SupportCoordinators.Com

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SupportCoordinators.Com

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Not Just For Support Coordinators!
Resources= Empowerment
We are here to help support coordinators, providers, families, & self advocates.

Every person that gets on the medicaid waiver program receives a service called Support Coordination, which is a form of case management. Support Coordinators assist individuals and their families to access supports and services on their own.

This site provides easy access to many valuable resources.

What's New In The World Of Support Coordination?

Planning is Cruccial: Why You Need To Be On Top of Wills, Trusts, and Guardianship (text and video format)

Important: Update demographic information in ABC by July 1, 2008. Failure to do so could result in recoupment.

See The New QSI Assessment Tool (PDF)

Question: What Is Support Coordination?

Answer: "Support coordination is the service of advocating, identifying, developing, coordinating and accessing supports and services on behalf of a recipient, or assisting the recipient or family to access supports and services on their own. These services may be provided through waiver and Medicaid State Plan services, as well as needed medical, social, educational, other appropriate services, and community resources regardless of the funding source through which access is gained."

** Quoted From The Developmental Disabilities Waiver Services Coverage and Limitations Handbook effective June 2007. **

Question: What Documents Need To Be In The File Before I Bill?

Answer: The following Documents must be current, and filed in the central record PRIOR to billing. The support coordinator is responsible for completing these forms and reports.

Support Plan

Personal Outcomes Measures

The Department Approved Assessment

Waiver Eligibility Worksheet

Approved Cost Plan

Service Authorizations For All Approved Services

Progress Notes

Question: What Are The Minimum Contact Requirements

Answer: The following is a list of minimum contacts required for billing. All contacts must be documented by progress notes.

At least two billable contacts must be made each month, documented by progress notes.

Home Visits are required every three months for people living in group homes, and every six months for people living in family homes.

Face-To-Face Visits are required every month for people living in group homes, and every three months for people living in family homes.

The Developmental Disabilities Waiver Services Coverage and Limitations Handbook states, " Waiver support coordinators should not assume that meeting the basic billing requirements will necessarily result in a successful monitoring review and approval to continue services."

Question: What Is a Billable Contact?

Answer: In order for a contact to be billable, one of the following most occur:

Help the person to reach support plan goals and/or personal outcomes.

Monitor health and well being

Help the person get needed resources.

Help the person get involved in the community.

Assist with advocacy and choice.

Discuss concerns, and follow up on those concerns.

Question: What Else Do I Have To Do?

Answer: The Developmental Disabilities Waiver Services Coverage and Limitations Handbook has twelve pages of rules and requirements for support coordination. Listed below are just a few of those "Other" requirements. Support coordinators are expected to meet the needs of the recipient’s receiving services; regardless of the number of contacts it takes to meet those needs.

Be on Call 24-7, with a back up support coordinator available when you can not be reached.

Help the person become as independent as possible- educate people about community involvement, independent living, and employment options.

Connect the person with natural resources. The support coordinator should make every effort to assist a person to use free/natural resources, rather than paid waiver services.

Monitor the performance and compliance of paid supports. The support coordinator should get all required documentation from providers, and file them in the central record.

Amendments to the persons support plan and cost plan, as needed.

Help the person find providers that meet his/her needs.

Help the person keep their medicaid, and if they lose it, assist them with getting it back.

Make sure the person is getting needed medical treatments, particularly if they live in a group home or in their own home with supported living.

I'm a new Support Coordinator, Where Do I Go For Help and Support?

Answer: If you work for an agency, you have the advantage of having peer support and the support of your supervisor. This website also provides many valuable resources. If you are a solo, we highly suggest you find ways to network with other support coordinators. Also, read the handbook, and know the Delmarva requirements. Provided below is a list of quick links that new support coordinators will find helpful.

The Waiver Support Coordinator/ Provider Live Chat Room is every Thursday night at 7 P.M.

The Waiver Support Coordinators' Question and Answers Board.

The Agency For Persons With Disabilities Website.

The Delmarva Website

Need A Group Home?

Need A WheelChair?

Question: Is this the only site for support coordinators?

Answer: No, we have found several sites that help support coordinators. We encourage you to look at them as well.

The Association For Excellence in Support Coordination

George Andrews

The Florida Association of Support Coordinators (FASC)

Advocates in Motion

Question: Where do you get your information from this site?

Answer: We are currently working with The Association For Excellence in Support Coordination. This group is responsible for making sure that information on this site is current and correct.

We also get information sent to us on a regular basis from other support coordinators, providers, The Agency For Persons With Disabilities, and many other advocacy organizations.

There are also many resources for customers, families, waiver providers, and support coordinators at SupportCoordinators.Com. Take a few minutes to click on the different links. Come back often, we update our site often. We are always adding new resources and current information.

We also own WaiverProvider.Com. Be sure to check out our many providers. Every provider on WaiverProvider.Com has a website.

Question: How Do I Become A Support Coordinator?

Answer: In most cases, we would recommend that you start by working as a waiver support coordinator for another company for at least one year. Most support coordinators will tell you that it takes at least a year, just to learn the basics. Also, the paperwork requirements are vast, confusing, and necessary to get paid. Beware of no compete contracts!

If you decide that you want to be an independent support coordinator, you will use the APD website as your starting point, and go to the "Providers" page. On the "Providers" page, look for the medicaid application. You will be signing up to be a medicaid provider. The application can be found under the heading of APD HCBS Medicaid Waiver Provider Application. The application can also be found on the "Florida Medicaid Fiscal Website" On the Medicaid Fiscal Website, you will find a link at the very bottom of the left sidebar titled "Online Provider Enrollment".

For more help with the application, the Agency For Persons With Disabilities in your area can help. To find APD in your area, follow the link to Statewide Map of Area Offices. The person most likely to help you at APD would have a job title such as "Provider Enrollment".

You will also need to take a several training courses prior to becoming a support coordinator.

*** Not all districts are accepting new providers at this time.

*** Not all districts accept online applications.