North Country Center for Independence

Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA)

What is Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA)?

CDPA 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 CDPA program are allowed to manage their own care by allowing the consumer or approved surrogate the freedom to recruit, hire, train, supervisee, schedule, and dismiss their own Personal Assistant (PA).

We facilitate this program in cooperation with Concepts of Independent Choices. Concepts' role is to bill Medicaid, based on your authorization, and to provide you with payroll services and health and benefit information.

How does CDPA 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 at 518-565-3363 to request consideration for placement into the CDPA program.

We can assist with providing you with program guidelines and information on hiring, training, and supervising your Personal Assistant.

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.

How do I get started?

Once you have been approved for the CDPA 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 and enrollment package.

Once you have completed all the necessary paperwork to enroll the PA, you must schedule a medical exam for your PA. When this is all completed, you may begin to train, employ, and supervise your Personal Assistant.

Personal Assistant benefits

After an eligibility period has been completed, your personal assistants will receive a competitive salary along with a full benefit package, including:

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

Advantages for the Consumer

• 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.

Responsibilities of the Consumer

• Recruit, interview, train, and schedule the personal assistant of your choice.
• Manage your own care plan within the authorized hours and inform NCCI 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.

Responsibilities of Program Staff

NCCI operates the CDPA program in cooperation with Clinton County Social Services, the Clinton County Health Department, and Concepts of Independence in New York City. Together, our responsibilities are:

• 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

NEW! [Personal Assistants / Care Aides Wanted]

For more information on how Consumer Directed Personal Assistance works, e-mail Mike Gagnier, or call him at 518-563-9058 Voice & TTY. If you live in Essex County, call Community Work & Independence, Inc. at 866-382-5291.

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102 Sharron Avenue
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 563-9058 Voice & TTY
(518) 563-0292 Fax

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© 2007, North Country Center
for Independence, Ltd.

Updated: 2 / 13 / 08