Community Guide Certificate
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY GUIDE?

1. Assisting with person centered planning and developing the plan of services and supports
2. Developing and assisting with the management of the individual budget, as requested
3. Recruiting, interviewing, training, and scheduling support workers (Brokering services)
4. Assisting with development of back-up and emergency plans
5. Working with the fiscal intermediary with documentation, reports, and billing
6. Assisting with building a supportive network of community relationships
7. Seeking and creating community resources and supports
8. Assisting the individual/family/representative with evaluating various service options, resources, and supports.

A Community Guide Does Not Duplicate Other Services

Job titles sound very similar and support functions can become blurred under program and service descriptions.  Community Guide, Support Coordination, Community Access, and Supported Employment are all distinctly defined services under the waivers. 

Support Coordination

Community Guide Services do not duplicate or replace Support Coordination Services.  The Support Coordinator continues to play a necessary role in defining, authorizing, and monitoring all services provided for under the NOW or COMP waivers.  They assist individuals with self-directing their services, but not to the same level or intensity as the Community Guide.

The Support Coordinator plays an important role in helping individuals chooses to self-direct their services, help with deciding the need for Community Guide Services, and finally, help select a Community Guide. 

Community Support

Community Access and Supported Employment are two services that individuals who self-direct may choose to help them define meaningful roles in community life. Under self-direction, individuals may hire support workers who locate membership in community groups or associations, help find people who share similar interests, build connections to new friendships, and re-establish or maintain meaningful relationships. If an individual chooses Community Access, they may hire individual employees that may be called Community Connectors or Bridge Builders.

If an individual chooses Supported Employment, they may hire individual employees to help locate employment in the community, with customizing employment, or help with self-employment or a micro-enterprise.  The people may be called Employment Consultants, Job Coaches, or Customized Employment Professionals.  The individual may choose to hire a combination of these types of services, and the Community Guide’s role is to help locate these supports and services in the community, not to provide those services.  The Community Guide brings knowledge of the community and its resources to help hire support staff who can develop meaningful work, develop meaningful relationships, and help individual to live a life of their choosing. 

The Community Guide, the Support Coordinator, and other paid support staff all have very specific and separate roles and responsibilities to individuals with disabilities.