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Choose your own care

Agency With Choice helps individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism—and their families—plan and manage their own support services. After all, individuals are the best judges of their own needs.

The self-directed model provides greater control over where, when, and how support services are delivered. Individuals and their advocates are directly involved in the planning, scheduling, hiring, and management of support workers.

Throughout this process, Agency With Choice will act as the Employer of Record to handle administrative logistics such as payroll and tax withholding and ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations.

Who it’s for

Agency With Choice supports individuals of any age with intellectual disabilities and autism. We work with individuals directly and collaborate with family members and caretakers to design and implement support plans.

Services include:

Individuals are supported in daily tasks to achieve greater independence.

Individuals are supervised and cared for, providing a safe, healthy environment.

Respite provides short-term support when primary caretakers are absent or need relief.

PathWays can assist with career assessments, job searching, and ongoing vocational coaching.

These services help individuals maintain clean, sanitary, and safe homes.

Supports Brokers assist individuals or surrogates with employer-related functions as they coordinate support.

These services support living and working independently, including home accessibility adaptation, vehicle accessibility adaptation, specialized medical supplies, assistive technology, education, transportation, ASL interpreters, respite camps, and participant goods and services.

PathWays proudly offers progressive job opportunities and competitive benefits to people interested in a fulfilling career.
The Benefits of Agency With Choice

Agency With Choice ensures that every individual gets the precise care they need and want.

Flexibility

You choose who provides what services, and where and when they are provided

Administrative Support

PathWays handles the administrative aspects of employment, including processing payroll, withholding and paying FICA and unemployment taxes, and securing workers’ compensation insurance.

Get started with Agency With Choice

1
Step one

Contact your county to request a waiver through the Office of Developmental Programs.

2
Step two

Identify someone to act as the Managing Employer.

This person must meet the following criteria:

  • 18 years of age or older.
  • Not convicted of a felony or a crime that would disqualify them from becoming a Managing Employer.
  • Participate in all required training sponsored by the Office of Developmental Programs and PathWays.
  • Sign any agreements with the Office of Developmental Programs and PathWays related to the Agency With Choice program.
  • Agree to work with the Supports Coordinator to develop and revise the Individualized Service Plan (ISP) as needed and participate in required monitoring.
3
Step three

Contact our team (or have your Supports Coordinator contact us) to complete intake paperwork and discuss available services. We’re happy to meet in your home or another convenient place.

4
Step four

The Managing Employer will complete the intake process and undergo training with PathWays. Training will take approximately one hour.

5
Step five

When new employees are identified, have them complete new hire paperwork for approval by PathWays.

6
Step six

The county will approve services in the ISP as submitted by the Supports Coordinator.

7
Step seven

PathWays will contact you to begin services.

Common questions about Agency With Choice

Call us to set up a meeting where we can explain the program in detail.

Our end moves very quickly. As soon as the employment packet is completed, we run all of the appropriate clearances. If only the state criminal record check is required, a worker is typically approved within 48 business hours. We will also need the services authorized in the individual’s ISP. 

We withhold all appropriate taxes according to the W-4 filled out by each employee. Each employee who receives a paycheck in the calendar year will get a W-2 from PathWays.

No. The initial trainings are currently provided electronically. Annual trainings are also completed online. 

We’re able to bill a “monthly admin fee” directly to the state. You will see this in the plan, but it does not come out of the individual’s budget. This fee pays our administrative costs. A traditional model is not able to bill this fee, so all associated administrative costs must come directly out of the unit cost.

There is no catch. Some people aren’t interested in self-directing their services, so a traditional model may be more suitable. Overall, this is a good, solid, and quality program.

Washington, Westmoreland, Greene, Fayette, Allegheny, and Lawrence counties.

No, this program operates under the Office of Developmental Programs.

No, all of our services are funded via the waivers under the Office of Developmental Programs or through private pay.

The only thing you would have to pay is if you over-utilize the services authorized in the plan, and we’re unable to recover any of the units over-utilized.

No. Workers are not permitted to work more than 40 hours through PathWays at one time.

Timesheets and service notes should be submitted electronically via the CellTrak app. For IVR users, Progress Notes are to be completed weekly and submitted no later than 4pm each Tuesday to awc@yourawc.org.

Timesheets are due to us by 4pm the Tuesday after the pay period ends (for example, if the pay period ends Saturday, 11/18, then the timesheets would be due to us by Tuesday, 11/21 by 4pm).

It is the managing employers responsibility to find workers. We are able to provide a list of SSPs that are looking for additional work, but are working with at least one individual already.

No, you cannot be the Managing Employer and worker for the same individual.

Yes, as long as you remain within the pay range provided by the Office of Developmental Programs. You will just need to fill out and sign a new wage agreement form and your worker will have to sign it as well.

Yes. If a person averages 30 hours of work per week for a 10 month period, they would be offered healthcare benefits.

Find resources related to Agency With Choice

Visit our Knowledge Center to learn more about Agency With Choice, intellectual disabilities, and autism.

Agency With Choice Contact Information

Main Office

General Contact
Address
95 Beau St, Suite 420
Washington, PA 15301
Phone
(724) 225-8145 ext. 1
Fax
(724) 225-4934
Secret Link