Cdass Self-direction Colorado [top] Review

CDASS operates under Colorado’s Medicaid State Plan and HCBS waivers (specifically the Supported Living Services and Elderly, Blind, and Disabled waivers). Unlike traditional home care, where an agency selects and supervises aides, CDASS places the consumer in the employer role. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of CDASS, evaluating its successes and ongoing challenges within the context of self-direction research.

The Colorado Class Self-Direction program is a groundbreaking initiative that empowers individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives and services. By providing participants with the flexibility to manage their own budgets, hire and train their own staff, and make informed decisions about their daily lives, the program promotes autonomy, dignity, and self-direction. As the program continues to grow and evolve, it is likely to have a lasting impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities in Colorado, serving as a model for other states to follow. cdass self-direction colorado

The independent living movement of the 1970s and 1980s, led by disability rights advocates, fundamentally challenged the assumption that people with disabilities require institutional or agency-controlled care to live safely. One of the movement’s central demands was the right to self-direct personal assistance services—hiring, training, and managing one’s own attendants. Colorado emerged as a national leader in this effort through its Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) program, established in the late 1990s. CDASS operates under Colorado’s Medicaid State Plan and

CDASS falls between full cash counseling (where consumers receive a cash benefit) and agency care. Colorado has resisted cash-only models due to federal Medicaid rules and concerns about financial oversight. The independent living movement of the 1970s and

To participate in CDASS, an individual must:

A 2019 evaluation by the University of Colorado Denver found that CDASS was cost-neutral to slightly cost-saving (approximately 3–5% lower total Medicaid expenditures per participant-year) due to reduced emergency department visits and lower case management intensity. However, savings are not universal; participants with complex medical needs sometimes require more hours than originally authorized.