GT IndependenceWhere We ServeMaryland

Maryland

Maryland Coast Annapolis Harbor

How do I get in-home support for myself or my loved one?

With self-direction, you have the right to live the life you choose. Everyone’s situation is different. For some, self-direction means receiving full-time support from someone they trust–right in their home and community. For others, it might mean hiring a friend to drive them to get groceries or community events a few times a week. The goal is for you to choose what type of support you want and need.

Self-direction puts you in the driver’s seat. This comes with some responsibilities, including working with your coordinator of community service (CCS) to develop a plan that meets your needs. You also manage your own budget and make sure your authorized funds are being spent properly. The GT Portal helps make this part simpler with helpful reports about your budget and utilization management.

GT Independence works with these waiver programs in Maryland:

  • Community Pathways
  • Community First Choice
  • Community Personal Assistance Services

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

More About Self-Direction

Learn more about how self-direction works across the country. 
Participants Start Here
Employees Start Here
Agencies Start Here
CCS Start Here

How GT Independence Can Help You

GT Independence is a financial management and counseling service (FMCS). This means that you decide who provides the support—and we handle the details.

For example, you hire caregivers you know and trust. We support you by taking care of all the necessary paperwork, like timesheets, paychecks, and payroll. We also provide counseling on how to make the most of your self-direction program.

At GT, we believe you should be able to decide who supports you and your loved ones. GT is here to help you learn how to control your own support in Maryland. So you have the information to decide what is best for you.

Why Choose GT?
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Why Choose GT?

  • We’ve Been In Your Shoes

    People with disabilities own and lead GT, and we have focused on self-direction since our start in 2004. We understand that directing services for you or your loved one can feel complicated. But we are here to walk you through the process—and continue to support you if you need us.

  • Self-Direction Is All We Do

    GT is a financial management and counseling service (FMCS) that focuses on one thing: self-direction. Our people are experts and understand how programs work in Maryland and in states 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 Maryland support team is here to help make your life easier. Your team is trained on the ins and outs of Maryland’s programs and waivers. And on getting you to a live person in around 30 seconds.

    This ensures you always have access to the information you need to make important decisions. We can also support more than 200 languages on request.

    At GT, we’re ready to assist people receiving services, employees, case managers, and all agency staff. Our goal is to find frustration-free solutions for everyone involved in self-direction.

  • 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 you keep track of your services and check on payments to your employees. If you need to hire an employee, you can use Find a Caregiver on the portal to look up potential people near you.

    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.

Vendor Requirements

Vendor requirements are subject to change and the most current information is available on the Maryland Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Administration’s Self-Directed Services Guidance and Forms page.

To find the document with the vendor requirements, either follow the link to the right or head to the Self-Directed Services Guidance and Forms page, look for the Self-Direction section. Under the Self-Direction section, search for a link titled “Self-Directed Services Manual.” Once you open the PDF, go to page 134 of the manual as printed in the lower right corner (page 135 of the PDF). The section is called “DDA-operated Medicaid Waivers Self-Directed Services
Employee, Vendor, and DDA Provider Qualifications.”

The Maryland Department of Health DDA’s Self-Directed Services Guidance and Forms page has a complete list of self-direction resources.

Helpful Tools to Make Self-Direction Easier

icon of phone for home timesheets

The GT App

The GT App lets your caregivers start and end work from anywhere you choose. GT’s free app helps caregivers easily track their hours, receive your approval for shifts, and submit their timesheets for payment. Right from a phone or tablet.

Download The GT App for free from the App Store or Google Play.

About the App

Portal

GT Portal

GT Portal was created with people who are also self-directing their care to make life easier, not harder. You will find everything you need to manage self-direction and make decisions with good information. You can review and approve timesheets, view budget reports in real-time, and even find a caregiver. You can also find forms, documents, and other resources for self-direction.

About the Portal

Enrolled with GT but don’t have an account? Contact us

Find a Caregiver 

Looking for a potential employee near you? Your GT Portal account has a caregiver database with over 30,000 potential employees.

Sign in to your GT Portal account and select the Find a Caregiver tab to search for potential employees near you. 

Find a Caregiver

Don’t have an account? Contact us

Get Added to the Caregiver Database 

Want to support people in their own homes (and get paid)? We can add you to Find a Caregiver, our online caregiver database. Potential employers near you can find you in the database and send you job offers. Contact us, and we’ll help you get started.*

Contact Us

*Entry into Find a Caregiver requires a background check

How to Pay Your Employees More

Find a Waiver

Community Pathways Waiver

Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)

The Community Pathways Waiver helps people with disabilities live independent lives. Rather than going to group homes, you can stay in your own home and community. To make this possible, the waiver provides many different services. This includes the ability to hire employed caregivers.

Tell me more
View IFDGS Program
A young man in a wheelchair watches as another man with down syndrome teaches him how to use a the checkout system at a coffee shop.

Community First Choice

Office of Long-Term Services and Supports (OLTSS)

The Community First Choice Waiver helps people live independent lives. Rather than going to a group or nursing home, you can stay in your own home and community. To make this possible, the waiver provides many different services, from helpful technology to getting home-delivered meals. This includes the ability to hire employed caregivers. 

Coming Soon
A young boy in a wheelchair poses with a man in a wheelchair who has experienced limb loss. Both are smiling and taking a selfie. The boy has a basketball on his lap and they’re in a basketball court.

Community Personal Assistance Services

Office of Long-Term Services and Supports (OLTSS)

Community Personal Assistance Services help people live independent lives. Rather than going to a group or nursing home, you can stay in your own home and community. To make this possible, the waiver provides many different services, from planning your own support to personal assistance. This includes the ability to hire employed caregivers.

Coming Soon
Two teen girls sit in a hotel lobby, chatting using sign language. Their surroundings are bright, and there are plants in the backgournd. Both girls have straight brown hair.

How to Get Started

Take these steps to begin self-direction with GT Independence.

  1. Talk with your coordinator of community services (CCS) or support broker. Tell them that you’re interested in self-direction.

  2. If you’re eligible, your CCS will make a referral through LTSS Marlyand. Make sure to tell your CCS that you want GT Independence as your financial management services and counseling provider (FMCS).

  3. Begin self-directing your services with GT Independence.

Would you like someone to guide you through the process?

Looking for a form?

To view forms, log into your portal account and visit the Resources tab. You can also view the DDA’s list of forms.

Go to Portal
View DDA Forms

Don’t have access to a portal account? Get in Touch

Looking for resources?

Support Request Form

Fill out the form linked in the button below. We’re here to support you.

Fill Out Form

Your GT Support Team in Maryland

Megan Singh-Babcock

Director of Operations

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

Learn More About Self-Direction