Minnesota Department of Human Services offers options that give people more control over the services and supports they receive. These include:
People who use these services and direct the support workers who provide personal support services have new options. These options include higher rates or budgets and a training stipend for eligible support workers:
People who receive services may qualify for a higher reimbursement rate or budget for PCA, CDCS and CSG for work that is both:
PCA Choice agencies and FMS providers must pass on the enhanced rate/budget percentage to the specific worker who completed the trainings in the form of wages and/or benefits. PCA agencies and FMS providers may find instructions for doing so in the PCA Manual on the Provider agency/financial management services provider requirements for PCA, CDCS and CSG enhanced rate or budget page.
A one-time $500 stipend is available for up to 1,500 workers in PCA Choice, CDCS and CSG who complete qualifying trainings. Workers who received a stipend before July 1, 2019, may qualify for a second stipend by completing additional training. Information about how to qualify for a stipend is available on the Qualifying for the enhanced rate or stipend webpage.
More information about how a worker qualifies for the enhanced rate and the training stipend is available at the following links:
Workers may qualify for both, one or neither, depending on the person for whom the worker provides services. For the enhanced rate or budget, workers must provide services for a person who is eligible for 12 or more hours of state plan PCA per day and/or has the home care rating EN. For the stipend, workers must provide services for a person who uses PCA Choice, CDCS or CSG. Workers should ask their provider agencies or financial management services provider if they qualify.
