Agency With Choice

Agency With Choice

Agency With Choice (AWC) allows people with disabilities and/or their representatives to select their own support service professionals. The program provides individuals with disabilities and/or their designated managing employer the opportunity to manage some or all of their services in their home and other community settings. This support service professional will be an employee of The Arc of Chester County for payroll, tax, and worker’s compensation purposes but will be under the direct management and day-to-day supervision of the person with a disability and/or their representative.

Services Overview:

In Home & Community Supports: A service designed to assist individuals in achieving goals as well as acquiring, maintaining and improving skills in order to live an independent and meaningful life in their home and community. Examples of these skills may include: activities of daily living (ADLs), areas of self-care and health management, decision making, communication, socialization and developing relationships, budgeting/money management, participating in preferred activities as well as developing personal interests and hobbies, accessing transportation, community integration, etc.

Companion Services: A service provided to individuals with the purpose of providing supervision and assistance to ensure their health and safety or to perform activities of daily living for the individual. This service is intended to assist the individual to participate more meaningfully in their home and community life.

Respite Services: A service provided to individuals, on a short-term basis, to provide relief to or in the absence of the primary care-giver. Staff provide supervision and assistance to the individual to ensure their health and safety. Respite may be provided on a temporary/hourly basis or over a 24 hour period of time.

Supports Broker: This service is available to individuals and families who elect to self-direct their own services. The service is designed to assist the Managing Employer (Individual or their Surrogate) to successfully manage services. Supports Brokers can assist the Managing Employer with one or all areas of self-direction, depending on the need. Supports Brokers can assist with recruiting staff, scheduling, paperwork (timesheet, service notes, progress notes), connecting to community resources, etc.

Supported Employment: A service designed to provide support to individuals in the work place. Supported Employment staff may assist the individual in job skill development and finding a job as well as providing on-going support and coaching.

Homemaker/Chore: These services can include cleaning and laundry, meal preparation, and other general household care in order to maintain a clean, sanitary, and safe condition. In order to qualify for this service neither the participant, nor anyone else in the household, is capable of performing the function; and no other relative, caregiver, landlord, community/volunteer agency is capable of or responsible for the provision of the service.  

Enhanced Services: These are services provided to participants who require a higher level of care (medical, behavioral and/or specialized communication needs) to assist them in being able to remain in their private home. Enhanced Services require that staff have certain bachelor’s degrees and/or credentials or are licensed as a nurse (as outlined by the Office of Developmental Programs) in order to provide the service. Enhanced Services include: In Home and Community Supports (1:1 or 2:1) and Respite.

Vendor Services: Including but not limited to:

• Camp Reimbursement (For qualifying camps)

• Mileage Reimbursement (For staff, Managing Employers and other Designated Drivers)

• Transportation Services (Septa Trail/Trans Passes)

• Home Accessibility Modifications

• Vehicle Adaptions

• Specialized Supplies

• Assistive Technology

• Participant-Directed Goods and Services (available to individuals in the PFDS and Community Living Waivers only/must be enrolled in Agency with Choice). Services, equipment or supplies that are to be used for the benefit of the participant and are not otherwise provided through other services offered in the waiver, the Medicaid State Plan, or another responsible third-party.

A participant enrolled in Agency with Choice may receive one or any combination of the above services (dependent upon the need and budget). Please contact your Supports Coordinator and/or Program Coordinator to discuss any and all services you may be interested in.





Agency with Choice in a snapshot offers people with disabilities the ability to: