Participant-Directed Services

Welcome! This resource provides information for individuals interested in topics related to Participant-Directed Services.

Participant-Directed Services are home and community-based services that help people of all ages across all types of disabilities maintain their independence and determine for themselves what mix of personal assistance supports and services work best for them. Participant-directed services are sometimes referred to as consumer-directed or self-directed services. Historically, several initiatives have advanced participant directed services including the Independence Plus and the Cash & Counseling Programs.

The National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services (NRCPDS), is a technical assistance center that offers states the tools they need to implement a wide variety of participant-directed long-term care programs. It is the only national center of its kind and is available to assist states and other entities that want to offer, or already offer, participant-directed services to people with disabilities.

The NRCPDS offers an array of services—including program consulting, membership benefits, training, and research. A variety of informational resources and valuable tools can be found online at http://www.participantdirection.org.

Contact Information

National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services
Boston College
Joe Keune
Communications, Web & Event Specialist
(p) 617.552.0562
(f) 617.552.1975
info@participantdirection.org

What's New

FLSA Home Care Toolkit
The NRCPDS has produced several resources in response to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Home Care Final Rule. This webpage is designed to be your one-stop location for information and resources about the FLSA Home Care Final Rule and it's impact on participant direction programs. Resources include webinars, toolkits, and flowcharts. More resources will be added as they are developed.

Participant-Directed Services in Managed Long-Term Services and Supports Programs: A Five State Comparison
To gain a more thorough understanding of how managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs have implemented participant direction, researchers from the NRCPDS conducted an in-depth examination of participant-directed MLTSS (PDMLTSS) programs in five states. This research was made possible by the Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Truven Health Analytics.

Veteran-Directed Home and Community-Based Services (VD-HCBS): What An Employer Needs to Know
This resource guide, authored by Lucia Cucu, is a manual for self-directing employers, which describes a few important issues every employer should be aware of. 

The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Employers and Employees in Participant Direction
This issue brief, authored by Lucia Cucu and Kevin J. Mahoney, discusses opportunities and challenges posed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for Financial Management Services (FMS) providers and the workers they serve. Authors explored Fiscal/Employer Agent models of participant direction.  To request a full copy of the issue brief, email: membership@participantdirection.org