Self-Empowered Life Funding (SELF) Waiver
What is the Self-Empowered Life Funding (SELF) Waiver in Ohio?
The SELF waiver helps people control their own services using participant direction. Participant direction allows you to remain in your own home and community—and get the support you need.
With SELF, this includes choosing who provides your services—you can even hire friends and family. You also have authority over your budget. This means you get to decide what services to spend your budget on. If you want, you can choose a representative to handle everything for you.
The goal is for you to decide how and where you’re supported. And who delivers that support.
Who the SELF Waiver Serves
- People of any age with developmental disabilities who:
- Are eligible for Medicaid,
- Need at least one SELF waiver service
- Need a level of care equivalent to an intermediate care facility
- Can be healthy and safe while using the SELF waiver
- Are able to manage their budget, manage their support providers, or choose someone to do these things for them
With SELF, You Can…
- Hire people you know and trust to provide support, including friends and family
- Be in charge of your budget
- Decide when and where you should get support
- Choose what services you need
- Train your own support providers
- Decide on pay for your support providers
- Create schedules and sign off on time sheets
- Choose a representative to handle things for you
How GT Independence Supports You
At GT Independence, we believe you should be able to live life on your own terms. As a family-owned and disability-led financial management service (FMS), we’ve sat on your side of the table. And our goal is to make it easy and convenient for you to control who delivers your support and how that support is delivered.
As your advocates for participant-direction, we’re here to help you live the life you choose. We do this by:
- An online portal with easy-to-read reports
- A simple enrollment process for you and your support providers
- An app to track time and submit timesheets
- An online support provider directory
- Tax specialists on hand to file your taxes for you
- Dedicated support specialists who know and understand you and your program
- More than 15 years supporting families
- CARF accredited financial management services (FMS)
Want to get started?
Have questions about managing your own services with SELF? Contact our Ohio support specialists to learn how to get started.
Email: customerservice@gtindependence.com
Phone (toll-free): 877.659.4500