Start consumer directed services · St. Louis
Getting started with Communicare Elite
To start Consumer Directed Services, call us for a free consultation at (314) 809-6655, then request a Home and Community Based Services assessment from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at 866-835-3505. If you already know who you want to hire, send them to us now so their background screening starts early.
There are two tracks running at once — the state’s approval process and our onboarding. Starting both early is the single biggest thing you can do to shorten the wait.
Start here: call us
A free consultation, no obligation. We will ask a handful of questions, tell you honestly whether the program looks like a fit, and explain what happens next in plain language.
What do you need before you call?
Nothing is required to make the first call, but these speed things up:
- Your MO HealthNet (Medicaid) number, if you have one.
- A short description of what you need help with day to day.
- The name of the person you would like to hire, if you already have someone.
- The name and phone number of your case manager, if one is involved.
- Your date of birth and current address.
Please do not text or email medical details. Text and email are not secure channels. Bring health information to a phone call or to our office instead.
How do you request the state assessment?
Approval for the program itself comes from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, not from any vendor. Request a Home and Community Based Services assessment by calling 866-835-3505. Referrals can also be made through the DHSS online referral form or an HCBS-1 form.
We can rehearse that call with you and tell you what the assessor will want to know.
Meanwhile, we onboard your attendant
If you already know who you want to hire, send them to us now. Background screening in particular can take time, and getting it moving early means your attendant is ready the day your care plan is authorized.
What happens on the first phone call?
It is short, and it is not a sales call. We will ask roughly five things: your age, whether you have MO HealthNet, what you need help with day to day, whether anyone is already helping you, and where you live. From those answers we can usually tell you whether the program is likely to fit.
If it clearly does not fit — you are not MO HealthNet eligible, you are outside our service area, you need skilled nursing rather than personal care — we will say so and point you toward something more useful. Starting paperwork that will not go anywhere wastes months of your time and none of ours, which is precisely why some providers do it.
What slows down getting started with CDS?
| Problem | What to do about it |
|---|---|
| Not currently enrolled in MO HealthNet | Apply for MO HealthNet first — CDS cannot start without it. Ask us who to contact. |
| Waiting for the assessment before doing anything else | Do not. Start your attendant’s screening in parallel — it is often the longer of the two. |
| Understating your needs at the assessment | Describe your worst days, not your best ones. An honest account produces a care plan that matches reality. |
| No attendant identified yet | Tell us early. We recruit across the St. Louis area and can bring you candidates to interview. |
| Attendant has something on their record | Have them disclose it up front. A disclosed record is a conversation; a discovered one ends the application. |
What we will never do
- Promise you a specific number of authorized hours. Only DHSS sets that.
- Promise a specific approval date. The assessment schedule is not ours.
- Charge you a fee. CDS is funded by MO HealthNet.
- Pick your attendant for you. That decision is the point of the program.
Ready to take the next step?
Call us for a free consultation, or text us. We serve St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Missouri communities within about 40 miles of our office.
Frequently asked questions
Is Consumer Directed Services free?
Yes. CDS is funded by MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid program, and we do not charge you a fee. The first consultation is free too, with no obligation. Call (314) 809-6655 and we will tell you honestly whether the program looks like a fit, then explain what happens next in plain language.
Is the consumer directed services program legit?
Yes. Approval for Consumer Directed Services comes from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, not from any vendor, and the services are funded by MO HealthNet. You can request your assessment directly from the state at 866-835-3505. We handle onboarding and paperwork, and we never promise hours or approval dates, because only DHSS sets them.
Can I start CDS without MO HealthNet?
No. CDS cannot start until you are enrolled in MO HealthNet, so apply for it first, and ask us if you are not sure who to contact. Meanwhile, if you already know who you want to hire, send them to our attendant application so their background screening is moving while the state process runs.
Can my caregiver start paperwork before the state approves me?
Yes, and they should. Background screening can take time, and it is often the longer of the two tracks. Starting it alongside your state assessment means your attendant can be ready the day your care plan is authorized. Send them to the attendant application.