Consumer-directed community supports

Consumer-directed community supports (CDCS) gives you more choice and responsibility for your services and supports.

Using CDCS you:

Choose or design the services and supports that fit your assessed needs
Decide when you should receive services and supports
Hire the people you want (including parents and spouses) to deliver those services and supports.

CDCS includes services and supports now available through Medical Assistance waivers. It also allows you to buy non-traditional supports, such as special therapies, assistive technology and home and vehicle modifications.

Who is eligible for CDCS?
CDCS is an option for people enrolled in the following programs:
What does CDCS offer?
The flexibility built into CDCS allows you to tailor services and supports to your unique needs. When you choose CDCS, you may:
- Decide how to spend your budget allowance based on your needs
- Hire people you know, such as family, friends and neighbors, to help you
- Hire, train and manage your workers
- Have full employer responsibility as a participant employer. For more information, visit the Self-directed services webpage or the Participant employer options webpage.
What is person-centered planning?
Person-centered planning uses groups of people to focus on your needs and vision of what you would like your future to look like. With this, you:
- Are the focus of planning and those who know you are the primary authorities on the person's life direction
- Develop the plan; the plan is not developed for you
- Identify who you are and how to best meet your needs
- Make decisions
Self-determination, a key component of CDCS, articulates these four key principles:
- Authority to control the money you are allocated within established parameters
- Freedom to plan and live a life you choose
- Responsibility to accept the benefits and risk for choices you make and account for the money you spend
- Support to arrange and receive the help you need.
Once you have your thoughts organized and gathered through this person-centered planning process, you may start to develop your community support plan.
Who can help me write the plan?

The process of developing the CDCS community support plan is person-centered.

You may use any form to develop your person-centered CDCS community support plan, but you must include all of the required plan components. DHS has a template available, the CDCS Community Support Plan, DHS-6532 (PDF) . You may use this for to outline the required CDCS plan components. The template may provide a basis for the person-centered planning process.

If you need more professional help to develop your support plan, you may have a support planner help you. Find out more on the CDCS support planner webpage.
What should I put in my plan?
The community support plan may contain a mix of paid and non-paid services, formal and informal supports, as long as they:
- Address your assessed needs
- Are covered within your individual CDCS budget.
A CDCS community support plan includes:
- Costs of each support or service
- Plans to monitor your services or supports
- Qualifications of the people who will provide your services or supports
- Supports and services you need and plan to use
- Training you would like the people who will provide your supports to have.
How is my CDCS budget determined?

Your CDCS budget is set using information from your most recent assessment and screening documents. You must be assessed by your county case manager, tribal nation or health plan representative every year to remain on the waiver and CDCS.

If your needs stay the same, you should expect that your budget will remain about the same from year to year.
How do I use my budget?

You decide how to use the funds in your CDCS budget to meet your service and support needs. You choose how your needs are met within the guidelines of the CDCS service and the waiver or Alternative Care program. Your budget amount is the maximum funding you have to use for your services and supports for one full year.

If you choose CDCS as a service option, you must choose a financial management service (FMS) provider to help you to manage the services and supports you have chosen and help with employer-related responsibilities.
What is a financial management service (FMS) provider?

A financial management service provider will help you with employer-related responsibilities and financial tasks.

Visit the Financial management service provider information webpage for a list of agencies DHS has approved. Links on the page will take you to detailed information about each agency’s rates. Most agencies are available statewide. Counties must work with these enrolled providers to assure access to consumer-directed services for consumers.
How can I find out more about the CDCS service?
For more information about CDCS, contact:
- Your local county or tribal office
- Your MSHO health plan member services if you are enrolled in Minnesota Senior Health Options.
You may also review the Consumer Directed Community Supports Consumer Handbook DHS-4317 (PDF).