Choosing delivery, providers, payment, or a start
Compare provider-managed and Consumer Direction
Compare agency delivery with Consumer Direction and document each responsibility.
Official sources checked 2026-07-29
Start here
Review ECF CHOICES service definitionsBefore you start
- Approved group and services, plan, desired control, schedule, provider or worker preferences, employer capacity, health and behavior needs, risks, transportation, safeguards, and backups.
Who to contact
Use the official TennCare, MCO, DDA regional intake, LTSS Help Desk, Beneficiary Support System, crisis, or protective-reporting route that owns this step.
Step by step
- Confirm which authorized services may use Consumer Direction or Self-Direction.
- Compare who recruits, hires, trains, schedules, supervises, pays, monitors, and provides backup.
- Document the choice and every remaining authorization, provider, worker, fiscal, schedule, and start step.
Expected next
A documented delivery choice, provider referral, fiscal or worker step, or written constraint.
Save this proof
Comparison, choice, plan, authorizations, referrals, responses, onboarding, and dates.
If this stalls or the answer is no
Ask the support coordinator for lawful alternatives tied to the current group, plan, and authorized services.
Beyond Childhood planning aid
Compare provider-managed and Consumer Direction checklist
A Beyond Childhood planning aid derived from the cited official sources.
- Owner and program
- Date started
- Documents supplied
- Written result or confirmation
- Current open dependency
- Next event and date
- Escalation contact
Derived from Review ECF CHOICES groups, eligibility, and services, Review the current ECF CHOICES brochure, Review ECF CHOICES service definitions
Official resources
Limits
Consumer Direction and Self-Direction are distinct from provider-managed delivery and from each other. Model choice does not establish authorization, worker qualification, payroll readiness, backup coverage, or start.
Beyond Childhood’s checklists and prompts are planning aids derived from official sources. They are not official forms, legal advice, eligibility decisions, or guarantees of funding, capacity, quality, or service.