More about Rhode Island's PASS Program
PASS stands for Personal Assistance Services and
Supports. It allows families of Medicaid eligible children with special
health care needs to play a larger role in the provision of assistance
for their child.
PASS is a consumer directed program,
which means that the family and the child receiving services have a
great deal of control over how care for the child is provided.
Families
can choose who they want to provide care, when they want it provided,
what type of assistance is provided, as well as directly supervise the
worker providing the care
PASS recipients have all types of disabilities, such as:
- Physical Disabilities such as cerebral palsy, spinal bifida and muscular dystrophy
- Developmental disabilities such as Down’s syndrome
- Behavioral/communication disabilities such as autism, attention deficit disorder and other conditions
Training
Each
PASS worker will receive general training and orientation as well as
training specific to the needs of the child they will be assisting.
The general training and orientation will include:
- Generalized information about service activities
- Consumer-directed care
- Cultural competency
- Employment responsibilities
Employment
The
PASS worker is selected and supervised by the parent or guardian of the
child receiving services. The worker is employed by a certified PASS
Agency, which is responsible for the background checks, payroll, and
basic training and orientation.
Pay and hours
Depending
on the needs of the child and the agency, PASS workers earn between
$9.00 and $14.00 an hour. Hours are flexible, shifts normally occur in
the late afternoon/early evening and on weekends and can be between two
and four hours long, but that is up to the family.