Finger Lakes Independence Center

The center is committed to the goals of the consumer directed personal assistance program, including empowerment of the consumer to control and independently recruit, hire, train, supervise and (if need be) terminate the personal assistants with whom they choose to work. The center works in a limited administrative capacity with the consumer and his or her personal assistants, acting only as the statutory fiscal intermediary to provide necessary management of personnel and payroll functions as required by 18 nycrr 505.28. Personal assistants are provided only statutory benefits and are not, and never have been, subject to the general personnel/employment policies and practices of the agency. The center does not consider personal assistants to be employees of the agency. Also acts as the fiscal intermediary for the consumer directed personal assistance services (cdpas) program in tompkins and tioga counties, providing medicaid sponsored persons with disabilities needing home health care with the ability to hire and manage their own care attendants.