What Idaho Parents Need to Know About Hiring a Support Broker for Family Directed Services

Idaho's Family Directed Services (FDS) empowers families to tailor support plans for their minor children with developmental disabilities. [ Click here for more information on how to apply! ]

Family Directed Services are intended to be parent-led. This means you are in charge of coordinating and doing most of the paperwork yourself! However, a support broker is a vital part of accessing the program. 

They are a professional who assists you in creating and implementing personalized plans, managing budgets, and coordinating services. Think of them as a go-between for you and the Department of Health and Welfare.

Here's what Idaho parents need to know about hiring a support broker for FDS…

Understand the Role of a Support Broker

A support broker collaborates with families to develop individualized support and spending plans, ensuring that services align with the child's unique needs and goals. 

They also help monitor budgets and connect families with community resources. Mostly, they act as an intermediary between the family, the Department of Health and Welfare, and the fiscal employment agency.

Despite what some families may think, it is not the support broker’s job to do all the paperwork that comes with accessing services through the Family Direct Program. 

Most brokers will support you through the paperwork the first time you do it or help answer questions…the program can be confusing and there is a lot of paperwork that goes with it! 

If you choose to use the Family Direct program instead of Traditional Services, you need to understand you are choosing to take on the role of the parent administrator inside this program. FDS comes with responsibilities - and a fair amount of paperwork! If you’re unwilling or unable to take on this responsibility, Traditional Services may be a better fit for your family.

Qualifications and Requirements

In Idaho, support brokers must meet specific criteria:

• Age and Education: Be at least 18 years old and possess skills and knowledge typically gained through college courses or community classes in the human services field.
• Conflict of Interest: Support brokers must not be a child's guardian, parent, spouse, payee, or conservator, or have any control or influence over the child's choices. 

• Experience: Have at least two years of verifiable experience with the target population and knowledge of services and resources in the developmental disabilities field.
• Training: Complete initial training and pass a Department-approved exam with a score of 70% or higher. They must also document a minimum of 12 hours per year of ongoing, relevant training in the provision of support broker services. 
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If you’re interested in becoming a support broker, you can find the information you need here. Once you pass your test and are licensed, please contact me here. I can share the information about a free, private resource to help set you up for success as a support broker in Idaho!

What you need to know before you look for a Support Broker!

Full disclosure, I am a licensed support broker but I do not take clients. Several years ago, you were allowed to be your child’s broker, even though we weren’t paid. 

With two children accessing services, and my “how hard can it be” personality, it was easier to do it myself. But that’s no longer an option. My point is I know the program from both sides: a parent who needs a broker to access the program and a support broker who knows how hard it is to do the job!

Here are some things you need to know before you start looking for a support broker…

• There is a massive shortage of brokers. This role is an essential part of the Family Directed program, yet the lack of training and support, combined with the ever-changing rules of the program and the realities of the job makes it so few people want to continue doing it. You may not have the luxury of choosing and interviewing multiple brokers to see who fits your needs. 

• All support brokers are paid as W2 employees. They get an individual W2 for each child they work with…for some brokers, that can be 100+ W2s every year!

• Because of this pay structure, they get no tax deductions, benefits, or paid time off. Yet, they have to maintain a home office, computer, extra cell phone service, and often additional internet bandwidth to do their job. They pay for all of those additional services out of their own pocket. Please do not expect them to purchase additional programs like paid Zoom subscriptions or services that allow you to sign documents electronically.

• Brokers are allowed to receive a maximum pay of $18.72 and haven’t had a raise in over a decade. This will show up as the “cost” on your child’s plan as $20.45/hour but that additional money does not go to the broker, it goes to taxes that all employers have to pay the government when they hire an employee. While you may have been told the pay rate for a broker is between $7.25 (the Idaho minimum wage) to a high of $18.72, all brokers charge $18.72 an hour, because…

• Similar service coordinator jobs in the private sector are paid between $22-$25 an hour to start. And they come with employee benefits, paid time off, regular raises in pay, clearly defined rules and expectations, plus employer support for the cost of doing the job.

• Brokers do not get paid until a support and spending plan is approved and you approve their time. Often, they have been working for free and in good faith for months to set you and your child up with the services they need and deserve. When their time isn’t approved promptly by the families they work with, they miss paychecks which hinders their ability to provide for their own families.

• Most support brokers do the job because they love serving children with developmental disabilities. Many are also the parents of children who use the program and are doing this work on top of all the challenges they face in their personal lives. Imagine all the stress you deal with as a parent to your child. Then imagine helping other families navigate this program under the conditions I’ve described so far!

• Brokers need lead time to write plans and create plan changes…they are not available to you 24/7. Remember, you could be one of 100 other families your broker is working with, in between caring for their own disabled child or children. While it seems unfair, and in many ways, it is unfair to everyone who participates in the program, this is how things are currently set up. 

• It is the broker’s responsibility to check in periodically. They are required to see how the plan is being followed. Part of this is to make sure that the budget is on track to last for the whole plan year if that was in the initial support and spending plan. They will bill for this work they do! This is part of the requirements of the program.

• You cannot access the Family Direct Program without a support broker. Period. You must have a broker to participate in the program, and finding one to work with is your responsibility as a parent.

Steps to Hire a Support Broker

Looking for a broker? Join the club!

As much as you may have been told in your Family Direct training that you are the one interviewing and hiring a broker, due to the shortage of brokers, that simply isn’t true.

Brokers are looking at you to see if you’ll be a good fit for their caseload, and if they will be able to work well with your family. 

