therapy

  • Lansing Parks & Recreation Therapeutic Recreation: Lansing’s Parks & Recreation sponsors the Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Program to help both disabled and non-disabled members of the community maintain physical and psychological health and participate in community socialization.

Animal Therapy

  • Sparrow Health System Pet Therapy: Certified therapy dogs visit patients at both Sparrow Specialty Hospital and Sparrow Hospital Children’s Center as part of their therapy service programs.
  • Beekman Therapeutic Riding Center: Beekman Riding Center provides therapeutic horseback riding and hippotherapy classes year-round to students of different abilities and levels of experience. Beekman instructors are experienced and trained, and many are certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International.

Sports Therapy

  • Michigan State University Adaptive Recreation: Disabled residents in Lansing can enjoy the many adaptive sports available at the Michigan State Intramural Building in East Lansing. Adaptive recreational opportunities include swimming, Goal Ball, Wheelchair Tennis, Squash, Volleyball, Badminton, Racquetball, Wallyball, and Wheelchair Basketball. The Recreational Sports and Fitness Services Building also provides open recreation time and a fitness center with adaptive equipment. Participants can also join the Adaptive Recreation Sports Club, which practices Boccia Ball, Wheelchair Slalom, Track, Field Events, Hand Cycling, Table Tennis, and Wheelchair Tennis.

Aquatherapy

  • Sparrow Hospital: Sparrow Rehabilitation Services offers aquatic therapy at the Sparrow Professional Building located at the Sparrow Hospital.
  • Exclusive Physical Therapy provides Aquatic Therapy to patients. The Swim-Ex Therapeutic Pool includes a 10 mph treadmill and maintains a 94 degree temperature to relieve compressive forces on patients’ joints and bodies.
  • The Spine Center’s Aquatic Rehabilitation pool is kept at 88 degrees, is 16’ x 32’, and includes shallow steps and railings along the sides for patients who need more support.

Art Therapy

  • Sparrow Specialty Hospital integrates music therapy into treatment regimens to alleviate the stresses of a prolonged hospital stay.

Special Needs Camps

  • YMCA Day Camps: Children with special needs are welcome at the YMCA’s many Day Camps.

4. Occupational Therapy

  • Sparrow Specialty Hospital’s Occupational Therapy Program focuses on helping patients regain daily independence by practicing and completing tasks like personal grooming, eating, writing, and more.
  • Sparrow Hospital Children’s Center: Sparrow’s rehabilitation therapists undergo specific training and certification for the rehabilitation needs of patients under the age of 18. The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Services include a Neonatal/Infant Team, Developmental Assessment, Dysphagia (impaired swallowing) Rehabilitation, burn rehab, and services to inpatients with orthopedic needs.
  • McLaren’s Occupational Therapy/Hand Therapy Services focus largely on hand, elbow, and wrist injuries, all of which are commonly associated with cerebral palsy or other birth injuries. Therapists evaluate each individual patient’s needs and design fitting therapy regimens.

5. Speech and Language Therapy

6. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

7. Complementary and Alternative Therapies

  • Sparrow Specialty Hospital offers the Integrative Therapy Services Program to patients with long term and complex medical conditions. The program complements other forms of treatment and therapy with massage therapy, music therapy, pet therapy, aromatherapy, and integrative medicine.

8. Behavioral Therapy and Emotional Counseling

  • Sparrow Hospital Children’s Center provides emotional and behavioral support to children, adolescents, and their families. Services include assessment, education, anticipatory guidance, counseling, support, psychotherapy, and more.

Contact Our Team

Share this: