Fresno County Public Authority is proud to provide a free service to our IHSS Recipients in need of care. Upon request, we can match them with a list of trusted Care Providers who are CPR & First Aid Certified and who have compatible schedules. The IHSS Recipient (or their Authorized Representative) has the ability to interview the prospective Registry Providers and ultimately choose the Provider who is best for them. 

As an ongoing condition of Registry participation, all Registry participants (Providers and Recipients) must: (a) comply with all Registry policies, procedures and directives, and cooperate fully with Registry personnel; (b) keep the Registry updated as to all decisions regarding referrals; and (c) treat Registry staff and all other Registry participants with civility and respect.

It is important to note that the Public Authority Registry does not select, train, vouch for, supervise or warrant the quality of either Recipients or their providers. Recipients and providers must make their own decisions regarding one another's skills, character, and compatibility. The Recipient has the exclusive right to select, hire, assign hours and duties, direct the work, supervise, evaluate, and terminate the provider, and the provider retains the right to resign from any employment capacity, all without regulation or control of the Registry.

Congratulations! After you have chosen to hire your new Care Provider, you will need to complete the IHSS Provider Hiring Agreement which includes the SOC 426A Recipient Designation of Provider. You can submit it to the County Public Authority by Mail, Fax or Secure Document Submission. 

IHSS Provider Hiring Agreement(PDF, 176KB)

IHSS Provider Hiring Agreement - Spanish(PDF, 2MB)

Don't forget to register for the ESP!

Having an agreement between you and your Care Provider can assist with explaining job duties and work schedules. It can also be used as a signed record of agreed upon responsibilities. 

IHSS Recipient and Provider Job Agreement(PDF, 108KB)

If there is an urgent need to request a Registry Provider on behalf of an IHSS Recipient, and you are not authorized to do so (Parent/Guardian, Authorized Representative, etc.) we must be in receipt of the Authorization to Release Information(PDF, 232KB) in order to process the request. Once signed by the IHSS Recipient (or their AR), please submit by USPS Mail, Fax or instantly via Secure Document Submission! 

Below are some helpful tools for you as an Employer including Finding, hiring and working with a Care Provider, Helpful Interview Questions, Setting and Maintaining Boundaries with your Care Provider, Deciding When to Fire your Care Provider and MORE!

Helpful Interview Questions(PDF, 1MB)

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ihss/fact-sheets

Major & Minor Offenses for IHSS Registry Care Providers

In an effort to facilitate professional and respectful employer/employee relationships between IHSS Recipients and Registry Providers, the following types of behaviors/actions reported are classified as minor and major, but are not limited to items listed. These lists are not exhaustive. All complaints will be investigated impartially and Recipients will be notified of the outcome.

Minor Offenses include, but are not limited to:

• Failure to follow PA rules or requirements.
• Failure to update information with the PA on a monthly basis.
• Failure to appear at a scheduled interview without notice to the prospective employer. 
• Passing along the name of a prospective employer to other Registry or non-Registry providers.
• Turning down an offer of employment based on the proposed scheduled work hours, especially when it is within the timeframe the provider has indicated they were available to work. (Note: The provider is responsible to contact the PA when there are other valid reasons as to why they will not accept an employment offer.)
• Quitting a Registry assignment without two-week notice or good cause.
• Being late for work or absent from without reasonable or acceptable cause.
• Discourteous, rude or inappropriate behavior towards recipients, the recipient’s representatives [Authorized Representatives (AR), guardians and/or conservators], or County staff.
• Not performing IHSS approved and authorized tasks as assigned or requested during work hours.
• Inadequate or deficient job performance.
• Not returning IHSS-related recipient and PA staff telephone calls within 24 hours.
• Bringing family members, friends or pets to the recipient’s home.
• Asking for and/or borrowing money from recipients.
• Requesting a recipient to approve an incomplete, or incorrect timesheet.
• Inappropriate work attire.
• Anything considered unprofessional behavior, even when the recipient’s or other parties involved behave unprofessional.
• Other inappropriate behavior that is in conflict with requirements as written in state and/or local provider manuals or existing statutes.

