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Tags Posts tagged with "Workforce Crisis"

Workforce Crisis

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With the passing of the FY 2024/25 PA budget last week, intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism (ID/A) associations are attempting to obtain clarity regarding its impact on services. The Governor’s Office announced, however, that the scheduled meeting to review these impacts has been postponed in order to allow the Department of Human Services (DHS) more time to analyze the details of the budget. The Governor’s Office shared the following message:

The Commonwealth’s enacted FY24-25 budget includes a philosophical shift in how Pennsylvania approaches service delivery for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism – a much needed and overdue course change to invest in dignity and opportunity for this community. In February, Governor Shapiro announced the intent to tackle the waiting list for services with a new approach, the Multi-Year ODP Program Growth Strategy. Accompanying this structural change is a substantial investment in services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism totaling $354.8M combined state and federal funds – an investment that supports providers, direct support professionals, and families who help make our vision of Everyday Lives a reality.

Included in the total funding is $280M in federal and state funds, which averages 7 percent rate increases for FY24-25. DHS is continuing the analysis of the funds appropriated for FY24-25 for ID/A services and how this will reflect in final rates that will take effect for FY24-25. Also included is an investment of $74.8M in combined federal and state funds for FY24-25 to put the commonwealth on a path to end the emergency waiting list by offering 1,500 adults enrollment in the Consolidated or Community Living Waivers and altering the management of home and community-based services capacity.

In addition to rate increases, the enacted budget includes funding for the implementation of performance-based contracting and the addition of sign language interpretation services. Performance-based contracting is scheduled to be implemented for residential services beginning in FY24-25. Sign language services will be added to ODP’s home and community-based waivers beginning January 1, 2025, pending approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

We know there is great interest to further discuss the impact of the enacted budget on your programs and services. DHS will provide additional information to stakeholders related to the necessary recalculation for the fee schedule rates for FY24-25 and performance-based contracting upon completion of the analysis.

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On July 11, 2024, Governor Shapiro signed a bipartisan 2024/25 budget that invests in a range of fields, from health care to public transportation to education. The details of the budget are available in the Governor’s Press Release, which highlights each field and dollar amounts signed. In particular, the budget addresses:

  • Supporting PA’s ID/A community and Direct Support Professionals (DSP);
  • Investing in gun violence prevention;
  • Increased funding for nursing homes and the Aging Our Way plan;
  • Combatting maternal mortality; and
  • Further investments in mental health.

RCPA Policy Staff will be reviewing the budget in great detail over the next few days. We plan to reach out to our members with updates and key information as more becomes available and analyzed. If you have any questions regarding the budget, please reach out to your Policy Director.

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The Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) is pleased to announce the release of the Caseworker Recruitment and Retention Study. The report includes 43 recommendations across six themes that address the primary issues driving attrition: cross-cutting; compensation; recruiting; caseworker workloads; training; and safe, supportive workplaces. OCYF recognizes the recommendations will not be applicable, viable, or appropriate to every CCYA. However, the goal is that each CCYA will find some recommendations that will be helpful in bolstering the employee recruitment and retention experience.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director and COO Jim Sharp.

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The Pennsylvania Homecare Association (PHA), the Pennsylvania Association of Home and Community-Based Services, and the Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association (RCPA) provided feedback on House Bill 2372, sponsored by Reps. Jessica Benham and Jason Ortitay. The bill seeks to improve agency accountability and ensure livable wages for home care workers in Pennsylvania by increasing state funding for personal assistance services. The associations support the bill but recommended uniform wage increases across all care models and a standardized rate review process every three years. They also expressed concerns about burdensome funding allocations and reporting requirements as well as provisions that could disproportionately affect nonprofit agencies by linking enhanced rates to tax status.

The groups emphasized the need to focus on investments in workforce development and quality care rather than imposing arbitrary financial mandates. They advocated for collaborative efforts to create a sustainable future for home-based care, ensuring high-quality services for Pennsylvania’s aging population.

For more details, read the full letter here.

