Consumer Directed Personal Assistance

 

Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) allows eligible individuals, who receive personal assistance services to recruit, hire, supervise, train and dismiss their own personal assistant(s). STIC acts as the Fiscal Intermediary for CDPA services, coordinating the pay and benefits of personal assistants and billing for reimbursement for the hours that they work. In every other respect, it is the person receiving personal care who is the employer and supervisor of his/her own personal assistants.

Benefits of CDPA

Participants in the CDPA program get to:

  • Choose their own personal assistant
  • Hire as many personal assistants as needed (within the number of approved hours)
  • Decide the tasks that are performed by personal assistants (based upon their care plan)
  • Set the schedule that personal assistants will work based on their individual needs
  • Instruct and oversee their own personal assistants in all required tasks

STIC’s Responsibilities in CDPA

  • Issue paychecks for personal assistants’ authorized work hours
  • Administer employment benefits for personal assistant(s)
  • Provide training to consumers, if requested, in areas such as how to recruit assistants, interview applicants, effectively train or supervise assistants, and more
  • Maintain copies of records including nursing assessments, medical records, and employment documents

CDPA Consumer Responsibilities

  • Manage and supervise the services of the personal assistant(s)
  • Inform STIC of any changes such as address, telephone number, and change in living arrangements, hospitalizations, etc.
  • Inform STIC of any change in the status of personal assistant(s) such as address, phone number, employment status
  • Complete required paperwork and ensure accurate timekeeping for assistants
  • Develop a backup system in case of absence of regular assistants

Eligibility

In order to receive CDPA services a person must be assessed and approved for services by their local Department of Social Services (DSS), managed care company or local office for aging. 

The person must be self-directing or identify a Designated Representative who is willing to assume the responsibilities of the program on his/her behalf.  A Self-Directing person is able to direct and supervise their own personal assistants, accept responsibility for his or her actions, and successfully retain personal assistants and back-up support.

Medicaid eligibility is required in order to be approved for services by DSS or a managed care company.  This is not a requirement to be approved for services by an office for aging.

Service Area

Broome, Tioga and Chenango counties. 

Contact Information

For more information, or to find out if you or a loved one may be eligible for this service, please contact STIC’s CDPA department at:

Phone: (607) 724-2111 Ext. 310
Fax: (607) 772-3601
Email: CDPA@stic-cil.org