Day Programs for Children with Disabilities

Home Supports & Respite Care For Disabled Children

Through PossAbilities Individualized Home Supports and Respite program, formerly Personal Supports, we can help provide a variety of supports for children.  These services are tailored to the needs of children who live at home with their family/caregiver throughout Southeastern Minnesota.

PossAbilities does not provide support staff for Individualized Home Supports and Respite services but we can assist you in hiring a friend, family member, neighbor or co-work.  You can search for a support professional on your own by using social media, fliers, etc. or by visiting directsupportconnect.com or we can help by posting, on a job networking site, your specific staffing needs.

  • Individualized Home Supports

    • The program offers Individualized Home Supports with training for children with disabilities to:
      • Achieve the full potential of the child
      • Increase the independence of the child
      • Meet community inclusive goals that are important to the child and family based on the child’s assessment needs

  • Respite Support

    • The program can support primary caregivers and families of children with disabilities when the primary caregiver is absent or needs relief for a few hours daily, weekly or as needed.
    • Respite provides a level of care that is necessary for the child’s health and safety including:
      • Supervision
      • Going for walks
      • In-home activities
      • Community outings

PossAbilities is a 245D licensed provider of Individualized Home Supports and Respite.  PossAbilities will function as the employer for the worker you wish to hire by providing necessary trainings and payroll.

FAQ’s

Here is a step by step guide on how the process for Individualized Home Supports and Respite works.

  1. Compete an MNChoices Assessment
    • The process starts with an in-person visit from an assessor who learns about your needs and goals.  This meeting will help determine your eligibility for support.
  2. Connect with a Social Worker
    • If you are eligible for support, a social worker will work with you to create a Coordinated Services and Supports plan.  The plan summarizes how you would like to receive support.
  3. Choose a Provider
    • The social worker may share a list of providers that you can use to process services.  PossAbilities is a licensed provider of Individualized Home Supports and Respite.
  4. Find your Direct Support Professional
    • You may already have someone in mind to provide assistance; if not, you can search for support professionals.
    • Before your support worker can start working with you, they must complete required paperwork including passing a background check.  PossAbilities Human Resources Manager will assist with this.
  5. Meet with your Provider
    • It is time to meet with PossAbilities Individualized Home Supports and Respite team.  Our team will provide additional information about how the program will work and we will work with you to create a plan for providing services to meet your goals.
  6. Get Started
    • Once all the above steps are completed, you can start working with your support worker.  You will be in charge of managing their schedule.  PossAbilities will ensure the work has been performed and process the employee’s payroll.
  7. Review
    1. Within 60 days, PossAbilities will connect with you to make sure the program is meeting your needs.  Our team can be contacted at IHSR@PossAbilities.org or (507) 281-6116 as needed.

PossAbilities accepts the following funding sources:

  • Waiver Funding
  • County Funding
  • Private Pay

PossAbilities does not provide support staff for Individualized Home Supports and Respite services.  Here are some tips on finding a support worker:

  • Find Someone you Know
    • Inform your family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, school teachers etc. that you are looking for support staff.  Have your closest connections talk to their friends, neighbors and co-worker as well.
  • Find Someone on Social Media
    • Post on your personal social media page or community social media page that you are looking for support staff.  Many communities also have job pages on Facebook you can list your job on.  Social media can be the following; Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.
  • Post Fliers
    • Create a “hiring flier” and hang it up at your local community center, school district, grocery store, gas station, restaurant or other facilities in town that are frequently trafficked.
  • Direct Support Connect Job Board
    • The Minnesota Department of Human Services offers a free resource for individuals looking for a support worker at directsupportconnect.com
  • Creating a job posting with PossAbilities
    • Fill out the Job Posting Agreement form provided by PossAbilities. This form can be found on the bottom of the Individualized Home Supports and Respite page on our website.  You can also request the Job Posting Agreement Form from our Individualized Home Supports and Respite Manager.  By filling out this form, with the required details, PossAbilities can help you look for support workers.

Tips for Recruiting a Support Worker:

  • Be specific on what you are looking for in a support worker including; schedule of hours needed, type of job tasks, age requirements, experience requirements and location of job. Will this be a permanent or a temporary job?  The more details you provide, the more likely you will find the right candidate to work with you.
  • Once you have a candidate(s), you will want to interview them to ensure they are the correct fit for you needs. You may also want to setup a time to have them interact with the individual they will be working with.
  • PossAbilities is here to help coach and assist you through the process as needed.

  • Respite can be provided out of the home for individuals who are 18 years old or older.
  • Anyone under the age of 18 can be provided respite by a family member but it needs to be in the child’s home.

PossAbilities provides Individualized Home Supports and Respite programming in the following counties:

  • Olmsted
  • Winona
  • Fillmore
  • Mower
  • Houston
  • Freeborn
  • Wabasha
  • Goodhue
  • Rice
  • Steele
  • Dodge

Questions can be e-mailed to IHSR@PossAbilities.org or call (507) 281-6116

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