The Supports Coordinator’s Role
Supports coordination is a critical service that involves the primary functions of locating, coordinating,
and monitoring needed services and supports for waiver participants.
The SC’s Role in Assuring Medicaid Waiver Requirements
The SC has responsibilities that relate specifically to the provision of Medicaid waiver services.
SC Role in Monitoring for Health & Welfare
The health and welfare of recipients is an assurance ODP gives to CMS. The role of the SC is to monitor
for the health and welfare of waiver recipients, as well as to ensure individuals are receiving services in
the ISP, according to the frequency and manner outlined in the Waivers and the AE Operating
Agreement.
SC role when an individual relocates to another county
The SC is responsible to assist in the efforts of ODP and AE/county programs in providing smooth
transitions of individuals from one county to another. Providing information and ensuring
documentation is up to date, as well as assisting the individual/family in the process.
SC role as a facilitator and core liaison
The SC requires skills in managing discussions in order to facilitate team discussions efficiently, keep
them respectfully focused on the individual’s needs, and being productive.
Additional SC Roles
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Participating in Supports Intensity Scale & PA Plus
Completion of PUNS: Prioritization for Urgency of need for Services
Documentation & Service Notes, Billable and Non-Billable supports coordination services
Incident Management
Independent Monitoring for Quality
Service Delivery Preference
Due Process rights for Waiver & Non-Waiver funded services
Utilizing Home and community Services Information System
Facilitating and completing Individual Support Plan
Completion, Documentation, and follow up of individual monitoring’s
Local IM4Q surveys offer supports coordinators an independent view of a person’s quality of life which
may confirm what the supports coordinator already knows. At times, new issues, new ideas, and new
opportunities will result from the IM4Q process, which supports coordinators, will need to address.
Supports coordinators should view local IM4Q program considerations as a helpful perspective to what
everyone wants – an everyday life for the people we support.
Supports coordinators can request copies of online and written IM4Q reports. Each year, the County/AE
receives an annual IM4Q summary, a national core indicators extract (which provides information on
county/AE performance compared to regional and state averages) and various written state reports.
Supports coordinators can also request provider IM4Q profiles from HCSIS to assist people in choosing
service providers.
The supports coordinator plays a key role in various aspects of the IM4Q process. With the exception of
completing pre-surveys themselves, these functions are all eligible for FFP (Federal Financial
Participation) as part of targeted service management and include:
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Completing pre-survey information that the IM4Q team needs to set up the interview.
This information may consist of personal data that is not available in Hcsis, or other
information which is in HCSIS that needs to be checked for accuracy. This information
may include the person’s preference for a man or women interviewer, the name of the
person’s residential provider agency, etc.
Addressing team considerations. While some team considerations about a person’s
satisfaction and outcomes can be handled outside the ISP process, some considerations
are best reviewed at a team meeting when possible changes to services and supports
can be discussed. The determination of what is handled in and outside of the ISP team
process should be made by the person, family, and supports coordinator. When a
change or action is taken to the ISP team, it, the change/action should be monitored
and recorded as a case note in HCSIS.
Addressing questions from an IM4Q team. Each IM4Q program is expected to follow-up
with a certain percentage of persons and families to determine if they are satisfied with
actions taken to address a concern or outcome. When a person/family is not satisfied
that the consideration is being taken seriously, resolved or in the process of being
resolved, the IM4Q team is authorized to continue to pursue resolution of the
consideration through their MH/IDD Program liaison. These considerations follow-up
may come to the attention of the supports coordinator.
Supports Coordinators Are NOT Authorized to select an individual for the IM4Q sample
or to determine if the individual does not choose to participate in an IM4Q interview.
People express reservations about participation still need to be referred to the IM4Q
program which is responsible for asking the individual if s/he chooses to participate.