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Legal authority

Minn. Stat. §256B.85, subd. 11b, 18a and 18b

Comparison of PCA and CFSS

DHS is in the process of replacing PCA with CFSS. For more information about this transition, refer to CFSS Manual – Transition from PCA and CSG to CFSS.

Similarities

In both PCA and CFSS:

Differences

In PCA, the lead agency authorizes qualified professional (QP) units to pay a QP to train and supervise the person’s workers.

In CFSS, the lead agency authorizes a CFSS worker training and development budget that the worker’s employer (i.e., CFSS provider agency or person) can use flexibly to train and supervise the person’s workers.

The rest of this page applies to CFSS only. For PCA-specific information about worker training and development, refer to PCA Manual – QP requirements overview.

Definitions

CFSS worker training and development budget: A separate budget available to employers of CFSS workers (i.e., CFSS provider agency or person/representative) to pay for training, observation, monitoring and coaching of CFSS workers. These activities help CFSS workers expand their skills to support the person’s specific needs.

Employer: The entity responsible for recruiting, hiring, supervising, training and firing workers. In the CFSS agency model, the CFSS provider agency is the employer of CFSS workers. In the CFSS budget model, the person or their representative (if applicable) is the employer of CFSS workers.

Supervising professional: An individual with the background necessary to train the worker on a specific task and evaluate the worker’s competence to perform that task. An individual may meet this definition because of their education, training and/or experience. The supervising professional’s role is similar to the QP’s role in PCA. An active QP can serve as a CFSS supervising professional if they complete training on CFSS policy. For more information, refer to CFSS Manual – PCA/CFSS provider agency training requirements.

If the person receives health-related tasks in the agency model, the CFSS provider agency must ensure an individual with the license, education, training or work experience appropriate to the task(s) trains and supervises the worker. For more information, refer to CFSS Manual – PCA/CFSS health-related procedures and tasks.

Overview

This page describes policies and processes for use of the worker training and development budget by the CFSS provider agency (agency model) or the person (budget model).

Training and supervision policy

For information about all employer supervision and training policies and responsibilities, refer to CFSS Manual – CFSS worker training and supervision.

Supervision and evaluation of services

For information about CFSS provider agency supervision and evaluation of services, refer to CFSS Manual – CFSS provider agency evaluation of services.

Covered services

Training, supervision and evaluation of workers

In the CFSS agency model, the CFSS provider agency can use the worker training and development budget to pay the supervising professional(s) to:

In the CFSS budget model, the person or their representative cannot use the worker training and development budget to pay themselves to meet their employer responsibilities.

Classes and workshops

In both the CFSS agency and budget models, the worker’s employer can use the CFSS worker training and development budget to pay the fees for a worker attending a class or workshop on topics related to the person’s assessed needs.

A class can take place in a variety of settings and have varying amounts of learners (e.g., one-on-one training, traditional classroom course, online class).

Non-covered services

In both the CFSS agency and budget models, the worker’s employer cannot use the CFSS worker training and development budget to pay for:

Additional information for budget model

In the CFSS budget model, the person or their representative also cannot:

Process and procedure

Agency model

When a person is eligible for and chooses to receive CFSS services through the agency model:

1. The person includes ideas and information about their worker’s training needs when they write their service delivery plan.

2. The lead agency authorizes worker training and development for the person.

3. The CFSS provider agency and person write and refine the worker training and development plan.

4. The supervising professional trains the person’s worker and ensures they are competent.

5. The worker attends classes, if applicable.

6. The CFSS provider agency bills DHS for time the supervising professional spends training the worker and for classes, if applicable.

Budget model

When a person is eligible for and chooses to receive CFSS services through the budget model:

1. The person includes a worker training plan in their service delivery plan, with help from their consultation services provider if desired.

2. The consultation services provider reviews the service delivery plan, including the worker training plan, and submits it to the lead agency.

3. The lead agency approves the service delivery plan and authorizes worker training and development for the person.

4. The person trains their worker and ensures they are competent.

5. The worker attends classes, if applicable.

6. The financial management services (FMS) provider bills DHS for classes, if applicable.

Billing

Agency model

A person who uses the agency model, the CFSS provider agency is responsible to:

Amount billed for supervising professional

The CFSS provider agency bills for the total cost of the supervising professional’s time to train the worker.

Budget model

For a person who uses the budget model, the FMS provider is responsible to bill on the person’s behalf. For additional information, refer to the FMS provider responsibilities section below.

Person’s responsibilities

Agency model

In the agency model, the person is responsible to suggest classes to the CFSS provider agency, if desired.

Budget model

In the budget model, the person is responsible to include classes on their CFSS service delivery plan, if desired.

Consultation services responsibilities

Agency model

The consultation services provider is responsible to explain to the person that the CFSS provider agency also uses the worker training and development budget to pay for their supervision responsibilities.

Budget model

The consultation services provider is responsible to review the classes the person lists in their CFSS service delivery plan and advise them on whether the classes are coverable.

CFSS provider agency responsibilities

The CFSS provider agency is responsible to bill DHS or the managed care organization (MCO) for the supervising professional’s time spent training the worker on the needs of the person and classes the worker attends, if applicable.

The CFSS provider agency must pay for the worker’s time out of their operational costs to comply with labor law. They cannot bill DHS or the MCO for this time.

FMS provider’s responsibilities

If a person using the budget model has a worker who attends a class a part of the approved service delivery plan, the FMS provider is responsible to:

Example

A worker provided four hours (16 units) of personal care services and attended a two-hour class. The FMS provider:

Lead agency responsibilities

The lead agency is responsible to:

1. Approve the classes the person includes in their service delivery plan (budget model only).

2. Authorize a worker training and development budget for all people. For more information, refer to DSD MMIS Reference Guide – ASA3 screen for worker supervision/training (PCA: T1019 – UA; CFSS: S5116.

3. Respond to requests for additional funds.

4. Review updated service delivery plans that contain new or different classes and either:

Requesting additional funds

All people receive the same initial worker training and development budget.

To request additional funds for the person’s worker training and development budget, the CFSS provider agency (agency model) or FMS provider (budget model) must follow the directions on the applicable page:

The CFSS provider agency or FMS provider must submit the following documentation to the appropriate entity:

The lead agency follows the directions on the applicable resource page and DSD MMIS Reference Guide – Update a type B CFSS service agreement.