Participant Place

If a Self-Hired worker is no longer providing services to a Participant, notify your FI coordinator to complete an Exit form.

*This form should be completed within 24 business hours of termination/resignation.

Self-Hired Workers are responsible for utilizing Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) when clocking in and out of their shifts.

EVV is an electronic system used to verify the delivery of services, including the type of service, recipient, provider, date, location, and time of service.

Any issues clocking in or out of the system, need to be reported to RCIL’s Time and Attendance at SDTA@rcil.com.

• Participant name
• Date of PTO request
• Start and end time
• Service type (Com Hab or Respite)
• PTO type (Sick or Vacation)

Time and Attendance will process the PTO hours manually with payroll.

If a Self-Hired worker would like to use Paid Time Off (PTO), they must submit an email to SDTA@rcil.com that includes the following information:

Pay weeks run from Sunday to Saturday with payday being the following Friday.

Any banking information updates for payroll should be submitted to HRSelfDirected@rcil.com.

Self-Hired workers who maintain full-time employment status (30 hours or more) are eligible to receive health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, NYS Paid Sick Leave, 401K Retirement Plan, Short-term Disability, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and Paid Family Leave.

As of 8/2026, RCIL’s fringe rate is 24%.

Community Hab has a max pay rate of $37.50/hourly.
Respite has a max pay rate of $22.00/hourly.

*All requested rate changes will be effective after receipt of the approved budget. RCIL does not approve retroactive increases.

All reimbursements must be submitted to RCIL by the end of the following month, in which the services take place.

Under RCIL’s current policy, reimbursement requests are processed within 21 to 28 business days.

You may check the status of reimbursement requests by logging into your eVero account or contacting your FI coordinator.

RCIL allows direct payments to vendors for reimbursements. Reach out to your FI coordinator to discuss the documentation required.

Invoices submitted by Self-Hired workers must be approved by the Participant or Designee before RCIL can process for reimbursement.

Self-Hired workers awaiting reimbursement will receive payment separately from their weekly paychecks.

Reach out to your FI coordinator for updates regarding reimbursement payments.

The budget can cover a vast variety of supports and services. The following categories may be included in Participant’s Self-Direction budget.
Self-Hired Staffing

• Community Habiliation
• Respite

Individual Directed Goods and Services (IDGS)

• Camp
• Community Classes
• Memberships
• Coaching/Education for Parents
• Clinician Consults
• Clinician Services/Therapies
• Household-Related Items and Services
• Paid Neighbor
• Staffing Supports
• Transition Programs
• Service Transportation
• Interpretation Service

Family Reimbursed Respite
(or)
Housing Subsidy
Other Than Personal Services (OTPS)

• Phone Service
• Internet
• Software Related to Disability
• Staff Activity Fees
• Advertising
• Staff Training
• Personal Use Transportation
• Clothing
• Food Subsidy
• Utilities
• Other Goods and Services that Increase Independence.
• Other Goods and Services Related to Health and Safety.

Agency Supported/Direct Provider Purchased Services
Your Broker or FI coordinator can assist with specific approval inquiries.

Community Habilitation (CH) services are designed to assist participants in meeting their identified needs and goals by facilitating community inclusion, integration, and relationship-building opportunities.
There are 3 types of Community Habilitation funding available in the Self-Direction budget.

• Direct Provider Purchased Services (DPPS)
• Agency Supported Community Habilitation
• Self-Hired Community Habilitation

Your Broker or FI coordinator can assist with determining the best funding option for Community Habilitation services based on the participant’s needs.

The Paid Neighbor stipend is paid to an individual to serve as an “on call” support for the participant who lives independently in the community.
Paid Neighbors:

• Cannot be related to the participant.
• Cannot reside with the participant.
• Cannot reside more than 30 minutes away from the participant.
• Must also be hired to provide CH services.
• Must sign Paid Nighbor agreement outlining rules and responsibilities.

A participant may have multiple Paid Neighbors, but the total stipend paid cannot exceed $800/monthly.

Live-in-Caregiver (LIC) is an HCBS Waiver service that utilizes an unrelated care provider who resides in the same household as the participant and provides as needed support to address the participant's physical, social, or emotional needs so that the participant can live safely and successfully in their own home.

Live-in-Caregivers (LICs):

• Cannot be related by blood or marriage to the participant.
• Must complete onboarding process with RCIL’s HR team.

IDGS is a Medicaid-funded portion of the budget for services, equipment, or supplies not otherwise funded through the HCBS waiver or the Medicaid State Plan.
IDGS Criteria:

1. Related to a Valued Outcome in the Life Plan.
2. Increase the participant’s independence.
3. Promote community inclusion and/or increase safety and independence.
4. Be accommodated without compromising the participant’s health or safety.
5. Provide exclusively for the benefit of the participant.

Your Broker or FI coordinator can assist with specific approval inquiries.

OPTS is a state-funded portion of the budget for items that are not Medicaid-funded. Any item or service must pass all 4 OTPS questions.

4 OTPS Questions:

1. Related to a Valued Outcome in the Life Plan.
2. Increase the participant’s independence, health, and/pr safety.
3. Not be an excluded item for OTPS.
4. Not funded through any other source.

*Other funding sources must be explored and exhausted prior to utilizing OTPS funds.
Your Broker or FI coordinator can assist with specific approval inquiries.

Self-Hired Respite:

• RCIL onboards and pays workers.
• Workers are required to complete annual OPWDD training.

Family Reimbursed Respite:

• Allocation is capped at $3,000/yearly.
• Caregiver is not hired by RCIL.
• Family is reimbursed cost of caregiver.

Individual Memberships:

• Must be in Participants’ name and only allow access for the Participant.
• The cost is reimbursed through IDGS Memberships.

Family Memberships:

• The cost is divided by the number of people on the membership.
• Reimbursable from OTPS Other Goods and Services that Increase Independence.

Service Transportation:

• Medicaid funded.
• Utilized to reimburse mileage/travel for Self-Hired workers while on the clock.
• Utilized to reimburse mileage/travel to an IDGS billable service (Classes,

 Memberships, Camp, etc.).

• Participants must be present for mileage/travel reimbursement.

Personal Use Transportation:

• NYS funded.
• Utilized to reimburse mileage/travel if trip relates to a valued outcome in the Life Plan.
• Utilized to reimburse mileage/travel to an IDGS billable service.
• Utilized to reimburse mileage/travel to participants’ place of employment if a valued outcome is listed in the Life Plan.
• Participants must be present for mileage/travel reimbursement.

RCIL’s current mileage reimbursement rate is $0.65/mile.