Consumer Directed Community Supports

Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) is a service option for people enrolled in the following programs:

• Alternative Care (AC)
• Brain Injury (BI) Waiver
• Community Alternative Care (CAC) Waiver
• Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals (CADI) Waiver
• Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver
• Elderly Waiver (EW)
• Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO)

CDCS gives a person flexibility in service planning and responsibility for self-directing their services, including hiring and managing support workers. CDCS may include traditional services and goods, and self-designed services.  With using CDCS, you can design the services and supports that best fits your assess needs, decide when you should receive services and supports, and hire the people you want (including parents and spouses) to deliver those services and supports.  CDCS also allows you to buy non-traditional supports, such as special therapies, assistive technology and home and vehicle modifications.

Each year, you will have a MnChoices assessment to determine your CDCS budget for the year.  You will then 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.

In addition to financial management services, it is encouraged to have a CDCS support planner to help you write your support plan. A support planner is able to: 

• Provide information about CDCS and provider options.
• Help you develop a community support plan.
• Help you monitor your support plan.
• Help you purchase and receive services and supports.
• Help you recruit, screen, hire, train, schedule, monitor and pay support workers.
• Help you solve problems that may occur.
• Provide and arrange for staff training specific to your needs.

For additional information on Consumer Directed Community Supports, please see the websites below:

Consumer-directed community supports / Minnesota Department of Human Services (mn.gov)

CDCS (mn.gov)- Training Video

https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-4317-ENG%20  (CDCS handbook)