If you approach them asking zillions of questions about them, you may have a hard time finding a support broker. A better approach is to offer information about you and your family to find someone who can add your child to their caseload.

Here are 3 steps I recommend you follow to find a broker for your child.

1. Identify Potential Brokers. You can find a list of support brokers here, but it may not be up-to-date. A better option is to post inside the Idaho My Voice, My Choice Network Facebook group. Posting inside groups like Idaho Autism Moms or Idaho Special Needs Parents is unlikely to connect you with a broker, but you can try! When posting to Facebook, calling, or emailing a potential broker, here is the information the brokers need to know:
• Age of your child. If your kiddo is 16+, you may want to look for someone who can help you transition to adult services. 
• Where in Idaho do you live? Brokers are allowed to work statewide, so you don’t need to worry about finding someone close to you (but it’s nice for them to know where you are)!
• Do you prefer to meet in person, or is meeting electronically ok with you? If you require in-person meetings, that will severely limit the amount of brokers willing and able to work with you. Brokers do not get reimbursed for mileage or get paid for the time they spend traveling to meet with you! That’s why most brokers work remotely.
• Are you with a specific FEA? Some brokers only work with 1 or 2 Fiscal Employer Agencies. You should find a broker before you make a final decision on an FEA!
• When is the plan start date - day, and month? If you’re brand new to the program and looking for your first broker, please include the date of your award letter. Brokers must balance their caseload based on when plans are due. This is very important information!
• What do you hope to use your budget for? Especially if you’re looking to get a lot of equipment, a service dog, van conversions, or minor home modifications that don't create a new structure (non-renovation). These are all things that can be covered under the plan, but not all brokers write all types of plans! Make sure you let them know what you’re looking for.
2. Have a short conversation via email or phone with any potential brokers who seem like a good fit. Remember, they are not getting paid for this time so keep your questions limited to ones that will help you decide if they’ll be a good fit for your family. This isn’t the time to get down and dirty with questions about getting a specific service or item approved! If you are changing brokers, discuss honestly why you’re changing, and what you hope you’ll get out of working with the new broker.
3. Make your decision and get started on the paperwork! Most likely you’ll already have a good idea of who you want to work with from the conversations you had. Complete the paperwork they send you in a timely fashion, and work together to get your kiddo the support they need!

Success Tips on How to Work With Your Support Broker

Here are some ideas to help you and your broker have a great working relationship!

• Promptly approve their time. 
• Ask if they have an expectations/responsibilities page that they give to families so that you both know who does what, when, and how.
• Ask them their preferred method of communication - some prefer text, others email, and there’s probably someone out there who likes a phone call. 😉
• Remember that just because you want something for your child, doesn’t mean the program will approve it! This isn’t your broker’s fault.
• Your broker has experience and is there to help guide you…you should probably listen to them.
• Be responsive to communication from your support broker.
• With love, remember that this is a parent-led program, not a support broker-led program! They are there to help, not do the parent portion of the program requirements for you.
• Think of your support broker as part of your team! You want your “team” to do well because it means your child gets the support, care, and services they need. 
• Be nice.

Kindness goes a long way. 

We’re all in this together, and your support broker plays a key role in getting you and your family the support and services you need!

When things go wrong and you (may) need a new broker…

All that being said, not every broker is a good one. Not every broker is a good fit for every family. Knowing how to transition to a new broker is important!

Being a support broker is a challenging job with low pay and a lot of drawbacks. That doesn’t excuse the fact that some brokers drop the ball and leave families without support or coverage for their children’s plans.

Unfortunately, the way the program is currently designed, we are all vulnerable to this! 

When a support broker is ill, or has a child who is struggling, they are responsible for finding someone to take over their caseload…they can’t simply call in sick or take family medical leave and have an officemate pick up the slack. 

My best advice for you is to be in contact with your broker at least every 2-3 months just to check in and see how they are doing. Most will already be checking in with you in that time frame. If you don’t hear from them, a simple email will do. Ask if there is anything they need from you. 

If you don’t get a response, don’t panic! 

But recognize it might be time to start looking for a new broker depending on how close you are to your child’s plan start date and if the lack of communication is a one-off experience or part of a larger pattern of behavior.

If you realize that you and your broker aren’t a good fit (for whatever reason), it is okay to seek out a new broker! 

I encourage you before you start looking for someone else to re-read this article and make sure you are doing your part as the parent to make the relationship work. Be upfront with any potential new brokers you speak with about why you are changing brokers. It’ll help make sure you find one who is a good fit for you and your needs.

Remember, you and your support broker are a team! Your goal is to get your child the care and support they need.

Clear communication solves a lot of problems. While I’ve focused in this article on how you can do that as a parent, it's only reasonable that we expect the same from the support brokers we hire.

Conclusion

By managing your expectations, and selecting a qualified support broker with intention, Idaho parents can effectively navigate the FDS program, ensuring their children receive tailored and appropriate services.

While in many ways, the current program sets brokers and parents up to fail, it’s the program we have to work with. Doing your part as the parent will make things better for you, your child, and your support broker.

The Family Directed program has been a huge help to me and my family. While there are many hoops to jump through and it can be unnecessarily challenging at times, FDS is a valuable resource for Idaho families. Support brokers are a vital part of the program. I hope this article helps you find someone who is a great fit for your family!

For more information on Idaho-based services, please click here for a listing of state-specific supports. Ready to get the support you need to parent your autistic kiddo? Discover more about my coaching services and programs here.