Hope Group, LLC

Frequently Asked Questions

1. General Questions about Hope Group and its Services
2. Employment
3. Current Provider

a. Timesheets/Payroll
b. Insurance
c. File Documents
d. CPR, 1st Aid, and Fingerprint Clearance Cards
e. Transportation

a. General Service Terms
b. Billing
c. Other

Any other questions? Please contact the office, or if you think it is a question others might want to know, please offer it in our suggestion box.

What is HOPE Group, LLC?

Hope Group is a qualified vendor (provider agency) that has contracted with DDD- the Division of Developmental Disabilities for the state of Arizona to provide habilitation, respite, habilitation communication and habilitation behavioral services to individuals with developmental disabilities. H.O.P.E. Group also provides insurance billing and private behavioral consultations.

Hope Group was originally formed to focus on what we believed to be the unmet habilitation and respite needs of ALTCS- Arizona Long Term Care eligible young children whose developmental disability was attributable to autism and whose parents or caregivers wished to pursue the principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). While Hope Group provides habilitation and respite services to other ALTCS eligible individuals, and also utilizes principles other than Applied Behavior Analysis when providing these services, our original focus is still intact.

What services does Hope Group offer?

Hope Group currently offers habilitation, respite, habilitation-communication ("Hab-C"), habilitation-behavioral services both Masters and bachelors levels ("Hab-M" and "Hab-B"), and behavioral consulting services. For more details, please view our services section.

What is habilitation?

DDD defines habilitation services to include habilitative therapies, behavioral interventions, developing special developmental skills and enhancing sensory motor development.

Habilitation services are designed to provide a variety of interventions to maximize the functioning of the person with developmental disabilities. Habilitation can include training in activities related to routine household maintenance, training in essential activities to meet personal, physical and social needs and training to enable or enhance the ability to perform self-help skills, physical mobility, and adaptive living skills. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) programming is one method of providing Habilitation Services.

What is respite?

DDD defines respite services as short-term care and supervision to provide relief to the caregivers of the individual with a developmental disability.

Respite Services are designed to provide short-term care and supervision to provide relief to caregivers (parents, guardians, etc.) of the person with developmental disabilities. Respite is provided in the home of the child receiving services.

What is DDD?

The Division of Developmental Disabilities, or DDD, is a state-run agency that is a part of the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). DDD provides therapy services to individuals with developmental disabilities and funds companies such as Hope Group to organize these services.

Must I have previous experience?

No, we do not require that you have any experience working with developmentally disables individuals. We do require a four hour long ABA training, additional 2 hour training classes are available and we have Leads that can train you one-on-one with your client. We also offer a variety of other trainings in our office that you may attend and be paid for after you are hired as an employee.

Is there a minimum amount of hours I need to work per week?

No, you may work as many or as few hours as you would like. That is one of the perks to this job--YOU create your own schedule.

Do I need to pay for training(s) and/or my fingerprint card?

No, all of our trainings are offered free of charge to prospective employees, current providers, and any client family members. You do not need to pay for your fingerprint card, either. We will mail your prints to DES once you start work, and we will mail your card to you once we receive it from DES. This process could take up to three months.

Can I call clients on my client match list before I've been hired?

You cannot be hired without a client, so please start calling clients as soon as you get the list.

May I get copies of or have documents from my file?

No, everything you submit to us for your file is Hope Group property and you may not have copies or originals of any document. You may come into our office to view your file, if needed by appointment only. These documents include, but are not limited to: CPR card, 1st Aid card, reference forms, application, etc. The only document you will be given from your file is your fingerprint clearance card, which we will mail to you once we receive it. For more information, please follow this link or view our Policy and Procedure Manual.

Timesheets/Payroll

When are timesheets due?

Timesheets are generally due every month on the 4th in our office by 4:30 p.m. The only times this is not the case is if the 4th falls on a Sunday or Holiday, then they are due on the 5th by 4:30. If the 4th is on a Saturday, your timesheets are still due by 4:30 p.m. The office is not open, but we do have a drop-slot and there will be someone to pick up timesheets at 4:30. Please see the Timesheet/Pay Date Schedule for exact dates every month.

What if the 4th is on a weekend?

If the 4th is on a Saturday, timesheets are still due by 4:30. If the 4th is on a Sunday, timesheets will be due by Monday the 5th. We do have a drop box at our office for timesheets. Please see the Timesheet/Pay Date Schedule for exact dates every month.

Why do I only have 4 days from the end of the month to submit my timesheets?

DDD requires that Hope Group submit typically by the first week of the month. In order for us to be ready to submit billing, we need all timesheets entered by the afternoon of the 4th or by the other "timesheets due" dates listed on the Timesheet/Pay Date Schedule

What happens if I turn in my timesheets after the 4th or monthly due date?

If you turn in your timesheets any time after the monthly due date, they are considered late and will be paid accordingly, which could take up to 60-90 days. Please see the timesheet protocol for more details.

Why do we only get paid once a month?

DDD requires monthly billing and only pays Hope Group once a month.

Why do I get error notices?

The State sets guidelines for timesheets and habilitation reports, which we must follow. When error timesheets and/or habilitation reports are submitted, we are required to notify you of the mistake so you can fix it in the future. Also, by fixing your mistakes, it helps the office staff during payroll. There are over 2000 timesheets that we receive each month and every mistake slows us down. We appreciate your efforts to follow the timesheet protocol.

