Washington Individual Provider and Consumer Directed Employer Program

Washington Medicaid in-home care clients may use Individual Providers (IPs) for personal care and respite services. IPs are employed by Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA), Washington's Consumer Directed Employer, while clients remain the managing employer for selecting, scheduling, supervising, and dismissing their IPs. IPs may be friends or family members when they meet provider requirements, but standard Individual Provider rules exclude spouses and parents of minor children.

Washington's Individual Provider path lets Medicaid-qualified in-home care clients receive authorized personal care or respite services from an IP. DSHS says IPs provide in-home caregiving to clients eligible for Medicaid in-home care services, must complete training and certification requirements, are employed by CDWA, and are sometimes friends or family members of the client. CDWA is the Consumer Directed Employer for Washington DSHS and employs about 46,000 IPs; clients remain the managing employer and can select, schedule, manage, supervise, and dismiss their IPs while DSHS case managers determine service amounts through assessment. DSHS caregiver guidance says CDWA employs IPs to support Medicaid-qualified people in their homes, including paid family caregivers, but the DSHS Employment Reference Guide says DSHS cannot pay an IP who wants to be the paid caregiver for their spouse or who is the natural, step, or adoptive parent of a minor client needing paid support. CDWA's current provider page lists starting pay of $22.63-$26.22/hr, with eligibility requirements, paid training, PTO accrual, SEIU 775 representation, and other possible benefits. Actual hours, eligibility, training category, pay step, and work-week limits depend on the care recipient's assessment, authorization, provider qualifications, and CDWA/DSHS rules.

Eligibility

• Care recipient must have a qualifying disability
• Relationship: parent, child, sibling, grandparent, other relative, non relative

Services

Washington's Individual Provider path lets Medicaid-qualified in-home care clients receive authorized personal care or respite services from an IP. DSHS says IPs provide in-home caregiving to clients eligible for Medicaid in-home care services, must complete training and certification requirements, are employed by CDWA, and are sometimes friends or family members of the client. CDWA is the Consumer Directed Employer for Washington DSHS and employs about 46,000 IPs; clients remain the managing employer and can select, schedule, manage, supervise, and dismiss their IPs while DSHS case managers determine service amounts through assessment. DSHS caregiver guidance says CDWA employs IPs to support Medicaid-qualified people in their homes, including paid family caregivers, but the DSHS Employment Reference Guide says DSHS cannot pay an IP who wants to be the paid caregiver for their spouse or who is the natural, step, or adoptive parent of a minor client needing paid support. CDWA's current provider page lists starting pay of $22.63-$26.22/hr, with eligibility requirements, paid training, PTO accrual, SEIU 775 representation, and other possible benefits. Actual hours, eligibility, training category, pay step, and work-week limits depend on the care recipient's assessment, authorization, provider qualifications, and CDWA/DSHS rules.

How to apply

• For the care recipient, start with DSHS/HCS, DDA, an Area Agency on Aging, or the assigned case manager to request Medicaid long-term services and supports screening and assessment.
• DSHS determines financial and functional eligibility, assesses the service amount, and authorizes in-home care or respite hours under the applicable program path.
• The client or managing employer selects and supervises the IP, assigns assessed hours across IPs if needed, and keeps a back-up care plan.
• The IP applies through CDWA, completes identity/work authorization steps, background check, training and certification requirements, and CDWA hiring materials before providing paid services.

Use the official program page for application details: official program page.