What is Direction's Personal Assistant Program?Direction's Personal Assistant Program is a program for any individual who resides in Orange or Sullivan County, has Medicaid, needs a personal assistant, and is determined to be self-directing by the Orange or Sullivan County Department of Social Services. This program enables a consumer who receives personal assistant services to recruit, interview, hire, train, supervise, and fire (if necessary) their own personal assistant.
What do we mean by self-directing?
A self directing person is:
- Able and willing to make life choices
- Able to organize the environment by making these choices
- Able to understand the consequences of these choices and to accept responsibility for them
Consumers who are not able to self-direct may qualify if they have a family member or a friend who is willing and able to take the same responsibilities as a self-directing participant.
What are the advantages of joining Direction's Personal Assistant Program?
- You recruit, interview, hire, train, supervise, and dismiss (if necessary) your own personal assistant.
- You hire as many personal assistants as necessary to accommodate your life style (within the number of hours approved by the Orange County Department of Social Services).
- You decide what needs to be done, and when it needs to be done.
- You instruct your personal assistant in all required work tasks.
- You receive home health aide equivalent services from your personal assistant.
- You decide on the work hours of your personal assistant(s).
What are our responsibilities in Direction's Personal Assistant Program?
- Process payroll for personal assistant(s)
- Monitor nursing assessments, medical and employment documents
- Train consumers on how the service works such as how to recruit, interview, supervise, etc. your personal assistant(s)
- Administer employee benefits for your personal assistant(s)
- Keep track of your ability to fill your responsibilities
- Keep an ongoing list of applicants and a list of personal assistants willing to do extra substitute work
- Provide equal opportunities to all prospective employees, regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, sex, disability, marital status, orientation or sexual preference
What are your responsibilities as a member of Direction's Personal Assistant Program?
- Manage the services of the personal assistant(s) you employ
- Inform Direction of any changes such as your address, telephone number, change in your living situation, if you are hospitalized, etc.
- Inform Direction of any change in the status of your personal assistant(s) such as hours worked, tax exemptions, address or telephone number
- Process required paperwork such as time sheets
- Develop a back-up system for substitute coverage
- Evaluate your personal assistant(s) on a regular basis
How do you become part of Direction's Personal Assistant Program?
To become a member of Direction's Personal Assistant Program call Direction's Coordinator. In addition, if you are currently receiving personal care services, you should call your caseworker at the Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) 568-5100 and tell him/her that you're interested in applying for the program. (Sullivan County Residents: contact Sullivan County's Department of Social Services at 292-0100). If you are not receiving personal care services, call DSS at 291-2800 and ask for the Adult Services intake worker. (Sullivan County DSS 292-0100). A case worker will visit you at home where your application will be taken and an assessment of your personal care needs will be made. You will be notified in writing of your eligibility for the program.
If it is determined that you are ineligible, you will be offered the opportunity to request a Fair Hearing through the New York State Department of Social Services.
Direction is a program of the Family Empowerment Council, Inc. in conjunction with the Orange and Sullivan County Department of Social Services.
