CA SDP – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Contact the service coordinator at your regional center.
• Attend the CA self-determination program (SDP) orientation.
• Work with a pre-enrollment specialist and/or independent facilitator to create your person-centered plan.
• Create your budget with your planning team (typically based on previous budgets).
• Develop your spending plan and determine your service category services.
• Select your financial management services (FMS) vendor to help manage your individual budget and spending plan.
• Hold your individual program plan (IPP) meeting and decide on a start date for your services. This is a contract between you and the regional center listing all the services agreed upon.
• Begin with the CA self-determination program (SDP) and take control of your care!

You have the option to use an independent facilitator to help you navigate the system and make the best decisions for you and your family. Most people choose to work with an independent facilitator. They’ll assist with the following:

• Making informed decisions about your budget
• Determining your needs and selecting services to meet those needs
• Assisting with person-centered planning and modifying your individual program plan (IPP)
• Identifying personal care assistants (PCAs)
• Clarifying your role and responsibilities

An Independent Facilitator can’t:

• Provide other services in the individual program plan
• Be employed by anyone providing services to you
• If the independent facilitator gets paid, they can’t be the parent of a minor participant or the spouse of an adult participant. For more detailed information, the enrollment specialist (ES) can refer you to the Department of Developmental Services (DDS).

Using an independent facilitator is completely optional. If you want to use an independent facilitator, you can find approved providers through the regional center website. You can also check out the CA self-determination program SDP Network website. If you have questions about the role of your IF, contact your case manager at the regional center.

Our vendor number is PY3229 (bill payer) and PY3230 (sole employer).

To enroll in a self-determined care program, the state requires you to use an FMS such as PPL. We will:

• Support you throughout your journey of self-determination.
• Set you up as an employer and make sure you understand your roles and responsibilities.
• Explain how to use our tools to help manage your budget and care worker.
• Help with hiring your care workers, including friends or family members who are already assisting you, if that’s your situation. We’ll guide you through the process of becoming your caregiver’s employer, helping every step of the way.
• Conduct worker background checks on your behalf and share the results with you, to ensure your safety.
• Provide 24/7 access to our online My Account system, where you can:
  – Hire new personal care attendants, workers, and providers.
  – Make any necessary updates to your information.
  – Streamline the approval process for timesheets or invoices.
  – View paystubs (available for sole employer models only).
  – Manage your monthly budget by tracking outgoing expenses and remaining funds.
• Process your care worker’s payroll and income tax withholding (for sole employer models only).
• Make payments for any other authorized expenses.
• Provide monthly statements to help you monitor and manage your spending plan.
• Quickly and politely answer any questions you have.
• Provide you with a workman’s comp policy to protect you and your care worker.
• Assist with the U.S. Office of Inspector General Exclusion list check for Personal Care Attendants (for sole employer models only).
• Provide access to our Time4Care™ phone app for easy submission and approval of timesheets, invoices, and reimbursement requests.
• Provide access to the program website where you can find new providers, vendors, or independent facilitators.

• Our decades of experience. We’ve helped run 49 self-direction programs in 23 states.
• We are an FMS who is passionate about self-determination and we care about you, our participants.
• We know this process can be complicated, but we will answer your questions every step of the way. If we don’t know an answer, we’ll find it and get back to you, quickly.
• Our team will help you get enrolled and set up with all your employees as quickly as possible, and as hassle-free as possible.
• Our tools and services will streamline every aspect of self-direction to make things easy.
• We will be your partner and advocate when dealing with independent facilitators, regional centers, and your workers.

This allows you to spend the maximum amount in your budget on services and not to a co-employer. There is generally a 10% difference between co-employer FMS employer burden and sole employer. Across the nation this is the most popular option and true model of self-direction. This puts you in control as the employer to manage all your services. PPL typically works with sole-employers and believes this option works well for people.

Yes. PPL can be the bill-payer for your goods and services. Payments will be made on your behalf to the approved vendor, agency, or independent contractor listed on your approved Spending Plan.

PPL offers a timekeeping app named Time4Care (T4C), which is designed to meet the 21st Century Cures Act’s requirements. This act mandates the use of an Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system for recording the start and end times of services provided to Medicaid recipients.

What’s special about this system is that it also notes the location when someone clocks in or out, ensuring that services are delivered where and when they’re supposed to be. Importantly, it only records location when clocking in or out, not during the service or any other time. This feature is crucial for verifying that the necessary services are provided efficiently and that funds are utilized correctly.

Time4Care is very user-friendly, available on both iOS and Android devices, and it’s received a lot of positive feedback for its convenience. Remember, your location is only noted at the exact moments you clock in or clock out—never at any other times.

PPL has several online portals that will have needed information at your fingertips.

If you can’t find the information you need through these tools our friendly and professional Customer service agents are available Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm PST. We are committed to answering your questions and resolving any issues as quickly as possible. You can reach out to PPL whenever you need assistance.

• PPL will create a referral for you as the participant and select the “Bill Payer Model”. This enables PPL to gather necessary information to pay your vendors, agencies, and independent contractors on your behalf.
• PPL will request completion of Vendor or Independent contractor details and a W-9 form, along with any applicable credentials required for the service.
• Once they have completed the process and they are listed on the Approved Spending Plan, you as the participant will be able to submit request forms/invoices to PPL for processing
• Payment will then be issued to the vendors, agencies, or independent contractors either by mail directly to them or to you, as preferred.

There is no wait list with PPL but there are several steps that need to be followed for a person to start with an FMS, including starting with your regional center. Once all steps have been followed, we’ll work to get you started with program.

If you live in an area where we are not currently working with the regional center, we’ll take your information and let you know when we can start working with you. We will keep you informed of our status along the way.

The time to enroll in the CA self-determination program (SDP) can vary depending on your situation. We want to make this process as easy as possible, and our team is ready to help. You can start by reaching out to your service coordinator and attending the SDP orientation.