What is a Colorado PASA?

A Program Approved Service Agency (PASA) is the formal designation the State of Colorado gives to providers authorized to deliver services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) under the Home- and Community-Based Services Developmental Disabilities (HCBS-DD) waiver.

Who issues the designation

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) is the state agency that runs Colorado’s Medicaid program, including the HCBS waivers. HCPF, working with the Division of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the regional Case Management Agencies (CMAs), designates PASAs as the authorized providers of waiver services for adults with IDD.

What a PASA can do

A PASA in good standing can deliver the residential and in-home services covered by the HCBS-DD waiver, which can include:

• Host Home placements (residential, with a trained provider family)
• Personal Care Alternative (PCA) — in-home support delivered in the client’s or family’s own home
• Family Caregiver arrangements — compensation and oversight for family members who deliver care to their loved ones
• Various supported employment, day services, and clinical supports (the specific mix varies by agency)

Not every PASA offers every service line. Some agencies focus on Host Homes only; others on PCA only; others on the full spectrum.

What PASA status doesn’t guarantee

PASA designation means the agency met the state’s baseline requirements. It doesn’t guarantee:

• The agency has capacity for new clients right now
• The agency serves your client’s specific county
• The agency takes the level of behavioral, medical, or forensic complexity your client presents
• The agency uses person-centered approaches you’d want for your family member

That’s why the conversation with the agency matters. PASA gets them in the door; what happens after that depends on the agency’s specific philosophy, training, and team.

What to ask any PASA before referring or signing on

• When was your PASA designation issued?
• Has it ever been suspended, revoked, or placed on a corrective action plan?
• What’s your NPI? (You can verify it on CMS’s NPPES registry.)
• Which counties do you actively serve?
• What service lines do you currently offer?
• Who handles clinical oversight, QA inspections, and provider training?
• How fast do you respond to a new referral?

Grace Mountain Agency

Grace Mountain has been a Colorado PASA since October 2020. We provide Host Homes, Personal Care Alternative, and Family Caregivers across six counties in the Denver metro and Boulder County. NPI 1386254019.

For a fuller buyer-side evaluation guide, see What to look for in a Host Home agency in Colorado.