Personal Assistance Services Toolkit

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Another Step Toward More Independence

Several Vermonters who use personal assistants or attendants helped VCIL collect and develop a range of tools and resources for managing Attendant Care or Personal Assistance Services. We have put together this collection, or Toolkit, as a resource for individuals who are managing their services. We hope this resource will be helpful to you!

QuickStart Guide

The Quickstart Guide to Hiring and Supervising Personal Assistants includes what many users of attendant services think are the three most essential elements in getting started:

some lists and planning tools to help you better identify your needs,
tips on how to advertise for workers,
and ways to set up a schedule and work plan for your attendant that works for you and lets both of you know what to expect.

Download the PAS QuickStart Guide (pdf)

Personal Assistance Training Toolkit

This booklet will provide background on this project, suggestions for how to get the most from this toolkit, an intro to the three forms of training offered, a brief summary of Attendant Services Programs, and additional resources.

Download the PAS Toolkit (pdf)

Nothing About Us Without Us

This toolkit is still a “work in progress” and is being shaped by the interests and needs of individuals who use PA services. As much as possible, VCIL is interested in offering peer support and training options that meet individual needs and learning styles. As we find or create new resources, we will add them to the Toolkit.

Your feedback is welcome and will truly make it a peer-designed resource. We have created an evaluation form for you to evaluate the toolkit materials: how helpful were they and what could be improved? Please take a few moments to complete this form and help us improve the Toolkit.

The terms personal assistant, or personal care attendant (both referred to as PA in this document), are used in Vermont and throughout this Toolkit to describe the service used by many individuals with disabilities who need assistance with things like bathing, getting out of bed, and doing household tasks and other everyday activities. Whether a friend or family member provides the assistance or you hire someone from outside your home, access to a PA is one of the essential elements of independent living for people with significant disabilities. The better we are able to work with and supervise these important people in our lives, the greater our independence and ability to live our lives to the fullest.