That's a very good point. i've dealt with the therapy issue too. Until i was 26, i had therapy on a regular basis all of my life. When i had to straight Medicaid, it wasn't covered anymore. Crazy. I'm afraid coverage is only going to get worse unfortunately.....
That's interesting! I primarily need personal care and IRIS doesn't allow us to hire third-party vendors for that. I've been hiring my own staff for about eight months now. Just within the last few weeks, I'm finally to the point where I feel like i have a solid group of staff--at least for awhile! It has definitely been a learning experience though!
I was fortunate in that this rule came into effect just as I was starting to hire my own staff, so I planned for it accordingly when I began hiring/scheduling. I can surely see where it'd cause major issues for others though.
Totally agree! And, now, nobody will be approved until after the 10th because the background check system is being updated..
That's interesting, Wanda. Did you hire the girl through IRIS SDPC? I posted an ad on Facebook as well. I also posted on the local colleges job sites and indeed.com. I was amazed how many responses i received. My issue now is that IRIS is taking so long to process the paperwork.. I already lost three potential workers due to the process taking so long. It's very frustrating!
What’s the best way to find your own personal care staff?
Due to IRIS no longer allowing agencies to do Self-Directed Personal Care, I had to switch care agencies back in October. Long story short, things didn’t work out. I recently switched back to Self-Directed Personal Care (SDPC) through IRIS and am hiring my own staff. It’s a lot of work, but many of my friends have found it very successful.
I’m wondering what criteria people use when hiring their own staff. Do you create specific guidelines? Where’s the best place to post ads? What do people use as a backup plan?
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Disability Advocacy Day is coming up in Madison on March 15th. It’s a day where advocates have an opportunity to connect with their legislators and tell them what issues are important to people with disabilities in Wisconsin. People who participate in Disability Advocacy Day have an opportunity to:
Last year, it was a great success hundreds of people came out to talk with their legislators.
Will you be going this year? What do you want to talk to your legislators about this year?
Please let me know if you have any questions about posting. 
That's so cool, Marie! You may want to consider writing a blog (in the News section) about People First and explain how people can get involved. I'd be happy to help you if you'd like.
That's very cool, Marie! Thanks for sharing!
I've heard of People First before, but i'm not really sure what it is. What does the group do?
