Self-Direction is a service delivery option which allows participants to become the employers of the people they choose to hire to provide supports for them. As the employers, participants are responsible for recruiting, training, supervising, and managing the people, they choose to hire. This option gives participants the most control over their supports, but also requires the most responsibility. Self-Direction is based on the principles of self-determination, which means that you have the ability or right to make your own decisions, and includes the following:

• Freedom – the opportunity to choose where and with whom you live, as well as how you organize all important aspects of your life
• Authority – the ability to control some targeted amount of public dollars
• Support – the ability or organize support in ways that are unique to you
• Responsibility – the obligation to use public dollars wisely and to contribute to your community
• Confirmation – the recognition that program participants must be a major part of the redesign of the human service system of long-term care

With Self-Direction, you control the amount spent on wages for your employees within the guidelines established by the program in which you are enrolled. With assistance from your support coordinator, you, as the employer, are required to budget payments for wages and required employment-related taxes.