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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a revised Medicare Learning Network (MLN) resource, Medicare Payment Systems, to reflect the 2022 regulation changes to payment, quality, and policy for all health settings. These include acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), home health, hospital outpatient, inpatient psychiatric facility, long-term care hospitals (LTCHs), ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), and durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics & supplies (DMEPOS).

ODP Announcement 22-027 states that the Temple University Harrisburg Certified Investigator Program and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will be facilitating Forums for Certified Investigators (CIs) and others involved in the incident investigation process. It also announces the posting of Q&A documents from past CI Forums on MyODP.

Thursday, March 17, 2022
10:00 am–4:00 pm
Register

This live GotoWebinar training is designed for RN/LPNs (where allowed) who will be completing the HRST Clinical Review. This training is REQUIRED to complete the Clinical Review. The purpose of this training is to help nurses assigned to completing the Clinical Review do so more accurately. All times are EST.

Prerequisites

  1. Successful completion of the HRST Online Rater Training
  2. Must be an RN/LPN

Additional Info

IntellectAbility does not provide certificates of attendance.
CEUs are not offered for attending this webinar.
Users MUST be logged in and active for >5 hours in order to receive the Clinical Reviewer role. This is tracked by GoToWebinar. Do not share your link with others.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022
10:00 am–2:30 pm
EST, with 30 minute break for lunch.
Register

This live webinar training is designed to help raters learn more about screening with the HRST and how to do so more accurately. This training is highly recommended for ALL users of the HRST, as the accuracy of the HRST screening is essential in determining actual and potential risk.

Prerequisites
Completion of Online Rater Training. This must be done prior to registering for this course.

Additional Info
IntellectAbility does not provide certificates of attendance. No CEUs are being offered for attending this training. All times are EST.

**When registering, if you do not see your agency name under the “client” section, look for your state, then your agency name will appear in the “provider agency” section.

2022 NADSP Advocacy Symposium: Amplifying The Voices Of Direct Support Professionals
March 9–10, 2022
Register Now!

Over 300 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), self-advocates, and family members from almost every state in the country are set to embark on NADSP’s first ever national advocacy event next week on March 9 and 10. The purpose of this virtual event is to bring the DSP perspective to the forefront of Congress and the Administration during a time of unprecedented workforce challenges.

The NADSP recognizes the previous absence and critical importance of lifting the voices of DSPs to federal policy-makers so that public policy can be informed by the people who are on the frontlines of supporting people with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in the community. This 1.5-day virtual symposium will culminate with virtual meetings with Congressional leaders and staff to educate and advocate on NADSP’s public policy priorities for 2022.

Registration will close TONIGHT, March 2, 2022, at 8:00 pm EST. 

The House Appropriations Committee will meet for a budget hearing with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) at 10:00 am on Thursday, March 3. The budget hearing will be livestreamed.

For Fiscal Year 2022/23, the governor is budgeting a total of $317 million for DDAP, which is a 16 percent reduction over the current fiscal year’s budget of $379 million. The decrease is due to a $60 million reduction in federal State Opioid Response dollars.

Of the total amount budgeted from the General Fund for the upcoming fiscal year, $270 million is budgeted for grants and subsidies to drug and alcohol programs. Of those funds, 75 percent ($220 million) comes from federal grants, including:

  • SAMHSA’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SABG) ($80 million);
  • State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant ($118 million); and
  • Substance Abuse Special Projects Grants ($22 million).

The remaining $50 million earmarked for drug and alcohol programs in the General Fund come from the McKinsey opioid settlement ($5 million) and $45 million in state funding.

Other funds in DDAP’s budget include the Compulsive and Problem Gambling Treatment Fund ($13 million), the Medical Marijuana Program Fund ($6 million), and the State Stores Fund ($5 million).

DDAP’s budget also includes $23 million ($3 million of which is state money) earmarked for operation and administration of the department and its various grant programs. The federal grants allow for a percentage of the funds to be used for operations and administration. Operations and administration also includes the department’s complement, or staffing, and their salaries.

While most of the SABG and state funding earmarked for drug and alcohol programs are distributed through the Single County Authorities, SOR and other special grant projects are delivered typically through a grant process. Details of initiatives that these grants have funded can be found on DDAP’s Department Funding web page.

As the regulator of the state’s addiction treatment system, DDAP’s funding of drug and alcohol programs pales in comparison to the Department of Human Services’ budget for drug and alcohol services. The governor has budgeted $6 billion for behavioral health services for Medicaid capitation rates, $1.6 billion of which is earmarked for drug and alcohol.

More details of DDAP’s budget are available in DDAP’s Bluebook.

DDAP’s Senate Appropriations Hearing is set for 2:30 pm, Wednesday, March 16.