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. 

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. 

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.

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.