Major Offenses include, but are not limited to:

• Theft
• Any type of abuse (physical, sexual, financial, mental, verbal and neglect).
• Dishonesty or misrepresentation related to job duties as a Registry provider.
• Unauthorized disclosure of an IHSS recipient’s confidential information to other recipients, providers or anyone else.
• Being under the influence of alcohol, illegal substances or prescription drugs that impairs the provider’s ability to conduct job duties safely and competently.
• Being in possession of illegal substances or paraphernalia while on duty.
• Possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon while on duty.
• Knowingly placing the recipient’s health, safety or well-being in jeopardy.
• Intentional fraudulent actions/behaviors against the recipients and IHSS program.
• Confirmed allegations resulting from an Adult Protective Services (APS) investigation

Major & Minor Offenses for IHSS Recipients

Minor Offenses include, but are not limited to:

• Acts of discourteous, rude or inappropriate behavior towards the provider, the provider’s representatives or Fresno County staff.
• Repeated pattern of not following through with the Registry Process, including but not limited to: Not calling providers on the list in a timely manner, not being available for scheduled interviews, and canceling interviews without notifying the scheduled provider.
• Swearing at, belittling or calling the provider names, or making racial/ethnic remarks.
• Refusing to approve a legitimate timesheet.
• Not being available when providers arrive for their scheduled work time, or not informing the provider of a change in plans or schedule in a timely manner.
• Insisting that the provider perform tasks that are not authorized for their case by the IHSS Social Worker (SW) or that are not within the scope of the IHSS program.
• Failure to follow PA Registry rules.

Major Offenses include, but are not limited to:

• Fraud, theft and/or forgery.
• Dishonesty or misrepresentation related to being the employer of the provider.
• Refusing to pay the required Medi-Cal Share of Cost.
• Inappropriate contact with the provider’s family.
• Sexual harassment or sexual abuse of the provider.
• Physically abusing or assaulting the provider.
• Excessive verbal abuse, including threats, bullying, or belittling.
• Knowingly putting the provider’s safety in jeopardy.
• Displaying a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a threatening manner.

We are committed to responding to and investigating all complaints regarding our Registry Providers. Our responsibility is to ensure that all Public Authority Registry Providers conduct themselves in a professional manner and treat our IHSS Recipients with dignity and respect. Also, remember that you (as the IHSS Recipient and Employer) must maintain respectful and responsible boundaries when requesting and employing Registry providers.

Our office follows a three step complaint process, dependent on the severity of the complaint. Registry Providers can be warned, suspended and/or removed from our Registry for Minor or Major Offenses. Likewise, violations of Minor and Major Offenses by IHSS Recipients can also lead to the removal from our Registry. 

If you have any concerns or complaints regarding one of our Registry Providers, please contact our Public Authority staff at (559) 600-6666 option 4.

What is the Back-Up Provider System (BUPS)? 

BUPS is a new statewide program that allows any eligible recipient to receive In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) or Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) from a back-up provider when the recipient has an urgent or immediate need for back-up related to personal care services, which cannot be met by an existing provider, or when the recipient is transitioning from out-of-home care to home-based care and does not yet have an identified provider. 

What is Considered an Urgent or Immediate Need? 

An urgent or immediate need is defined by the state in the following manner:

• A need that is immediate and cannot be postponed until the regular provider is available to provide the service; and
• The need has a direct impact upon the IHSS/WPCS recipient, and delaying it would potentially jeopardize the health/safety of the recipient, which may result in the need for emergency services and/or out-of-home placement.

What are Personal Care Services?

Personal care is a task that is performed for a person’s health or well-being. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

• Eating
• Bathing
• Dressing
• Walking or moving around
• Getting in and out of bed
• Toileting
• Administering medications

How Many BUPS Hours Can a Recipient Receive?

The maximum service hours allowed under BUPS are 80 per fiscal year.  Some exceptions allowed.  A fiscal year is the period that runs from July 1 to June 30. Hours used under BUPS are deducted from the recipient’s total monthly hours allotment.

How Do I Request a BUPS Provider?

Complete the Request for  a Registry Provider form on this webpage below and select 'Back-Up Provider Services (BUPS) Request' Or you can call (559) 600-6666 option 4 to speak with our Public Authority Staff.