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Authors Posts by Richard Edley

Richard Edley

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Dr. Richard Edley is the lead executive for RCPA and is responsible for all aspects of operations and direction for the association. His professional career began in 1988 and most recently he was president and CEO of PerformCare/Community Behavioral HealthCare Network of Pennsylvania, Inc., a national, full-service, behavioral health managed care organization.

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Today the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) issued guidance to service coordinators providing services to waiver participants residing in the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Southwest Zone (Zone 1) in their caseloads. The information was copied to providers of waiver services in Zone 1 as well.

The frequently asked questions includes the following statement: The current Service Authorization Form (SAF) that is in place remains effective through the continuity of care period.

OLTL has made available SCE update and resource documents regarding continuity of care, and HCSIS and SAMS service plan updates, for waiver participants in the Southwest Zone who are transitioning to CHC on January 1, 2018.

The following information is available:

  • Letters describing actions that SCs can take to address service plan changes in HCSIS and SAMS.
  • Flow-charts that illustrate the HCSIS or SAMS service plan changes.
  • An EVS resource

OLTL notes that participants residing in Zones 2 through 5 enrolled in any other waiver (Attendant Care, Independence, or OBRA) will not have enrollments, services, or plans automatically end-dated at this time.

If you have any questions, or to request the attachments in alternate format, please call the OLTL Participant Helpline at 800-757-5042 or send an email.

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It is our great pleasure to announce that Carol Ferenz has accepted the position of Director of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Division of RCPA. Carol comes to RCPA with 36 years of experience providing services and supports to individuals with special needs and their families. This came through several positions at The ARC of Cumberland/Perry Counties (CPARC), where she served as the Director of Residential Services since 1986. Carol oversaw a great expansion of services in this area and has a solid understanding of the system and regulations.

Most recently, Carol served as one of the RCPA provider representatives on the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) work group to revise the Chapter 51 regs and create the newly proposed 6100 regs. She has also served on the RCPA Annual Conference Committee since 2015.

Carol is a committed and dedicated individual and has done a great deal of volunteer work in her community. We look forward to her work and leadership at RCPA and within the IDD Division. She will begin on January 02, 2018. Please join us in welcoming her!

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The Wolf Administration has launched the Pennsylvania Link to Community Care website, which connects older Pennsylvanians and individuals with a disability or behavioral health need to services and supports available in their community.

The website provides users with a wide variety of resources, including a home care directory and an information referral tool. It is a collaboration of the departments of Aging (PDA) and Human Services (DHS), and is an extension of PDA’s Aging and Disability Resource call center. By providing assistance online, the initiative further enhances the Commonwealth’s efforts to help Pennsylvanians locate and best utilize services at the local level.

The site features 12 service and support categories: Advocacy, Behavioral Health, Employment, Finance, Health Care, Housing, In-Home Services, Legal, Meals, Protection from Abuse, Support Groups, and Transportation.

Users can find information about organizations, services, and programs within these categories. A major component to the site is the home care directory, which connects individuals to in-home services available in their counties. In-home service providers appearing on the searchable directory may offer personal care, assistance with activities of daily living, companionship services, respite care, and/or habilitation services.

If you are an in-home service provider licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and would like to appear on the home care directory, you may submit your information by navigating to the footer of the site and selecting “Apply.”

In addition to the home care directory, another major feature of the website is the information referral tool. This tool guides users through a series of questions and then provides a list of resources based on their specific needs.

Moving forward, the departments of Aging and Human Services will continue to enhance the website using data and feedback from users, and expand the resources and information provided through the site. This includes working with your organization and other stakeholders to increase the number of options appearing within each category. Read the press release here.

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From: DHS STAKEHOLDERS – On Behalf Of HS, Secretary’s Office
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2017 12:00 PM
Subject: [DHS-STAKEHOLDERS] Community HealthChoices Update

The Wolf Administration is committed to providing access to high-quality services to all Pennsylvanians and to serving more people in the community.

Community HealthChoices (CHC) is the commonwealth’s program for older Pennsylvanians and individuals with physical disabilities to use health plans to provide coordinated physical health care and long-term services and supports. The goals of CHC are to improve quality of services and the health care experience – serving more people in their communities rather than in facilities, giving them the opportunity to work, spend more time with their families, and experience an overall better quality of life.

CHC is being implemented in three phases. For Phase 1, notices have been mailed to participants in the 14 counties in the Southwest Zone to inform them that they will move to CHC on January 1, 2018. Participants are currently learning more about CHC through community meetings and the independent enrollment broker. Phase 1 is expected to include approximately 80,000 people.

CHC is about choice – choice in where a person wants to live and choice in who will provide the care needed to make that a reality. Even though the deadline for Phase 1 participants to select a managed care organization (MCO) is not until November 13, 2017, more than 21,500 people have already made an active choice by already selecting their health plan and their primary care provider.

Recognizing how critical these services are, we are focused on getting this right – the health care coverage for 420,000 Pennsylvanians depends on it.

We are confident that the southwest is ready for Phase 1, but in order to allow for the deliberate and purposeful implementation of CHC in the southeast region (Phase 2) and the remainder of the state (Phase 3) we need to have the flexibility of learning from that roll out with proper time to make any needed adjustments.

