2021 Annual Report

Self-directed Personal Care Assistance (PCA) Choice services are available to children and adults with disabilities, chronic diseases, behavioral diagnoses and mental illnesses who need assistance with personal care in their homes or in the community. PCA caregivers help with “activities of daily living,” such as dressing, grooming, eating, bathing, transfers, mobility, positioning and toileting, as well as light housekeeping, laundry and meal preparation. The PCA Choice option gives clients a greater level of responsibility in managing their care, while Accra helps handle the employment and management-related functions of your PCA. 

Accra’s Financial Management Services supports individuals with long-term care needs or disabilities to easily hire and employ caregivers under the consumer-directed community supports (CDCS) program or the Consumer Support Grant (CSG). In each of these programs, Accra helps participants directly employ caregivers and purchase other supports that they need for living in the community. Accra helps participants determine how their program budget is used, receive approval from their county case manager, hire their own employees and choose their own service vendors. Accra then handles all required employer and employee paperwork, payroll, vendor payments, reimbursements, claims processing, tax filings and workers’ compensation on behalf of the individual.

Accra is a Basic 245D licensed provider of Individualized Home Supports (IHS) without training, respite, homemaker, night supervision and Individual Community Living Support (ICLS) Services. In each service, the person or family selects a trusted, qualified worker suited for their homecare needs. Accra then assigns a 245D Accra Service Coordinator to work with the client and their county case manager to set up and administer Basic 245D Waivered Services while ensuring that all workers are properly trained.

In 2022, Accra began offering Individualized Home Supports (IHS) with training, which is an Intensive 245D Service. IHS with Training provides support and training to adults who require assistance in at least one community living services category. These service categories include community participation, health and wellness, household management and adaptive skills. Accra matches each client with a fully trained and qualified IHS Designated Coordinator who helps them achieve their stated outcomes and goals. 

Home Health Care consists of medical and health-related services and assistance with day-to-day activities, including professional nursing services, home health aide services and rehabilitation services, which maintain the security and safety of people living at home. Accra primarily provides Home Health Care services to people requiring continuing care for chronic needs. (Home Health Care is only available in select locations.)

Accra provides Individualized Mental Health Counseling throughout the Twin Cities metro area and in the Goodhue and St. Louis county areas. Our licensed counselors provide individual counseling for a variety of mental health issues. Counseling services are available in either an office setting or by mobile health, depending on our client’s preference.

Accra also provides Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS) to residents of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, St. Louis and Washington counties. ARMHS help in areas such as medication education and monitoring; developing symptoms management skills; household management; and employment-related or community living transitions. Supervised by mental health professionals, ARMHS can be provided in an office setting or a client’s home, based on client preference. Current office settings are available for adults in Minnetonka, Hibbing and Virginia.

Accra High Street House in Lake City offers a quaint assisted living community with comfortable apartments. At High Street House, Accra partners with each resident to create a personalized plan tailored for their specific healthcare needs. 

The Private Pay program allows people to buy home care services with their private dollars when they are not covered by other payers. Individuals are responsible for finding their own employees, and once they do, Accra will assist them with employee paperwork, record-keeping and payroll duties. 

Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) is a new self-directed option being developed by the State of Minnesota to offer those who require home services more choice, control and flexibility with the services and supports needed to live and work in the community. CFSS, when implemented, is intended to replace the current Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program and the state-funded Consumer Support Grant (CSG) benefit. 

Accra will offer Consultation Services, a part of CFSS that will help all participants (or the participant’s representative or family member) make informed choices about CFSS. The consultation services provider will support participants by providing instruction on CFSS, the service delivery models and self-directing skills. The provider will also offer guidance in becoming a participant-employer, assist with developing the required service-delivery plan, and obtain approval of the plan when applicable.

As one of the most experienced providers of PCA Choice and FMS in Minnesota, Accra will provide homecare services under both the CFSS agency and budget models. We will serve clients using whichever model they prefer when CFSS is implemented.