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: 4/1/26

Page updated: 4/1/26

Legal authority

Federally approved BI, CAC, CADI, DD and EW waiver plans, federally approved AC 1115 demonstration, 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.

    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.
  • · 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 the person with the MnCHOICES assessment summary to help guide the person’s CDCS community support plan development.

    • Person’s initial responsibilities

    Choose an FMS provider

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

    • If the person needs assistance writing the CDCS community support plan, 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

    Timelines

    Once the person develops/revises and submits their CDCS community support plan, the lead agency must review the plan within 30 days.

    Each time the person revises their plan in response to the lead agency’s feedback, the lead agency has an additional 30 days to review that revision, starting on the date the person submits it.

    Basis for decisions and determinations

    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.

    Process for people new to CDCS

    If the person is eligible for a waiver or AC, the county/tribal nation:

    1. Reviews the CDCS community support plan and does one of the following:

  • · Approves the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Partially approves the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Denies the CDCS community support plan.

    • 2. Provides the person with a notice of action (refer to CBSM – Notice of action) and does one of the following:

  • · If approving the CDCS community support plan: Continues to step 3.
  • · If partially approving the CDCS community support plan: Provides the person with a notice of action for denied items and works with the person to address the issues with the CDCS community support plan before continuing to step 3.
  • · If denying the CDCS community support plan: Takes no further action unless the person appeals.

    • 3. Authorizes the CDCS budget amount. For more information, refer to CDCS Manual – CDCS budgets.

    4. Signs the CDCS community support plan and gives a copy (along with any addendums and approval forms) to the:

  • · Person.
  • · FMS provider.
  • · CDCS support planner (if applicable).

    • Process for people who receive a reassessment

    BI, CAC, CADI and DD reassessments

    Within 60 days before the end of the person’s current service authorization:

    1. The county/tribal nation conducts a reassessment and determines the person remains eligible for a BI, CAC, CADI or DD waiver:

    2. The county/tribal nation provides the person with their most recent available annual budget, as listed in the Waiver Management System (WMS).

    3. The person writes and submits a new CDCS community support plan for their next service plan year.

    4. The county/tribal nation reviews the CDCS community support plan and does one of the following:

  • · Approves the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Partially approves the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Denies the CDCS community support plan.

    • 5. The county/tribal nation provides the person with a notice of action (refer to CBSM – Notice of action) and does one of the following:

  • · If approving the CDCS community support plan: Continues to step 6.
  • · If partially approving the CDCS community support plan: Provides the person with a notice of action for denied items and works with the person to address the issues with the CDCS community support plan before continuing to step 6.
  • · If denying the CDCS community support plan: Takes no further action unless the person appeals.

    • 6. The county/tribal nation enters a service agreement using the annual amount listed in the WMS.

    7. The county/tribal nation sends the approved or partially approved CDCS community support plan and gives a copy (along with any addendums and approval forms) to the:

  • · Person.
  • · FMS provider.
  • · CDCS support planner (if applicable).

    • 8. The person implements their approved CDCS community support plan or partially approved CDCS community support plan.

    9. The county/tribal nation checks the WMS the month after entering the person’s screening document to get the person’s updated annual budget.

    10. The county/tribal nation informs the person of their updated annual budget, provides them with a notice of action (refer to CBSM – Notice of action) and takes the appropriate action based on the person’s circumstances:

  • · If the person’s updated budget is the same as the budget in the approved CDCS community support plan: Informs the person they are not required to make any changes.
  • · If the person’s budget is changed: The county/tribal nation adjusts the person’s service agreement.

    • 11. If the person’s budget changed, the person takes the appropriate action:

  • · Budget increased: The person is not required to change their CDCS community support plan. If they wish to use the additional funds, they must revise their CDCS community support plan.
  • · Budget decreased: The person must revise their CDCS community support plan based on the new budget.

    • 12. If the person submits a revised CDCS community support plan, the county/tribal nation follows the instructions in the revisions section.

    AC and EW

    Within 60 days before the end of the person’s current service authorization:

    1. The lead agency conducts reassessment and determines the person remains eligible for AC or EW.

    2. The lead agency provides the person with their CDCS service budget amount based on their assessed case mix. For more information, refer to Long-Term Services and Supports Service Rate Limits, DHS-3945 (PDF).

    3. The person writes their new CDCS community support plan and submits it before the next year’s plan start date.

    4. The lead agency reviews the CDCS community support plan and does one of the following:

  • · Approves the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Partially approves the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Denies the CDCS community support plan.

    • 5. The lead agency provides the person with a notice of action (refer to CBSM – Notice of action) and does one of the following:

  • · If approving the CDCS community support plan: Continues to step 6.
  • · If partially approving the CDCS community support plan: Provides the person with a notice of action for denied items and works with the person to address the issues with the CDCS community support plan before continuing to step 6.
  • · If denying the CDCS community support plan: Takes no further action unless the person appeals.

    • 6. The lead agency authorizes the CDCS budget amount on the person’s service agreement based on their assessed case mix.

    7. The lead agency signs the CDCS community support plan and gives a copy (along with any addendums and approval forms) to the:

  • · Person.
  • · FMS provider.
  • · CDCS support planner (if applicable).

    • Revisions

    If the person submits a revised CDCS community support plan, the lead agency provides the person with a notice of action (refer to CBSM – Notice of action) and does one of the following:

  • · Approves the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Partially approves the CDCS community support plan and provides the person with a notice of action for denied items and works with the person to address the issues with the CDCS community support plan.
  • · Denies the CDCS community support plan and takes no further action unless the person appeals.

    • 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 the 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 community support plan 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:

  • · Meet all requirements for case management for people on a waiver/AC. For more information, refer to CBSM – Waiver, AC and ECS case management and CBSM – Assessment applicability and timelines.
  • · 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 revisions to the CDCS community support plan.
  • · 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 at least quarterly during the person’s first year using CDCS and at least annually after the first year.
    Note: CDCS community support plans that include parents of minors and spouses as paid workers require additional monitoring. For more information, refer to CDCS Manual – Paying a spouse or parent of a minor for personal assistance (unbundled).
  • · Provide the person with CDCS Community Support Plan Addendum, DHS-6633A (PDF) if the service rate changes.
  • · Provide technical assistance for budget and fiscal records management and take corrective action if needed.
  • · Comply with mandated reporting requirements and report suspected misuse of public funds. For more information, refer to CBSM – Adult protection.
  • · Report suspected fraud, waste or abuse. For more information, refer to DHS – Program integrity.

    • BI, CAC, CADI and DD only

    For people on BI, CAC, CADI and DD using CDCS, the county/tribal nation is responsible to review and authorize additional funding for environmental modifications exceeding $5,000 within the county/tribal nation’s aggregate.

    AC and EW only

    For people on AC or EW using CDCS, the lead agency cannot authorize:

  • · More than eight units of case management per month.
  • · Paraprofessional case management services.

    • 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