Hiring your own employees, Direct Care Professionals (DCPs), is one of the most important roles for Employers (Participants) enrolled in Self-Direction. Along the way, your FMS, PAS, is ready to support with onboarding your new employee. This includes supporting you in interviews, conducting background checks, and training your employee on our Electronic Visit Verification application. While the process may seem daunting, PAS and the MDHHS can help you understand each step along the way.
The tasks listed below are all important steps to take towards hiring a new employee:
- Selecting a Financial Management Service provider. If you’re with PAS, you can cross this off!
- Prepare application and interviewing documents.
- Conduct interviews with candidates.
- Perform background checks and review driving records.
- Hire your Direct Care Professional (Employee).
- Train your new hire.
- Submit timesheets and documentation.
- Receive additional support.
To learn more about the hiring process from drafting application and interviewing documents to conducting interviews, check out What do I Need to do to Hire a New Employee? (Part I).
Performing Background Checks and Reviewing Driving Records
Your offer of employment to your employee will only be conditional upon a background check. If you determine that your employee will need to drive you, their driving record will also need to be reviewed.
PAS will coordinate processing your employee’s background check once you (employer) provide the necessary release forms. Authorization and Release forms can be found on the PAS Forms page under the “Direct Care Professional Enrollment” menu. Once received, PAS submits request for your employee’s background and driving checks. Requests for credentialed providers are also submitted at this time.
Once your employee’s background checks are completed, you will review them with your CMHSP (Community Mental Health Service Provider). Once reviewed, you (employer) can make the decision to officially hire or terminate your employee.
There are certain offenses determined by the Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services that would prevent your employee from being hired. These offenses include:
- Program delivery crimes
- Abuse of patient crimes
- Health care felony convictions
- Substance abuse felony convictions
Hiring and Training Employees
Department of Labor and Medicaid standards must be met for all hiring decisions. If background checks can’t be approved, you (employer) must send a letter notifying the prospective employee the hiring process won’t be completed. If approved, Employer completes all employee agreements.
At this point, the employer determines a start date for their new hire and the employee is notified in writing. Additionally, the employee’s schedule is drafted by the employer. If there are any issues with the schedule, a second plan should be created in case.
In addition to all training material required by Medicaid, you (Employer) are provided with any additional material your request. Your PIHP or CMHSP can also require additional training for you new hire. See the MDHHS’ Self-Direction Technical Requirement Implementation Guide for more training requirements.
Approving Timesheets
As the Employer, it’s your responsibility and authority to approve your employee’s timesheets. Approved timesheets are submitted to PAS for processing. Your PIHP/CMHSP can review timesheets but they are not authorized to approve them.
Approved timesheets must list the employee’s name, the service they provided, the beginning and ending times of services performed, the date of service performed, and signatures of both the employee and employer. Once submitted within PAS’ timesheet deadlines, PAS is responsible for paying approved timesheets accurately.
On September 3, 2024, Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) became required throughout the state of Michigan. Per the MDHHS, EVV is required for Behavioral Health, MI Choice Waiver, MI Health Link, and Medicaid Managed Care Home Care Services.
At PAS, we’re ready to support you with your EVV questions. At PAS, we have:
- Over 5 years of experience with EVV.
- 100% compliance of EVV use with Direct Care Professionals.
- Experienced staff members with an average tenure of over five years that is fully trained on EVV use and best practices.
- Proactive training for employers and employees during enrollment.
Additional Support
You (Employer), your CMHSP, and PAS will have to work together at times when unplanned issues arise. These can include changes to your individual plan of service (IPOS), financial statements from PAS, or issues with your employee’s performance, attendance, communication, behavior, etc.
To learn more about drafting application documents, interviewing candidates, and the beginning stages of the hiring process, please read What do I Need to do to Hire a New Employee? (Part I).
For more information on the employee hiring process as a whole, please read the MDHHS’ Self-Direction Technical Requirement Implementation Guide.