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Illinois

Learn about self-direction in Illinois

Prairie flowers bloom in vibrant sunlight in northern Illinois.

How do I hire long-term services for myself or a loved one?

With self-direction, you have the right to live the life you choose—right in your own home and community, no matter your age or ability.

Everyone’s situation is different. For some, self-direction means the ability to receive services from a loved one. For others, it’s supporting parents so that they can care for children with disabilities. Or, it may simply be that as you get older, you want to continue living where you choose and get care from someone you trust. No matter your situation, self-direction helps you hire the long-term care and support that’s right for you.

People choose to self-direct their care for many reasons. GT Independence is here to support your decision. You make all the important choices—like who to hire, when to schedule services, how to manage your care, and even who to fire if things aren’t working out. We take care of the paperwork and are here to answer questions you may have.

In Illinois, GT Independence works with these programs:

  • Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

You deserve to live the life you choose. GT is here to make that easier.

How GT Independence Can Help You

GT Independence is a financial management service (FMS) company that helps you live a life of your choosing. You decide what kind of services and support you want; we handle the details. For example, you hire providers you know and trust. We support you by taking care of all the necessary paperwork, such as timesheets, paychecks, payroll taxes, and help with liability and worker’s comp insurance.

At GT, we believe everyone should be able to decide where to live and who provides their care. Through participant direction, they can. Each person has a unique situation and personalized needs. GT is here to help you learn about how self-determination works in Illinois, so you have the information to decide what is best for you.

Want to Know How to Get Started?

Understand Your Long-Term Care Options
Participants
Caregivers
Agencies & MCOs
Case Managers

Why Choose GT as Your FMS?

  • We’ve Been In Your Shoes

    People with disabilities founded and lead GT, and we have focused on participant-direction since our start in 2004. We understand that self-direction for your care can feel complicated, but we are here to walk you through the process—from start to support.

  • Participant-Direction Is All We Do

    GT is an FMS company that focuses all our attention on one thing: self-direction. Our people understand how programs work in Illinois and in states all across the country. We serve thousands of participants nationwide, helping each person live the life of their choosing.

  • Support Specialists That Care About You

    Our support specialist team is here to help you live life on your terms. Our Illinois team is trained on your programs. This ensures you always have access to the information you need to make informed decisions. And, we can support more than 200 languages on request.

    At GT, we’re ready to assist the participant, their family, and their employees. We’re also here for service and support administrators (SSAs) and the State of Illinois. Our goal is to find frustration-free solutions for everyone involved in self-directed services.

  • Tools and Resources Designed for the Details

    GT has designed many tools to help manage the details of self-direction. The secure online GT Portal helps people directing their services and their families keep track of services and spending. And The GT App lets employees log their hours and check the approval status of their time entries. We take care of the details, so you can focus on living your life.

Find a Waiver or Waiver Service

Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

The Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is for people who want to continue living in their own homes and communities. The program offers medical and social services through teams of health professionals. People who choose PACE can self-direct specific services. These services require dual eligibility with Medicare and Medicaid.

Learn More
A senior couple looking at skyscrapers in Chicago.

Three Steps to Get Started

  1. Find your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) or Community Mental Health (CMH). You can also ask your health plan about self-direction.

  2. Find a program that fits your needs.

  3. Choose GT Independence as your financial management service (FMS) and begin self-directing your services.

*Your eligibility does not depend on immigration status. Contact your regional center or GT for more information. Undocumented residents can get benefits.

Would you like someone to walk you through the process?

Your GT Support Team in Illinois

Paul Sheffield

Director of Operations

Illinois Customer Support
Call: 877.659.4500
Email: customerservice@gtsd.org