What's This Self-Directed Care That I've Heard About? Often called SDC, it’s a program that enables people to choose the mental health services they need to further their recovery from a mental illness and to take charge of budgeting for those services. 

Who’s it for?  People who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and who rely on Medicaid, Medicare, VA and/or state funding to pay for their mental health services, or who have no form of insurance.

Where does the money come from?  A portion of the money normally provided to community mental health centers is instead set aside to be used by program participants within a spending limit.

Is there a catch?  No. Participants do, however, have to stop using their current resource coordinators and/or FACT teams since they’ll be managing their own services. If a person decides to withdraw from SDC, though, they can just go back to the services they were using before. A person supported by FACT needs to look closely at the pros and cons since they’d be giving up the extra financial support FACT provides. And don’t forget that choosing and paying for your services means living with those decisions and being responsible for the results.

Why is the state interested in SDC?  SDC affords people more choice, more control and more personal responsibility when it comes to their services. It increases avenues for recovery and may actually cost the state less than the traditional way.

How much money would I get to use for services?  A person without Medicaid can spend up to $3700/year, and a person with Medicaid will continue using it whenever possible and have an extra $1924/year to use for services and supports Medicaid doesn’t cover.

Would I get any help with this?  Yes. You can choose to use the help of a coach in setting goals, making a plan, selecting services and budgeting for them.

Is that all there is to it?  That’s pretty much it. Pretty simple, eh? If you have questions or think you might want to find out more, feel free to give us a call at (239) 936-4318 and we’ll be glad to help.