• What is Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Service (CDPAS)?
• How does CDPAS work?
• How do I get started?
• What are Personal Assistant Benefits?
• What are the advantages for the Consumer?
• What are the responsibilities of the Consumer?
• What are the responsibilities of Concepts?

What is Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Service (CDPAS)?
CDPAS is an alternative to traditional home care services. The program allows people with disabilities who are Medicaid-eligible, more control over their personal care services.

Consumers enrolled in the CDPAS program are allowed to manage their own care by allowing the Consumer or approved Surrogate the freedom to recruit, hire, train, supervise, schedule, and dismiss their own Personal Assistant (PA).

Concepts' role is to bill Medicaid, based on the Consumer's authorization, and to provide Consumers with payroll services and health and benefit information.
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How does CDPAS work?
If you are a Medicaid recipient in need of home care and you, or someone close to you, is willing and able to coordinate your care, you can call your local Department of Social Services to request consideration for placement into the CDPAS program.

Additionally, many family members may qualify as a PA. However, you MAY NOT hire a mother, father, spouse, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, or son-in-law.
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How do I get started?
Once you have been approved for the CDPAS program, you can begin to interview and hire your PAs. After you have decided who these PAs will be and how many you will need, they must complete an enrollment package and make an appointment to visit Concepts of Independence enrollment department to complete the procedure and obtain a photo I.D.

When the PA has visited the enrollment department, and has completed all the necessary paperwork to enroll the PA; Concepts of Independence will schedule a medical exam for your PA at that time. When this is all completed, you may begin to train, employ, and supervise your Personal Assistant.

• Competitive pay with differentials
• Paid annual leave and holidays
• Access to a comprehensive health care plan
• Life insurance program

• Employ as many personal assistants as you need to satisfy your lifestyle choice, keeping within the amount of hours you've been authorized by Medicaid.
• Consumers can direct and supervise their personal assistants to enable them to live independent lives.
• Consumers receive care that otherwise would be required to be completed by a registered nurse.

• Recruit, interview, train, and schedule the personal assistant of your choice.
• Manage your own care plan within the authorized hours and inform Concepts staff of any changes that may affect your service authorization.
• Direct the timely and accurate completion of your PA's time sheets, employment documents, and annual health assessments.
• Develop an emergency backup system that can manage emergency schedule changes, vacation days, and holidays.

• Promote Consumer independence.
• Serve as the fiscal intermediary between the Consumer and Medicaid.
• Administer a comprehensive wage and benefits program for Personal Assistants.
• Provide a variety of ancillary services to the Consumer or the Surrogate assisting them, including: compliance monitoring, recruitment assistance, emergency preparedness.