Insurance

What benefits do you offer?

We offer group health, vision, dental, life insurance, and 401K.

How can I become eligible for insurance and/or 401K?

To qualify for the medical, dental and life benefits through Hope Group, you must work 120 hours per month for three consecutive months. If you have any further questions, please view the links below and/or contact Lauren Hess/ Ann Monahan.

Insurance Plans
401K Plan

File Documents

May I get copies of or have documents from my file?

No, everything you submit to us for your file becomes Hope Group property and you may not have copies or originals of any document. You may come into our office to view your file, if needed. These documents include, but are not limited to: CPR card, 1st Aid card, reference forms, application, etc. For more information, you may follow this link or view Hope Group's Policy and Procedure Manual.

CPR, 1st Aid, and Fingerprint Cards

May I get my CPR/1st Aid Card?

If you took your CPR and 1st Aid class at Hope Group, your cards automatically go into your file. If you would like your own cards you will need to take a class elsewhere and pay for it yourself without reimbursement. For more information, you may follow this link or view Hope Group's Policy and Procedure Manual.

Can I be reimbursed for my CPR and 1st Aid if I take it somewhere outside of Hope Group?

If you submit your receipt as well as your original cards (no copies) to Hope Group we can reimburse you up to $30. We cannot reimburse you if you submit copies and/or want to keep your cards. For more information, you may follow this link or view Hope Group's Policy and Procedure Manual.

Can I get my fingerprint clearance card?

Yes, we will mail your fingerprint clearance card to you once we receive it from the Department of Public Safety and make copies for our files. Please note, however, that it can take up to three months for us to receive the cards after submittal of application.

Transportation

Can I drive my client in my car?

Typically, our providers do not transport their clients, because services are to be provided in the client's home. However, if the parents feel that transportation is necessary because of other therapies or because goals require the client to be out in the community, exceptions can be made. To drive your client while working for Hope Group, you must follow the transportation protocol. You will be notified when we receive the necessary documents and are authorized to transport.

Can I get reimbursed for mileage?

No, Hope Group does not pay for the time that it takes for you to drive to and from your client's house. If you are authorized to transport and you drive your client, you can be paid for that time, but not the mileage. You can, however, log your mileage and submit it as a deduction at the end of the year for your taxes.

Can I be paid for the time that it takes to drive to and from my client's house?

No, we do not pay for any time that you are not with your client.

General Service Terms

What is a Support Coordinator?

The Support Coordinator is the social worker assigned by DDD to assist clients in accessing the services that are available to eligible individuals with developmental disabilities as well as monitor the provision of those services.

What is a habilitation/respite provider?

A habilitation/respite provider is a person who provides habilitation and respite services to the individual with developmental disabilities.

What is a "Lead"?

A Lead Habilitation Trainer (Lead) has additional training and experience in ABA techniques and provides direct one-to-one training to new habilitation providers. Their experience includes the basics in ABA including Analysis of Verbal Behavior (AVB), picture schedules, play therapy (NET), Discrete Trial Training (DTT), as well as goal writing and data collection.

The Lead’s primary function is to train new providers by modeling techniques as well as provide observation and guidance. The Lead will work with private consultants to train in the ABA techniques, if a family is utilizing consulting services. If the family does not have a consultant, the Lead will write objectives based on the child’s ISP goals for the habilitation provider to implement. The Lead will ensure each client has a procedure for data collection and ensure the HCBS Pre-service Meeting Plan, ISP and Client Objectives are available in the home for new providers to view.

What is a service provider?

A service provider is either a private agency, such as Hope Group, that employs habilitation/respite providers or an independent provider who is contracted with DDD to provide services to individuals who are eligible to receive services.

What is an "Auth" or a "Focus Auth"?

An "Auth" (authorization) is provided by your support coordinator to the service provider (H.O.P.E. Group) that authorizes the delivery of services (habilitation, respite and other services) that your child is eligible to receive. Your authorization allows a certain number of hours for each service. This is sent directly to the service provider of your choice, after you notify your support coordinator of the service provider you will be using for services.

Billing

What if I bill over my authorized hours?

If you bill over your authorized hours, your provider will not/may not be paid for the extra time that they worked. For example, if you are authorized 60 hours of habilitation per month and your provider bills for 68 hours in a month, he or she will not be paid for the 8 hours over. Keeping track of the hours your provider(s) work is your responsibility. It is strongly encouraged to have your provider(s) use a sign-in sheet and/or composite schedule to track the monthly hours.

Other

Can my providers transport my child?

Hope Group does not contract to provide transportation services and such services are generally not within any employee’s scope of services with Hope Group. Employees of Hope Group will not provide transportation without prior approval of Hope Group. Similarly, time spent commuting to the service site is not compensable. A such, scheduling time in blocks of 3 to 4 hours is generally preferred. Unless otherwise pre-approved by Hope Group, all services should be provided in or near the client’s residence.

Can my provider administer medication to my child?

Employees of Hope Group will not administer any medication during any services rendered without prior written approval of Hope Group. Approval for providing medication may require additional training, and, if approved, will require additional documentation.

Leave your suggestions and comments in our Suggestion Box.