1. Who is the employer?
   You, as the program participant, are the employer. If you have a legal court-appointed conservator, that individual is considered to be the Employer. Although Allied will be processing the payroll for your employees and distributing checks on your behalf, you, or your court-appointed conservator, are the employer for all purposes under applicable laws.
    
2. Who determines if an individual can be on one of the Waiver programs?
   The State agency of the State in which you reside determines if you are eligible. That could be the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services, State of Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, the Alabama Department of Senior Services, or the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services.
    
3. How do I get started?
   In Connecticut, Allied Community Resources will contact you to set up an employer training visit. At this visit all the details surrounding your responsibilities as the employer of household service providers are explained to you by trained staff. In Alabama, the WARC, SARP, or DRS Counselor helps you with enrollment during visits to your home.
    
4. How do I find people to work for me in my home?
   Allied Community Resources maintains a “Provider Directory” of individuals who have completed applications and met the minimum requirements for providing services for the ABI and PCA Medicaid Waiver Program and/or the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders. This Directory is available to participants of those programs by simply calling Allied and requesting a copy.
   
   An additional means of locating potential employees is to advertise in your local paper, post flyers, network with friends and former providers, or use an on-line resource such as RewardingWork.org. Participants are discouraged from using sources such as Craig’s List to locate potential employees.
    
5. Who decides whether the employee is competent, reliable and trustworthy?
   You, as the employer, need to make the final determination regarding the individuals you hire.
   Allied will conduct credentialing checks on each potential employee which include verification of citizenship, social security number verification and a criminal history background check. With that information, and an interview, you must decide whether you want this individual to work for you. Allied Community Resources cannot recommend any particular individual and has no information about these individuals other than their name and contact information and the fact that they are on the Directory and have expressed a desire to do this work. Allied cannot be held responsible if the employee turns out to be unsatisfactory in their work performance.
    
6. How many hours can my employees work for me?
   The number of hours your employees may work is based on your approved plan. The plan is developed for you by the State Department or Agency administering the program you are participating in. Your Social Worker or Case Manager can tell you exactly how many hours are allowed by your individual plan. In CONNECTICUT, ANY employee working more than 25.75 hours for you in any given week must be insured under a Workers Compensation policy held in your name. Under some of the programs, the cost for this coverage is your responsibility and must be maintained by you at your expense.
    
7. When can my employee begin working for me?
   Allied must issue you an “authorization of start date” before your employee may begin working for you in your home. This allows Allied time to arrange for the required credentialing checks before any employee works for you. The authorization date will be issued to you after that process is completed provided your approved plan is active. Individuals who are hospitalized or in a pending status will not receive authorization for any employees until their plan of care is re-activated.
    
8. If a potential employee’s criminal background check shows an offense or criminal conviction, does this prevent them from working for me?
   Depending on your assigned program and the nature of the conviction or offense, your potential employee may not be able to work for you. Allied will notify you of any and all guilty findings discovered when they conduct a criminal background check. Depending on the Waiver program, there are some offenses which automatically preclude you from hiring the employee and there are some offenses that you may have the ability to “waive”. Some examples are: larceny or forgery.
   You should always be aware that the criminal background check may not reveal all the criminal background information on a particular individual such as information from other states and foreign countries, information under an alias (fictitious name) or stolen identity adopted by an individual, or pending items for which the individual is currently undergoing court proceedings. Allied cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or content of any background check.

EMPLOYEE AND PROVIDER QUESTIONS

1. Will Allied get me a job?
   Allied is not an employment agency. We do not place Personal Care Assistants and other service providers (Companions, ILST’s Respite care providers) in positions, conduct job interviews, endorse, provide references for, or recommend providers to anyone.
    
2. What can I do about problems with my Employer?
   You should set aside time to meet and discuss this with your employer. Communication is the key to any working relationship.
    
3. Why can I work only 25.75 hours?
   Under the Waiver programs, hours are limited by the employer’s plan and most plans do not allow individual providers to work more than 25.75 hours per week.
    
4. How do I get more hours?
   You may speak with your employer to see if there are any more hours available or you may look for additional hours by working for another Employer. Allied’s Provider Directory is one way to allow other employers to know you are available and seeking additional hours.
    
5. How can I find other employers?
   You may list your name and contact information in Allied’s Provider Directory.
    
6. Can I work as a private provider and through an agency?
   You may work as a private provider and through an agency only if it is not a conflict of interest with the agency. We recommend you speak with the Agency through which you work to be certain this is not the case.
    
7. Do I get paid for holidays or sick time?
   Not through the programs. Household employees do not receive wages for Holidays or sick time. Medicaid Waiver programs CANNOT pay for any time that services are not being provided such as holidays or sick time, hospitalizations, institutionalizations of any type, or vacations.
    
8. When is my money coming?
   All payroll services are on a bi-weekly pay schedule. Paychecks are mailed on Fridays.
   Under customary circumstances, if you have direct deposit, funds will be in your account by 5:00 pm on Friday of the pay week, as long as valid timesheets have been received on time, are valid and it is not a holiday week. If you do not choose direct deposit, we will send your paycheck directly to your Employer’s home.
    
9. Why does my check have to go to my Employer instead of me?
   As your employer; they are responsible for the distribution of their employees’ paychecks.
    
10. How long does it take for my direct deposit to be in effect?
    Direct deposit takes 2 to 4 weeks to be established. Direct deposit funds are deposited the Friday following your pay cycle. Actual availability may depend on your bank or credit union.
     
11. Why can’t I work when my Employer is in the hospital?
    Medicaid does not allow for payment of homecare and hospitalization or institutionalization simultaneously.

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