Idaho DD Waiver Plan Developer vs Support Broker vs Targeted Service Coordinator

What These Three Roles Actually Do

After the adult DD application is submitted, Liberty Healthcare completes the functional assessment, and the family receives an eligibility decision, the family faces an immediate decision: choosing which professional will write and manage the individual service plan. Idaho's DD waiver system uses three distinct roles, and understanding the differences determines how much control the family retains over services and spending.

Plan Developers work exclusively within the Traditional DD Waiver track. They write the Individual Support Plan (ISP), identify provider agencies, and submit the plan to BDDS for approval. The plan developer selects services from Idaho's approved menu — residential habilitation, day habilitation, supported employment, respite — and matches them to agency providers in the region. Families who want agency-managed services with minimal administrative burden typically choose this route.

Support Brokers work exclusively within the Self-Directed waiver track ("My Voice, My Choice"). They help the individual or their representative write a Support and Spending Plan (SSP) that gives the family direct control over hiring, scheduling, and paying workers. The support broker assists with setting up a Fiscal Employer Agent (FEA) arrangement, which handles payroll taxes and worker's compensation for any community support workers the family hires — including, in some cases, family members or neighbors.

Targeted Service Coordinators (TSCs) operate across both tracks. They handle ongoing case management: monitoring service delivery, coordinating annual reassessments with Liberty Healthcare, and ensuring the individual's plan stays current. Every waiver participant is assigned a TSC regardless of which track they choose.

How to Choose Between Traditional and Self-Directed

The choice between a plan developer and a support broker is really a choice between two service models. In rural Idaho — where Direct Support Professional shortages leave families with approved budgets but no available agency staff — the self-directed track with a support broker often becomes the practical option by default.

Key factors to weigh:

• Provider availability: If the regional DHW office has active provider agencies accepting new clients, the traditional track with a plan developer works well. If agencies report no capacity, the self-directed track lets families hire their own workers.
• Administrative comfort: Self-direction requires the family to manage timesheets, coordinate with the FEA, and track spending against the annual budget. Some families find this empowering; others find it overwhelming.
• Family caregiver compensation: The self-directed track allows certain family members to be hired as paid support workers through approved arrangements. A Certified Family Home is a separate traditional residential provider option with its own certification and payment rules; the CFH provider may be related to the resident.

Switching Tracks Mid-Year

Idaho allows participants to switch between the traditional and self-directed tracks. Contact the assigned TSC to initiate the transition — they'll coordinate with BDDS to reassign the appropriate professional (plan developer or support broker) and revise the service plan. The annual budget amount stays the same regardless of which track is active.

The Idaho SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide walks through the full DD waiver application sequence and includes a comparison worksheet for evaluating both service tracks against your family's situation.

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