FAQ

“Novum” is a Latin word. Its loose translation means “New Beginnings”. We think it describes our program and what we do in a beautiful, simplistic way: No matter the background, no matter the circumstance, or what someone may have been through, Novum Supports offers our clients a second chance, a fresh start, a “New Beginning”.

We’ve been helping people with disabilities for over 12 years and we felt that our old name limited what we do for those we serve. We’ve recently gone through a lot of changes and a beautiful transformation as a company and we are excited for our own New Beginning. We feel with our past experience and the great team we have in place, that our best is yet to come. We are humbled and blessed to write a new story for our company’s future.

Novum Supports provides support to Individuals with disabilities through Medicaid and Department of Health and Human Services /Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DHHS/DSPD) contracts. We offer our clients the ability to join our program, experience a new beginning, and help them lead the lives they want and deserve for themselves. We offer round-the-clock support with a variety of care but what we are most known for is our outstanding Host Home Program (Similar to Adult Foster Care).

Anyone who can pass an industry-approved background check and is over 21 years of age is eligible for consideration to be a host parent. Experience is always a great thing, but is not necessary. We have an intense screening process, as we do want the best of the best and want to make sure that our host parents are fully aware of what being a good host parent requires. We want to know they are applying for the right reasons. We have a great initial training program and offer extensive ongoing training and support to ensure that each host parent always feels confident and supported.

As previously mentioned, experience is always a plus, but not necessary if someone has the desire to help and support individuals with disabilities. A host parent or staff member of Novum must possess a desire to mentor our clients for the right reasons. We want good people who are honest, have integrity, believe in good values and have good attitudes. This great work is not easy and it’s not for everyone. A lot of patience, kindness, and thick skin are required at times. We can give anyone the right training and guidance if they have the right attitude. What we cannot do is give people a strong work ethic, honesty, and good character if they don’t already possess them. A staff member just has to be 18 years of age. A host parent needs to be at least 21 years of age.

Host parents must wear many different hats and be equipped to deal with a variety of circumstances when supporting a client. Being a positive role model and mentor is a great place to start. Host parents receive extensive and ongoing training to ensure that they always feel properly supported and comfortable in their abilities to keep our clients healthy, happy, and safe. In addition to mentoring, host parents assist in helping our clients properly take medications, assist them with learning greater life skills and help them manage their personal affairs. They also take them to medical appointments and run errands. Perhaps most importantly, a host parent’s role is to open up and invite our clients into their homes where they can become an honorary member of their new family. Many of our most successful host families have supported our clients for many years. They go on vacations together, have a ton of fun, and just really enjoy being a part of each other’s lives. They couldn’t imagine life any other way.

A host home is a specific support where we contract with individuals (host parents) to certify their own homes so that one of our clients can reside with them and receive the mentorship and care that they need to live their best lives. Host homes offer much less restrictive settings than inpatient facilities or group homes but more support than an individual with a disability would get living on their own.

We have a contract that allows us to serve clients eligible for waiver services over the age of 18. Most of our clients range in age from early ’20s to mid-50s. Most have been living with a disability their whole lives, though quite a few have suffered from a traumatic brain injury or became disabled from an accident or other unfortunate event. We have vast experience in dealing with intellectual deficiency (ID), ABI/TBI (Acquired/Traumatic Brain Injury), high-functioning autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, bipolar, schizophrenia, reactive attachment disorder, severe OCD/ADHD, and many other disabilities and crossover disorders. We also have experience working with more medically fragile clients such as those in wheelchairs, those with vision and hearing impairment, and those who need round-the-clock care for daily needs and activities.

Medicaid and DHHS/DSPD has an extensive process to determine whether an individual with a disability is eligible to receive services. People of all ages can be eligible for services. Novum can provide services ONLY to those individuals who have already been approved and completed the official qualifying process. Novum has no ability, nor is involved in any way with the initial process of assessing or determining eligibility. For more information on this process please visit dspd.utah.gov for more information on how to qualify for these services.