The New York Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a Medicaid initiative that allows people with disabilities and chronic illnesses to choose their own caregivers. This program gives participants greater control over their care, allowing them to select caregivers they have personally vetted and trust to provide them with services essential for their wellbeing.

CDPAP also allows participants to receive tailored care that meets their specific needs. Personal care assistants are scheduled for shifts that fit the consumer’s schedule, and they assist with daily living activities, such as bathing, dressing, and grooming.

Additionally, the CDPAP program enables personal assistants to receive better compensation and benefits for their services. This includes, but is not limited to, paid time off and health insurance coverage with the help of a fiscal intermediary like CDChoices.

If you are a consumer looking to hire a personal assistant or interested in becoming a personal assistant, you may want to know what the requirements might look like. Today, we will provide a complete outline of essential CDPAP personal care worker requirements to help you better understand them.

Start By Meeting the Essential Qualifications

In order to become a personal care assistant with New York CDPAP, a few essential credentials and qualifications must be met. All potential candidates must be 18 years of age or older. This allows the personal care assistant to work independently as a legal adult without any potential barriers to care that might come with employing minors.

They must be eligible to work in the United States. During onboarding a new personal care assistant, they must provide proof of their identity as a US citizen or as an authorized noncitizen.

Though the personal care assistant can be a family member, they cannot be the spouse or custodial parent of the consumer. This restriction is intended to avoid any potential conflict of interest between the consumer and their closest relatives when deciding on the best possible care.

They must be eligible to work within government-funded care programs. This may involve a background check to ensure that there are no legal exclusions preventing the personal care assistant from participating in CDPAP. 

Once a personal care assistant has been approved to participate with the consumer, they must provide pertinent documentation, sign a New York State Wage Notice, and complete a health assessment.

Participate in Regular Health Assessments

To ensure an excellent quality of care for the consumer, an essential CDPAP personal care assistant duty is attending regularly scheduled health assessments, as required by the NY State Department of Health. Once the initial assessment has finished, the personal care assistant must be willing and able to participate in follow-ups annually for the duration of their employment within the CDPAP program.

Honor Your Scheduled Work Hours Faithfully

Scheduled work hours are determined by the consumer based on their care needs. For example, one consumer may need care seven days a week while another may only want two or three.

To remain in excellent standing, it is essential that the personal care assistant faithfully honor the scheduled work hours that they agree to with the consumer. This involves arriving on time, leaving when the hours for the day are finished, and avoiding scheduling conflicts if you work for multiple consumers throughout the week.

As a personal care worker employed through CDPAP, you may also have entitlements to paid time off. If you are planning to take a vacation or need to use sick time, be sure to proactively communicate this to the consumer so that they can arrange alternative care while you are away.

Provide the Necessary Services Outlined by the Consumer

When the consumer seeks to hire a personal care assistant through CDPAP, they will provide a scope of work that outlines their individual care needs. This will also include the responsibilities of the care provider.

The number-one duty of any CDPAP personal assistant is to fulfill the consumer’s requirements for care with their best interest in mind. Any neglection of responsibilities could result in termination of employment by the consumer if they decide to discontinue your services.

Become a CDPA Personal Assistant with CDChoices

At CDChoices, we serve as a trusted fiscal intermediary for consumers throughout New York State. We manage consumers’ financial and administrative needs, allowing them to focus on receiving essential care. At the same time, our team ensures that personal care assistants receive timely compensation and any benefits they are entitled to.

As part of our mission to help elevate the quality of the CDPAP experience for consumers and personal assistants alike, we also provide a workforce recruitment portal to help both parties find the right employment situation for their needs. To learn more about becoming a personal care assistant and the duties involved, contact us today.