Dear MonTECH consumer:
MAEP has provided positioning, seating, mobility, recreation, and ADL equipment to Montanans living with qualifying developmental disabilities for many years. At the end of August 2017, MAEP lost program funding due to the State of Montana’s DPHHS budget cuts. With the loss of this program’s funding, some of the MAEP inventory was donated to the community to accommodate for loss of storage space. MAEP continues to have about 200 items in inventory, including seating systems, strollers, adaptive tricycles, gait trainers, and some standers. All of MAEP’s remaining inventory has been transferred to MonTECH’s primary loan program (MATP) and can be accessed through this website. To search for adaptive equipment, click here.
With the transition of equipment from MAEP to MATP there have been some changes to the way equipment will be loaned out.
What will stay the same:
- Free shipping of equipment to you, by mail or bus. Some larger equipment will need to be picked up.
- Equipment loan requests through the MonTECH website. Your account for MAEP will also work for MATP.
What will change:
- Loan time will increase from 120 days to 180 days.
- Borrowers will be responsible for returning equipment to the MonTECH offices at the University of Montana at the end of the loan, either by paying to ship items back or returning them in person. In some cases, equipment may be returned to the MonTECH office in Billings.
- After the initial 180-day loan period, equipment will need to be returned if someone else has requested that equipment. If no one has requested the equipment, an extension of the loan may be possible upon request.
- Developmental Disability Eligibility will not be required for equipment loans. Anyone in Montana with a disability is eligible to borrow equipment.
- For continued safe use of equipment, borrowers will be asked to upload a letter from an occupational or physical therapist before checking out equipment.
- Dave Gentry, Assistive Technology Resource coordinator, is the contact for the MATP program. Claire Adam, former MAEP clinical coordinator, is available to assist with equipment transactions on a limited basis during this transition time.
- Equipment will be stored at the University of Montana; we no longer have our offsite equipment warehouse.
- Many of the adaptive tricycles are now in the WAM (Wheels across Montana) program. WAM is accessible from the MonTECH website.
Dave Gentry Claire Adam, DPT
406-243-5751 406-243-2841
Dave.gentry@mso.umt.edu Claire.adam@mso.umt.edu