Employee LoginCircle of Support
Adults and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, can choose to self-direct their services. You develop and work with a team of family, friends, and professionals of your choosing called a Circle of Support. Together you decide on what you want to do and what supports you need.
You are approved for a personalized budget by OPWDD which you can direct to pay for the supports you need. With your budget you can hire your own staff and direct them on how to support you. You can pay for your own apartment or you can live at home and have your staff come to you.
You can direct your budget to pay for transportation and for some other activities like going to the gym or museum passes. You can hire music therapists, art therapists, or go to dance or yoga classes. You can hire a registered Nurse to help you manage your health. Ultimately you decide what each day will look like!
Being able to direct your day and manage an OPWDD budget takes responsibility. You can hire Coarc as your Fiscal Intermediary (FI) and we can manage your budget. You can hire a Support Broker to help you manage your staff, resources, and complete the documentation required by OPWDD and Medicaid.
Most people choose to hire their staff one-on-one for the hours they need support. There are options where you can even hire staff to live with you, if you choose.
You get to hire and decide on what staff will work with you. You are the boss, or “Managing Employer” of your staff. Coarc can act as the “Employer of Record” and will process payroll and manage staff benefits if applicable. Although you get to choose your staff, staff cannot be a direct parent or a child, but can be related to you as long as they are not living under the same roof. Staff are required to go through OPWDD trainings and background checks.
Coarc’s Self-Direction Services program is very hands on and knowledgeable and can help you design your own program to best suite your needs. Because we are one of the largest employers in Columbia County, we are very experienced at hiring and training great staff. We can help you find a staff person that you connect with and can meet your needs.
Our Self-Direction Services runs when you need it to run. For some people this means it operates 24/7/365, but for others this may just mean a few hours a week. You’re the boss, but along with being the boss comes responsibility. While Coarc’s Self-Directed Services can operate 24/7/365, it is you and your Circle of Support who must ensure your staff (or back up staff) are working.
