Programs and Services - Self-Managed Attendant Services (SMAS)

Self-Managed Attendant Services:
Independent Living Nova Scotia continues to offer support to a small number of “self-managers” through a 16-year pilot project, Self-Managed Attendant Services. In this project, persons with a high level of physical disability manage the attendants who assist with their activities of daily living from personal care to support at one’s workplace or at social and volunteer activities. In the context of this program, “self-manager” refers to a person who is able to manage independently all aspects of his/her attendant services, including the recruitment and hiring of attendants, training, supervision and handling payroll. The Nova Scotia Department of Health has provided funding for the Self-Managed Attendant Services project, and now offers a province-wide self-managed care option, modeled in part on our successful pilot project.

Student Self-managers:
A program through which post-secondary students with disabilities manage their own educational attendants. The Nova Scotia Department of Education funds this program. Each year ILNS trains and supports about 20 university and college students across the province.

Training for Self-Managers:
ILNS has resources we can share with self-managers and with sister organizations, and we conduct occasional training sessions, as resources permit. Contact ILNS for more information: info@ilns.ca