Program Name: Services My Way

Goals: To permit people of all ages with disabilities or limitations to have the right to live in the least restrictive and most integrated setting appropriate to their needs and to receive consumer-centered services.

Target population: Older Pennsylvanians and persons with physical disabilities

Number of anticipated participants: 400 by the end of the grant period

Area Served: This service model will initially be piloted with the elderly in 13 Area Agencies on Aging- Beaver, Indiana, Lycoming/Clinton, Cameron/Elk/McKean, Blair, Somerset, Washington/Greene/Fayette, Erie, Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Tioga, Philadelphia, Delware, Cumberland and Venango- with the goal of expanding it statewide.

Waiver used: 1915 (c)- PA Department of Aging (PDA) waiver and Department of Public Welfare Attendant Care waiver

Lead agency: Governor's Office of Health Care Reform

Website: http://www.ohcr.state.pa.us/assets/pdfs/CashCounselingGrant.pdf

Questions and enrollment:

Virginia Davies Brown
Project Director
Office of Health Care Reform
4th Floor, West Forum Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(p) 717-346-0330
virbrown@state.pa.us

Pennsylvania's Cash & Counseling program will provide consumers the option to direct and control their non-medical home and community-based waiver services. Consumers will receive an individual budget developed from their care plan and based on their individual needs. Consumers will be able to use their budget to hire their own workers to provide personal care, home support, respite, companion services, make home modifications, and purchase other goods and services. Support brokers will work with consumers to develop and revise individual budgets and assist them with tasks related to being an employer. In addition, consumers will have the option of appointing a representative.

The anticipated enrollment date in the Fall of 2007.