Role of a Personal Agent (PA)
What is a Personal Agent (PA)?
A Personal Agent is an employee of a support services brokerage.
How do they help me access, plan and monitor my support services?
A PA’s primary role as a case manager is to use person-centered planning to assist individuals in planning, accessing and monitoring the community-based supports and services that support their needs and goals. A PA’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Indentifying an individual’s personal goals and support needs
- Creating individualized support plans (ISP) in collaboration with an individual and their network of support, which may include family members, friends, etc.
- Assisting in finding qualified providers and facilitating provider interviews
- Coordinating with providers and other agencies to ensure individual support needs are being appropriately met and in a cost-effective manner
- Monitoring the quality of services provided to individuals to make sure their support needs are being met
- Checking in with individuals support plans (ISP) as needed
- Connecting and referring individuals to community resources
- Coordinating crisis services and safety planning
Important Note:
- A PA is neither a direct support provider (personal support workers or agency providers) nor the employer of providers. A direct service provider is responsible for assisting individuals with services detailed in the ISP. A PA may assist an individual in the process of enrolling providers, but the PA is neither the employer of a provider nor responsible for their payment. A PA reviews timesheets and invoices to monitor the quality of services provided to ensure they are both allowed by Medicaid and what the individual needs and wants.
- ISN staff helps facilitate the qualification and payment processthat occurs between the individual employer PPL BetterOnline (Fiscal Management Agent Services) and the individual’s providers or employees.
- ISN is not the employer of any person working directly with an individual. Our role at ISN is to assist the individuals we serve with the process so they can get the support they need.
- As a case management entity (CME), ISN is responsible for ensuring the services provided to individuals are an allowable Medicaid service.