About Personal Agents

The Role of a Personal Agent

A personal agent (PA) works for a support services brokerage such as Community Pathways. PAs are service coordinators and case managers. They use person-centered planning to help people plan for, find, and review the community-based supports and services they need to reach their goals.

What does a PA do?

A PA may:

  • Help identify your goals and support needs

  • Create your Individualized Support Plan (ISP) with you and your support network (family, friends, and others you choose)

  • Help you find qualified providers and set up interviews

  • Coordinate with providers and other agencies

  • Make sure services meet your needs and are cost-effective

  • Check in with you as needed

  • Update your ISP when your needs or goals change

  • Connect you to community resources

  • Help coordinate crisis services and safety planning

What do a PA not do?

  • A PA is not a direct support provider (DSP), personal support worker (PSW), or agency provider.

  • A PA is not the employer of your direct support workers.

You are the employer of your direct support providers.

A PA can help you enroll providers, but they do not hire, supervise, or pay them. PAs review time sheets and invoices to make sure services:

  • Match your ISP

  • Meet Medicaid rules

  • Reflect what you want and need

The Role of Community Pathways

What does Community Pathways do?

Community Pathways:

  • Helps coordinate the provider qualification and payment process between you (the customer and employer), PPL BetterOnline (Fiscal Management Agent), and your providers (your employees)

  • Ensures services are allowable under Medicaid rules

What does Community Pathways not do?

Community Pathways is not the employer of anyone who works directly with you, the customer of brokerage support services.

Our role is to guide and support you through the process so you can hire and manage the providers you choose.