Materials from the September 15 meeting of the RCPA Children’s Division are now available:
Children’s Committee Meeting Materials Now Available
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IDD Update September 22, 2015
ODP Updates
The Office of Developmental Programs has released the following information:
- Nominations for Community Rehabilitation Providers for Case Studies on Organizational Transformation; Institute for Community Inclusion is seeking nominations of community rehabilitation providers that have moved successfully through the change process that prioritizes integrated and competitive employment for individuals with IDD.
National Provider Call to Focus on IMPACT Act
A national provider call focusing on the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014 has been scheduled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The call has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2015, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Agenda topics include:
- Legislative requirements of the IMPACT Act related to the use of standardized data, quality measures, resource use, and other measures for Skilled Nursing Facilities, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, Long-Term Care Hospitals, and Home Health Agencies
- Participation in the quality measure assessment and development process
- Opportunities for stakeholder engagement and input
To participate in this call, providers must register. Space may be limited so early registration is recommended.
Stan Mrozowski Leaves OMHSAS Children’s Bureau
On Friday (September 18), Stan Mrozowski informed RCPA staff and others that he had relinquished his position as Director of the Children’s Bureau at the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). Dr. Mrozowski noted that “there have been discussions recently in the Department of Human Services about the role of the Bureau and the decision has been made to make a change.” In his farewell message, Stan noted that “I leave with immense satisfaction about the many accomplishments over the past 12 years during which I have been the Director of the Children’s Bureau. I have very few regrets – mostly only that we did not do even more to help children and families in the Commonwealth. I also leave with appreciation for having worked with so many fine people who truly care about youth and families. I will truly miss the friendship and the collegiality that has made the work so rewarding.” RCPA will follow up with OMHSAS leadership to explore and report on any other changes that are planned for their management of children’s behavioral health services in the future.
IDD Update September 18, 2015
DSP Recognition Week
As the state and national recognition of Direct Support Professionals week comes to an end, this is an opportunity to thank Pennsylvania’s US Senator Robert Casey for his support of Senate Resolution 245 which recognizes this staff.
ODP Updates
The Office of Developmental Programs has released the following information:
An Opportunity for Providers and School Partners
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools has released a Request for Application for targeted grants to school entities to fund programs that address school violence; and to school entities and local municipalities to fund the training and compensation of school resource officers and school police officers.
Safe School Initiative Competitive Targeted Grant
The allocation is $2.6 million; the maximum individual grant will be $25,000. Submission period is Monday, September 14 to Thursday, October 15, 2015. The Center for Safe Schools offers consultation in comprehensive, district-wide school safety, violence prevention, emergency preparedness, and all-hazards plans, including revisions or updates to such plans and conducting emergency preparedness drills and related activities with local emergency responders. The center also provides training, consultation, and technical assistance in development and implementation of research-based violence prevention programs addressing risk factors to reduce incidents of problem behaviors among students; and training to undertake a district-wide assessment of risk factors that increase the likelihood of problem behaviors among students. Center staff are certified trainers in the following evidence- and research-based programs:
- Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools;
- I Can Problem Solve (an early elementary SEL program);
- Lifelines (a suicide awareness, prevention, intervention, and postvention program);
- Olweus Bullying Prevention Program;
- Safe Dates (a teen dating violence prevention program); and
- Supporting Students Exposed to Trauma.
School Resource Officer/School Police Officer Competitive Targeted Grant
The allocation is $3.9 million; maximum individual grant will be $60,000 for a school resource officer and $40,000 for a school police officer. Submission period is Monday, September 14 to Thursday, October 15, 2015. The Center for Safe Schools offers basic and advanced trainings for school security officers, school police officers, and school resource officers. For details on trainings and services eligible for this funding opportunity contact the center or 717-763-1661 ext. 164.
MedPAC Meeting: Unified Payment System for Post-Acute Care
On September 10, 2015, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) conducted a public meeting to discuss Medicare issues and policy questions and approve reports and recommendations to the Congress. Included in the agenda was a session that focused on MedPAC’s task of developing a prototype prospective payment system (PPS) that spans across the post-acute care (PAC) settings, as mandated by the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014. The IMPACT Act requires MedPAC to submit a report to Congress regarding this by Thursday, June 30, 2016. Included in the meeting was their presentation Mandated Report: Developing a Unified Payment System for Post-Acute Care. It is expected that MedPAC will conduct multiple public meetings in the months ahead regarding the development of PAC PPS before presenting their draft recommendations.
Youth MH First Aid Instructor Network for Schools
The Pennsylvania School Based Behavioral Health Community of Practice (SBBH CoP) has identified Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) as a shared strategy by which to positively affect school-based behavioral health. The SBBH CoP recognizes that:
MLTSS Concept Paper Released
Today, the Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Aging (PDA) released their Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) concept paper. This concept paper, which was developed based on public input, describes the plan’s features and includes the following highlights:
- Coordinates physical health and LTSS through Community HealthChoices managed care organizations (CHC-MCO).
- Provides participants with a choice of two to five CHC-MCOs in each region.
- Includes value-based incentives to increase the use of home and community-based services and meet other program goals.
- Creates a system that allows Pennsylvanians to receive services in the community, preserves consumer choice, and lets consumers have an active voice in the services they receive.
- Standardizes measures of both program and participant-level outcomes to assess overall program performance and improve CHC over time.
- CHC-MCOs will be accountable for most Medicaid-covered services, including preventive services, primary and acute care, LTSS (home and community-based services and nursing facilities), prescription drugs, and dental services.
- Participants who have Medicaid and Medicare coverage (dual eligible participants) will have the option to have their Medicaid and Medicare services coordinated by the same MCO.
- Behavioral health services continue to be provided through the behavioral health managed care organizations (BH-MCOs), but CHC-MCOs and BH-MCOs will be required to coordinate services for individuals who participate in both programs.
The MLTSS plan, recently re-named Community HealthChoices, is an integrated system of physical health and LTSS which focuses on improving health outcomes and allowing individuals to live safe and healthy lives with as much independence as possible. CHC supports individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, older adults, and adults with physical disabilities, in the most integrated settings possible.
Feedback on the concept paper may be submitted through Friday, October 16, 2015. The concept paper feedback will shape the November 2015 request for proposals (RFP) for CHC-MCOs. The RFP will be tentatively awarded in March 2016, contingent upon successful readiness reviews and negotiations. CHC will go live in the Southwest region in January 2017, the Southeast region in January 2018, and the Northwest, Lehigh-Capital, and Northeast regions in January 2019.
IDD Update September 15, 2015
SCO Option
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is offering webcast trainings for supports coordinators regarding the HCSIS Improvements. The first training is offered on Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 1:00 pm. This is at the same time as RCPA’s IDD Committee meeting and our discussion with ODP Deputy Secretary Nancy Thaler.
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