Minnesota Minnesota

Consumer Directed Community Support (CDCS) Manual

Consumer Directed Community Support (CDCS) Manual


CDCS process and procedure

Page posted: 6/5/17

Page reviewed: 12/23/24

Page updated: 12/23/24

Legal authority

Federally approved BI, CAC, CADI, DD and EW waiver plans, Alternative Care (AC) program (Minn. Stat. §256B.0913), Minn. Stat. §256B.4911

Lead agency’s initial responsibilities

Before the person selects CDCS

When the lead agency determines the person is eligible for a home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver or the Alternative Care (AC) program, the lead agency provides information to the person so they can make an informed choice about their services. This information must include:

  • · Services that could meet the person’s needs (including CDCS).
  • · Explanation of self-direction and its roles and responsibilities.
  • · Budget information for CDCS (when available).
  • · Services, supports and goods the person can purchase within a CDCS budget.

    • Learning module

    DHS designed CDCS: Is it right for you? for lead agencies to share with people on waivers or AC who are interested in learning about CDCS. Lead agencies can also share this online learning module with people who currently use CDCS as an informational resource.

    Note: CDCS updated this learning module to align with unbundling policy changes. For more information, refer to the Dec. 10, 2024, eList announcement.

    After the person selects CDCS

    After the person selects CDCS, the lead agency:

  • · Authorizes non-CDCS waiver/AC services, if necessary, while the person develops their CDCS Community Support Plan (CSP).
  • · Communicates CDCS budget information to the person (refer to CDCS Manual – Resource: Communicating CDCS budget information for people using waivers and AC).
  • · Gives the person a list of certified CDCS support planners (if applicable). For more information, refer to CDCS Manual – CDCS support planners (pre-unbundling) and CDCS Manual – CDCS support planners (unbundled).
  • · Gives the person a list of financial management services (FMS) providers. For more information, refer to DHS – FMS provider information.
  • · Gives the person options for person-centered planning.
  • · Provides a summary of assessment information to help guide the person’s CDCS CSP development.

    • Person’s initial responsibilities

    Choose an FMS

    To access CDCS, the person must first select an FMS provider. The FMS provider:

  • · Helps the person with employer-related and other financial responsibilities.
  • · Initiates background studies for CDCS workers. For more information, refer to CDCS Manual – Background studies for direct-contact CDCS services.

    • The person and the FMS provider sign an agreement that identifies:

  • · The FMS provider’s costs.
  • · Roles and responsibilities of the FMS provider, the person and the support workers.

    • Other responsibilities

    The person also is responsible to:

  • · Develop their CDCS CSP.
  • · Select their support workers and service providers (as applicable).
  • · Submit their completed CDCS CSP to the lead agency.

    • If the person needs assistance writing the CDCS CSP, they can choose to:

  • · Spend some of their CDCS budget to hire a certified CDCS support planner who can help them write the plan.
  • · Receive guidance from their waiver/AC case manager/care coordinator.
  • · Receive guidance from a relocation services coordinator or AC conversion case manager if they still live in an institution and are eligible for Medical Assistance or the AC program.

    • Plan review and approval

    Review

    Once the person develops their CDCS CSP, the lead agency reviews the plan. When making decisions and determinations about items requested in the person’s plan, the lead agency must follow DHS policies listed in:

  • · Community-Based Services Manual (CBSM).
  • · CDCS Policy Manual

    • DHS is responsible to design and develop waiver/AC policies that meet requirements outlined in the federally approved waiver plans. The lead agency cannot create or implement any policies that are in addition to or inconsistent with DHS policies, per Minn. Stat. §256B.4911, subd. 8.

    Approval

    The lead agency:

  • · Approves, recommends changes, approves part of or denies the plan.
  • · Creates a service authorization.

    • Once the person and the lead agency settle on a final, approved CDCS CSP, the lead agency signs it and gives a copy to the:

  • · Person.
  • · FMS provider.
  • · Support planner (if applicable).

    • Plan implementation and ongoing oversight

    Once plan implementation begins, the person begins to direct their services. The person, FMS provider and lead agency each have responsibilities.

    Person

    The person is responsible to:

  • · Communicate on an ongoing basis with lead agency and FMS provider.
  • · Hire, train, monitor and manage support workers.
  • · Monitor and evaluate services to ensure they are adequately meeting assessed needs.
  • · Make revisions to the CDCS CSP as needed.
    Note: Some revisions require lead agency approval.
  • · Review and monitor spending summaries.
  • · Review and submit support worker time records to the FMS provider.

    • FMS provider

    The FMS provider is responsible to:

  • · Bill DHS or the managed care organization (MCO).
  • · Provide monthly spending summaries to the person.
  • · Provide quarterly spending summaries to the lead agency.
  • · Provide monthly reports to the lead agency when over- or under-spending occurs.
  • · Receive and process invoices for approved expenditures.
  • · Review and process support workers’ time records.

    • Lead agency

    The lead agency is responsible to:

  • · Help the person succeed in the community and meet CDCS program and service requirements, as needed.
  • · Inform the FMS provider, support planner (if applicable) and person when approving revision to the CDCS CSP.
  • · Meet with the person at a frequency outlined in their plan and according to their program requirements.
  • · Monitor and evaluate the plan’s implementation, including the person’s health, safety and satisfaction, the plan’s effectiveness and possible need for revision.
  • · Review and monitor spending summaries.

    • The lead agency has additional monitoring requirements when a parent of a minor or a spouse serves as a paid worker. For more information, refer to CDCS Manual – Paying a spouse or parent of a minor for personal assistance (pre-unbundling) and CDCS Manual – Paying a spouse or parent of a minor for personal assistance (unbundled).

    Reassessments

    The lead agency must perform a reassessment annually and when the person experiences a significant change in their need for services. For more information, refer to CBSM – Assessment applicability and timelines.

    Additional resources

    CDCS Community Support Plan (CSP) (Pre-Unbundling), DHS-6532 (PDF)
    CDCS Community Support Plan (CSP) (Unbundled), DHS-5788A (PDF)
    MMIS instructions:

  • · Instructions for Completing and Entering the LTCC Screening Document and Service Agreement into MMIS, DHS-4625 (PDF)
  • · Instructions for Completing and Entering the LTCC Screening Document and Health Risk Assessment into MMIS for MSC+ and MSHO programs, DHS-4669 (PDF)

    • Report this page