Section 7:2 for sponsored residential contains substantial changes and will make it extremely difficult  for anyone in a Sponsored Service to receive the customized rate. The criteria within this section  forces the committee to count two or more people providing services and living in the home as one person within the customized rate model. This proposed guidance could discount hundreds of hours of work being provided by other Direct Support Professionals living in the same setting. If a Direct Support Professional are hired, trained and paid by the identified sponsor the hours worked by the DSP should be counted towards the customized rate regardless  of where they live or any other status they may hold such as  spouse, significant other, adult child, or live-in DSP. You must recognize all staff necessary to provide the service who are hired m trained and paid  by the identified sponsor/host. The following is a frame of reference:

7:2 sponsored residential

Customized rate funding approved for Sponsored Residential Supports cannot be used to increase the sponsor rate directly.

Funding approved shall only be used to pay for and provide for additional staff, not including the sponsor's , who are necessary to provide the  1:1 or 2:1 supports required to ensure the health  and safety of a qualifying individual.

Families, caregivers or other individuals who maintain full time residential status in the home where the qualifying individual receiving services, shall not be included in the customized rate request for additional 1:1 or 2:1 staffing.

Families or caregivers acting as the sponsor are required to provide a minimum of 40 hours weekly of support to the individual before customized rate funding can be approved to cover the cost of paying for or hiring additional staff.

Eligible providers must indicate that they have met financial thresholds as outlined in the sponsored residential rate model for paid staff , not including the sponsor.

Sincerely,

Pamela Turner