ACDS

Serving children and adults with Down syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities

Facebook Linkedin Instagram Indeed icon

Call Us :

Email :

Donate Now
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Indeed icon
Menu

Self-Direction, Fiscal Intermediary and Brokerage Services

Self-Direction, Fiscal Intermediary and Brokerage Services

Self-Direction 

Self-Direction is an empowering option for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want more control over their lives. Through this person-centered approach, participants and their families design supports and services that reflect their unique strengths, needs, and goals. Funded by Medicaid and overseen by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Self-Direction gives people the ability to choose where they live, how they spend their time, and who supports them.

With Self-Direction, individuals can:

  • Enjoy meaningful relationships with family and friends
  • Live in the home and community of their choice
  • Work, volunteer, or take part in activities they enjoy
  • Experience health, growth, and independence
  • Build connections and fully participate in their community

To get started, participants (with OPWDD and Medicaid eligibility) need both a Support Broker and a Fiscal Intermediary (FI)—and ACDS is proud to provide both.

  • Support Brokers guide individuals through creating and revising their Person-Centered Plan. They help build a Circle of Support team, plan a budget, explore services and resources, provide training on hiring, training and retaining staff, and ensure individuals exercise as much choice and control as possible. They are also charged with developing a Staff Action Plan that allows staff to understand and implement strategies to meet the goals and needs of the person they support. 
  • Fiscal Intermediaries (FI) along with the person, act as co-managing employers for self-hired staff providing the administrative and billing support needed to implement a person’s self-directed budget. This includes processing payments, fiscal accounting and reporting, Medicaid and corporate compliance, payroll processing for self-hired staff and overall administrative support.

At its core, Self-Direction is about increasing options, independence, and freedom of choice. Whether someone is making their own decisions or receiving support from family or guardians, Self-Direction ensures that each person has the opportunity to design a life that is meaningful to them, one filled with independence, community, and possibility.

ACDS is a Fiscal Intermediary (FI) for individuals who have chosen to Self-Direct their Services.  As a Fiscal Intermediary, we work closely with the individual, family and support broker to implement the ‘behind the scenes’ portion of all services. Services often include Human Resource activities as well as the billing and payment of the services identified and chosen by the individual, such as training the individual, family and staff on billing & documentation responsibilities, completing and monitoring budget expenditures, payroll processing, staff training and reviewing/auditing billing.

ACDS has in-house employees who can serve as Agency Brokers or we can contract with an independent Broker of your choice. We work closely with agency and contracted Brokers to guide the individual and their family through the process and consistently ensure the individual experiences our exceptionally high standard of care. The Support Broker guides the Person-Centered Planning (PCP) process, considering the individual’s goals, needs, and dreams. They help create a habilitation plan and budget with the Circle of Support and provide additional training and support as needed.

ACDS Support Brokers provide support and training to individuals and their Circle of Support regarding the ongoing decisions and tasks associated with self-direction and the services they can obtain under this model. 

This service ensures that costs of goods and services related to the self-direction plan are paid in accordance with plan guidelines and authorized budget. The FI is the employer of record, and the participant is the co-managing employer. This co-management style allows the participant along with his/her Circle of Support the freedom to choose the services and supports that are important to the individual. 

It also allows the individual to maintain the day-to-day management of their supports and services along with the people who provide them. The FI provides oversight and guidance in meeting compliance standards consisting of hiring paperwork, including background checks, and all ”OPWDD”  trainings along with maintaining personnel files and processing payroll. It is also responsible for reviewing, paying and billing all authorized expenses.