Training and Certification of Personal Care Services (PCS) Providers: What you need to know.

The October 2025 update to the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual includes language that clarifies and expands the definition of who is qualified to verify the competence of Personal Care Services (PCS) providers. OTs and PTs remain recognized as licensed health care practitioners who can verify PCS provider qualifications; however, the expanded definition now includes the following:

• An individual with current special education teacher certification under 19 TAC §233.8 whose work responsibilities include working with PCS providers; or
• An individual whose primary work responsibilities include supervising, training, and confirming the qualifications of PCS providers; or
• A licensed health care practitioner eligible to provide reimbursable services under a SHARS benefit other than PCS.

When students are receiving occupational therapy or physical therapy services as part of their IEPs, OTs and PTs are often also training members of the educational team, including staff who provide Personal Care Services. In this role, it is both appropriate and important for OTs and PTs to provide and document student-specific training that may also meet PCS provider training requirements.

That said, OT and PT licensure rules should be kept in mind when offering training to staff for students who are not receiving OT or PT. In these cases, the therapist’s role is best focused on general training—such as consultation, coaching, or professional development—that is not tied to any one student. Examples might include general transfer techniques or general positioning strategies.

Finally, in all situations, therapists should stay current with licensure requirements and be sure to complete evaluations and obtain physician referrals when they are required. 

Texas Medicaid Providers Procedures Manual - October 2025