Who is

Eligible?

Anyone who is eligible for OPWDD services and enrolled in the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver can choose to self-direct their services.

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Self-direction may be right for you if you can make your own decisions (or have help to) and if you want more flexible supports and services. 

Person Centered Planning

Your Care Manager/Care Coordinator (CM/CC) will have conversations with you about what you want to achieve in life. Based on those conversations, your CM/CC will tell you about the service options available to help you meet your life goals and develop a Life Plan. This process is called Person-Centered Planning and is at the heart and soul of Self-Direction. Your LP should be comprehensive and reflect your goals.

How does 

Self-Direction

Work?

You can choose if you want an agency to help you self-direct (agency-supported self-direction) or if you’d like to manage your own budget and staff with help from a Fiscal Intermediary and Support Broker (Self-Direction with Budget and Employer Authority).

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Self-Direction gives you the chance to make decisions about supports and services that help you to:

• Enjoy meaningful relationships with family and friends,

• Experience health and growth,

• Live in the home and community you choose, and

• Work, volunteer or do activities you enjoy. 

Enhancing community integration and social capital is at the core of self-direction. 

Support Broker & Fiscal Intermediary

If you want to manage your budget with Budget Authority, your DDRO Self-Direction Liaison will give you a list of Support Brokers. You can interview Brokers from this list. Once you hire a Broker, you sign a contract with that Broker that outlines his/her duties and how he/she will support you. You and your Broker will request a Start-up Budget through OPWDD. When your start-up is approved, the Liaison will send you an Approval Letter. You can now start developing a complete Self-Direction budget. You should also interview and select a Fiscal Intermediary from a provided list and ask people who support you to make decisions to be part of your Circle of Support.