How it works
From “where do I start?” to your first paycheck.
Self-direction can feel overwhelming the first time. It doesn't have to. Here's exactly how it works with Aspen, in plain English, with the real timelines you should expect.
The big picture
Three parties, three roles
You
The participant, or your designated representative, who makes the decisions about care.
Your case manager
Determines eligibility, builds your service plan, and authorizes your budget.
Aspen
Your FMS provider, handling the financial and administrative work behind the scenes.
You're not alone in this
We walk the whole path with you.
From your very first question to your caregiver's first paycheck, an Aspen specialist guides every step.
The 8-step process
The path to your first paycheck
Step 01
Confirm your Medical Assistance status
MA is Minnesota's name for Medicaid, the funding source behind every program we support. If you're not enrolled, apply through MNsure or your county or tribal human services office.
Realistic timeline · 30–45 days for a new MA applicationStep 02
Get on a qualifying waiver or CFSS
For CDCS you need a DD, CADI, BI, CAC, or Elderly Waiver. For CFSS Budget Model you need a CFSS assessment confirming personal-care needs. Your county or tribal lead agency assesses you using MnCHOICES.
Realistic timeline · 20 days to assess, 30–60 days for waiver approvalStep 03
Choose self-direction
The Agency Model has an agency manage caregivers; the Self-Directed Budget Model makes you the employer, with an FMS handling the financial side. If you want to be, or hire, a paid family caregiver, you almost always want the Budget Model.
Step 04
Build your support plan and budget
Your case manager builds a person-centered plan and budget with you. For CFSS, you'll work with a consultation services provider. This is where you start thinking about who you want to hire, including a parent, spouse, or other family member.
Step 05
Choose Aspen as your FMS provider
Tell your case manager or CFSS consultation services provider: “I'd like to use Aspen FMS.” They'll send us your authorization, and we take it from there.
Step 06
Enroll with Aspen
We reach out within one business day, walk you through every form, register you as a household employer with the IRS and the State of Minnesota, set up direct deposit and portal access, run background studies, and make sure your caregivers complete the required training.
Realistic timeline · 5–10 business days from authorizationStep 07
Hire your caregivers
You decide who works for you, a spouse, a parent of a minor child, an adult child, or a trusted community member. Each caregiver passes a DHS background study (NETStudy 2.0), completes the PCA/CFSS training and test, and completes new-hire paperwork.
Step 08
Start services and get paid
Caregivers use EVV timesheets to clock in and out from a phone. You approve their hours. We process payroll, withhold taxes, and pay on a regular schedule. You can change caregivers, schedules, or services at any time, that's the whole point of self-direction.
Plan with confidence
See what self-direction means for your family.
We help you weigh your options and build a plan that fits your household, your caregiver, and your budget.
Paid parents & spouses
What to know if you're paid to care for your own family member
Under CFSS Budget Model
Both spouses and parents of minor children can be paid as CFSS workers, in both the Budget and Agency Models, a much cleaner path than the old PCA program allowed. The hours must reflect actual support work performed, be in the participant's service plan and budget, and be backed by completed training, a background study, and accurate EVV timesheets.
Under CDCS
CDCS has long allowed spouses and parents of minor children to be paid in many situations, with rules that depend on the waiver, the participant's age, and the type of support. Some categories can be paid to a parent or spouse; others can't. Your case manager will spell out exactly what your situation allows.
What about adult children?
Adult children caring for aging parents can be paid in both CDCS and CFSS Budget Model, with fewer restrictions than parents-of-minors or spouses. This is the most common paid-family-caregiver setup we see.
A note on representation
Generally, the participant's legal representative can't also be the paid caregiver. So you may need a different family member as the representative while you take the paid role, or vice versa. We help families think through these decisions during enrollment.
The tax piece
When a parent or spouse is paid as a caregiver, special federal tax rules sometimes apply. Some payments may be exempt from FICA and federal unemployment under the IRS Notice 2014-7 difficulty of care exclusion. We handle all of it, and it can make a meaningful difference at tax time.
If something goes wrong
Real talk about real problems
Things will come up, a timesheet gets rejected, a budget runs short, a case manager changes. Here's our commitment when they do.
You hear from us first
If we spot a problem, we call you before payday, not after.
We don't punt
We don't say you'll have to talk to your case manager when the issue is on our side.
We follow up until it's resolved
Not we sent an email and now it's your problem.
We document everything
So if you ever need to ask what happened, there's a clear answer.