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Join Greenspace Mental Health, the Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association (RCPA), and the Community Behavioral Health Association of Maryland (MDCBH) to learn from an esteemed panel of experts as they share their insights regarding the impact of measurement-based care (MBC) on behavioral health organizations and how it helps inform treatment planning, improve client outcomes, and future-proof organizations for Value-Based Care.
PANELISTS:
HOST:
DATE: Monday, November 15, 2021
TIME: 11:00 am EST
DURATION: 1 hour
REGISTER HERE
This is a free, online event hosted through Zoom Webinars. Registration is required.
We are very pleased to bring you this opportunity to hear fellow industry leaders discuss their views on the system-wide impact of MBC. Hope you can make it!
ODP Announcement 21-078 announces recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All three available vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), now have available guidance regarding booster doses.
On Thursday, October 21, 2021, the CDC issued a recommendation for Moderna and Janssen booster doses for certain groups of individuals. This is in addition to the CDC’s earlier recommendation on September 24, 2021 for the Pfizer booster dose.
Eligible individuals are now able to schedule appointments and receive booster doses. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will not be coordinating vaccine clinics for booster doses.
This announcement provides ODP’s expectations for residential providers, long-term care facilities, individuals and families. Questions about this announcement may be directed here.
A message from ACCSES:
A few minutes ago, the Rehabilitation Services Administration announced the release of long-awaited revised FAQs. The message from RSA reads as follows:
Today, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is pleased to announce the release of frequently-asked questions titled Criterion for an Integrated Employment Location in the Definition of “Competitive Integrated Employment” and Participant Choice, published as RSA-FAQ-22-02. These FAQs provide guidance and technical assistance to VR agencies and community rehabilitation programs so they may assist individuals with disabilities to achieve high-quality employment and exercise their informed choice about the type of employment to pursue, either with assistance from the VR program or from other community resources.
While these FAQs do not change the Department of Education’s interpretation that has existed since at least the mid-1990s with respect to the criterion for an integrated employment location, they clarify and update a similar set of FAQs, issued January 17, 2017, entitled Frequently Asked Questions: Integrated Location Criteria of the Definition of ‘Competitive Integrated Employment.’ Therefore, OSERS rescinds the January 2017 FAQs effective as of this date. These updated FAQs take effect immediately upon issuance, and will enable VR program personnel to better carry out the purpose of the VR program and allow individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment potential.
Additionally, RSA issues a Response to Significant Comments that addresses changes in the updated FAQs made in response to comments received on the proposed FAQs (FAQ 21-03) published in the Federal Register and that provided the public with a 30-day opportunity to comment (86 FR 13511 (March 9, 2021)).”
ACCSES is in the process of reviewing the final FAQs and the RSA Response to Significant Comments and will provide additional information to ACCSES members on Monday.
Kind regards,
Kate
ODP Announcement 21-077 provides updated guidance to providers of ICF/ID services related to infection control procedures and mitigation of the spread of COVID-19. This guidance replaces the DHS COVID-19 Provider Guidance on COVID-19 for Personal Care Homes, Assisted Living Residences, and Private Intermediate Care Facilities with the following guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as well as any future replacements of the referenced guidance from the PA DOH and CMS.
This announcement and the guidance contained within is intended to supplement—not replace—any federal, state, or local public health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which providers of services in ICF/IDs must comply. Providers should take an individualized approach to determining appropriate risk mitigation strategies when working with individuals, including consideration of the Level of Community Transmission as identified in the CDC COVID Data Tracker.
Other news for ICF/ID Providers:
ICF Task Force Meetings
November 2 had been proposed earlier this year as a tentative date for another ICF Task Force meeting. That meeting is being rescheduled for a later date. Please let the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) know if you have any specific topic suggestions that you would like to have covered. You may submit suggestions here.
PA Health Alert Network (HANs)
This is a reminder to stay tuned in to the PA Department of Health’s updates impacting Long-Term Care facilities. Recent HANs contain updated information regarding the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant and recommendations regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose. A list of the 2021 Health Alerts, Advisories and Updates can be found here.
Message from ANCOR:
The White House just released its framework for the Build Back Better Agenda this morning. The framework includes $150 billion for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services. There is still no legislative text available for the budget reconciliation bill, which is how Congress will move forward this framework. Negotiations are still ongoing. We will continue to update you as we know more.
We are encouraged that reports indicate that HCBS funding will be included in the final bill. But we want to make sure we don’t let up on our advocacy in this final stretch!
Please join us TODAY as we participate in a Day of Action along with our coalition partners from disability, aging, and labor groups.
Here are some sample tweets you can use:
You are also encouraged to tweet your own stories. Below are additional hashtags to use:
We also wanted to make sure we shared with you ANCOR’s letter sent to Congressional leadership yesterday in a final push to support increased funding for HCBS.
Thanks for all of your hard work and please keep it going!
Here are the resources from the White House:
MICROSITE
The Build Back Better Framework: President Biden’s Plan to Rebuild the Middle Class
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Elise Aguilar
Director of Advocacy
ANCOR
Alexandria, VA
(703) 535-7850
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Donna Martin
Director for State Partnerships and Special Projects
ANCOR
1101 King Street, Suite 380
Alexandria, VA 22314
Office: 703.535.7850 x116
Direct Line: 571.781.0456
Announcement 21-037 is to inform all provider agencies that the 2019–2020 IM4Q Reports have been published and are available on MyODP. As previously announced, provider-level Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) reports and provider profiles will not be issued with 2019–2020 data
Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) suspended completion of all face-to-face interviews by IM4Q local programs in March 2020. This resulted in a significant number of surveys not being completed. While ample data was collected to create a statewide summary report for 2019–2020, the data was not sufficient to provide reliable provider-level reports.
This has also prevented provider profiles based on 2019–2020 IM4Q data from being completed. A reduced number of IM4Q interviews resumed virtually in 2020–2021. Following the closure of the IM4Q cycle, ODP determined that there was enough data collected to release the 2019-2020 report, including a Statewide Summary for 2020.
Time is running out to catch the recorded sessions on the Showcare Platform! Game prize winners will also be announced on Friday, October 29 at 11:00am, and we will award prizes to some lucky attendees who log in for this closing session.
In addition, it’s not too late to catch the vendors in Connections Hall that you may have missed and earn game points while you visit! Don’t miss out on earning as many points as possible before the deadline!
You can also continue to view sessions you didn’t get a chance to see or review sessions that you really enjoyed. You are able to watch each session as many times as you wish, and all documents are accessible on the sessions’ main pages. To view the sessions, log in to your account, then either:
Lastly, as a reminder, please be sure to send in your request for continuing education or certificates of attendance by November 1 to RCPA.
Thank you once again!