Given this, the commonwealth has decided to shift the implementation dates for the next two phases of CHC. The new start dates are as follows:

  • Phase 2 will now begin on January 1, 2019, instead of July 1, 2018
  • Phase 3 will now begin on January 1, 2020, instead of January 1, 2019

chc-rollout-map

These new dates will allow us to provide Pennsylvanians eligible for CHC with a health plan that will give them better access to health care. Our commitment to CHC is unwavering and we look forward to continuing to work with you in preparation for January 2018’s Phase 1 rollout.

Regards,
Teresa Miller
Department of Human Services, Acting Secretary

Teresa Osborne
Department of Aging, Secretary

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RCPA is proud to announce that one of its own will be heading to Pittsburgh to lead one of Pennsylvania’s most respected human service providers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. COO and IDD Division Director Steve Suroviec will be serving as CEO of ACHIEVA, Inc. starting in January 2018. Suroviec has been with RCPA since August 2016 after serving in multiple leadership positions in state government. RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley said, “We are very sad to see Steve leave RCPA – with the extensive knowledge and expertise he brought from the Offices of Developmental Programs and Vocational Rehabilitation, Steve shepherded our members through many months of reforms proposed by state funding agencies, including major changes to Medicaid waivers, funding regulations, and rates. But it’s a feather in RCPA’s cap that Steve has been asked to lead a strong and prestigious service provider such as ACHIEVA. This is a tremendous opportunity for him; we wish Steve all the best as he enters the next chapter of his career in service to people with disabilities.” Suroviec will continue at RCPA through the end of November to assist in the operations and in a transition. Read ACHIEVA’s press release and see the announcement in the Pittsburgh Business Times.

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Three associations representing community intellectual disability/autism (ID/A) and behavioral health (BH) services providers released a study today that provided a comprehensive review of the ID/A and BH Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce, the crisis within the workforce, and means to address the crisis. The study identified the need for investment in this workforce as the most important step state policymakers can take to address the workforce crisis.

See the full press release here, which also includes a link to the study being referenced. Contact Jack Phillips, RCPA Director of Government Affairs, with any questions.

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As the implementation of Community HealthChoices (CHC) approaches the January 1, 2018 launch in the Southwest Region, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has developed informational materials for those individuals who will be covered by the new program. The documents, including notices and the pre-enrollment packet, are posted on the DHS website, where you will also find their most recent participant document, “CHC: Here’s What You Need to Know” (available for download in English and Spanish).

In addition, a document designed to clarify eligibility for CHC is available here. It includes the following information:

Individuals are NOT eligible for CHC if they are a person with an intellectual or developmental disability who is eligible for services through the Department of Human Services’ Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), OR are a resident in a state-operated nursing facility, including state veterans homes.

Please visit the CHC website or call the CHC Provider Hotline at 833-735-4417 with any questions.

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Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Human Services Teresa Miller announced the following three staffing changes within the Department of Human Services (DHS):

  • Executive Deputy Secretary. Leesa Allen, currently DHS’ Deputy Secretary for Medical Assistance Programs, will be moving into the Executive Deputy Secretary position. Ms. Allen has more than 23 years of experience in the Commonwealth in positions ranging from children and youth case worker to Chief of Staff for the Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP). She will continue to support OMAP until her replacement is found.
  • Chief of Staff. Johanna Fabian-Marks will serve as DHS Chief of Staff. Ms. Fabian-Marks is coming from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department where she serves as the Special Deputy and Director of Life, Accident, and Health Insurance Product Regulation. Prior to joining the Insurance Department, she worked on implementation of the Affordable Care Act at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
  • Deputy Secretary, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). Lynn Kovich will become the new OMHSAS Deputy Secretary on November 13. Ms. Kovich has 26 years of experience in direct services and administration in both the nonprofit and government sectors, working with individuals who have developmental disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders, as well as those experiencing homelessness.

RCPA congratulates each of these individuals and commits to working with them in a constructive manner to advance the best interests of our shared constituencies.

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Older Adults Webinar Series: Collaborative Care Medicare Codes
Friday, October 27, 2017
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST

Presenters:

  • Moderators: Christopher D. Carroll, M.Sc., Director of Health Care Financing and Systems Integration and Mitchell Berger, MPH, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • Michael Schoenbaum, PhD, Senior Advisor for Mental Health Services Epidemiology & Economics, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health
  • Lori Raney, MD, Principal, Health Management Associates

Register for free: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5476874512139434498

This webinar will focus on the recently introduced Medicare payment codes for collaborative care with a specific focus on the use within behavioral health contexts. The presenters will discuss the role of collaborative care in Medicare, identify and the application of new payment codes and behavioral health integration. There will also be time for questions.

Following the webinar, participants will:

  • Understand the prevalence and impact of behavioral health conditions among patients in general medical settings;
  • Understand the prevalence and impact of co-occurring behavioral health and physical health conditions;
  • Recognize the elements of effective behavioral health integration, particularly the Collaborative Care model; and
  • Recognize and understand the application of new Medicare codes for behavioral health integration including those that support Collaborative Care.

Disclaimer: This webinar was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views and opinions expressed and the content of the webinar are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of SAMHSA or HHS.

Questions? Contact: communications@thenationalcouncil.org

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