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Keep Your Providers Happy and Thriving With Going Back to In-Office Care
Monday, June 10, 2024
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST
Register HereJoin RCPA Partner Eleos Health on June 10 for a webinar focusing on recruiting and retaining staff across behavioral health in PA. Andrew Schimitt from Gaudeniza will join Eleos to share insights around how implementing Eleos has helped increase staff satisfaction. We will also show a brief demonstration of Eleos to see it live in action!

Webinar attendees will:

  • Evaluate how Eleos Health’s augmented intelligence can help to address top workforce challenges while improving care;
  • Witness Eleos live in action through a brief demonstration; and
  • Apply lessons learned from Gaudenzia to their own organization.

Register today!

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RCPA recently signed two letters, one to Governor Shapiro and one to the PA Department of Human Services (DHS), alongside dozens of other organizations and the Pennsylvania Community Health Worker Collaborative (PACHW) regarding the state’s plan for an amendment to authorize payments for Community Health Worker services under Pennsylvania State Medicaid. The letters outlined several key features PACHW wished to highlight regarding these payments, including:

  • Requesting DHS set “an equitable and adequate” reimbursement rate;
  • The creation of a Community Health Worker provider type; and
  • Recognizing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) as a primary diagnosis code.

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Keep Your Providers Happy and Thriving With Going Back to In-Office Care
Monday, June 10, 2024
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST
Register Here

Join RCPA Partner Eleos Health on June 10 for a webinar focusing on recruiting and retaining staff across behavioral health in PA. Andrew Schimitt from Gaudeniza will join Eleos to share insights around how implementing Eleos has helped increase staff satisfaction. We will also show a brief demonstration of Eleos to see it live in action!

Webinar attendees will:

  • Evaluate how Eleos Health’s augmented intelligence can help to address top workforce challenges while improving care;
  • Witness Eleos live in action through a brief demonstration; and
  • Apply lessons learned from Gaudenzia to their own organization.

Register today!

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This is a final reminder that, per ODPANN 24-041, providers must request the one-time workforce recover supplemental payment no later than May 15. Providers may put in a request by completing a brief ODP survey. As of the morning of May 6, 2024, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) received requests from 505 providers.

If your MPI is on the ODP spreadsheet, this will serve as confirmation that your agency’s request has been received. ODP will release a similar file after the deadline. Late requests will not be accepted.

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Harrisburg, PA — Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh recently published two opinion pieces highlighting the historic investments for intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) services and the ID/A workforce in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024/25 proposed budget. At events across the Commonwealth, Secretary Arkoosh has met with advocates, families, caregivers, and direct support professionals to talk about what these investments would mean to them and why they are vital to Pennsylvanians with ID/A so they can live with the dignity and independence they deserve.

The Governor’s proposed $483 million in federal and state funding would provide more resources for home and community-based service providers, so they in turn can pay competitive rates to attract and retain the staff who provide these essential services. The proposal includes a $78 million investment of federal and state funds to serve an additional 1,500 Pennsylvanians with ID/A currently on the waitlist in the next fiscal year.

Governor Shapiro and Secretary Arkoosh recently met with Pennsylvanians with ID/A, caregivers, and advocates to hear how the proposed investments in his 2024/25 budget would address the needs of Pennsylvanians with ID/A by expanding access to support home and community-based services and addressing the shortage of direct support professionals.

Watch Secretary Arkoosh’s visit to Vision for Equality in Philadelphia. 

Watch Secretary Arkoosh’s visit to Penn-Mar Human Services in York County. 

Read additional materials below:

Read what Pennsylvanians are saying: 

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make one-time payments for workforce recovery efforts. Payments will be calculated at 6% of the fee schedule revenue received for services rendered between July 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, for the waiver services listed in the announcement. Don’t miss this opportunity for additional funding for your organization!

The intent of these funds is to assist providers in covering costs related to staffing programs and services. Other than the restriction that payments may not be used to increase or supplement compensation for agency executive staff, there are no specific restrictions, timeframes, or reporting due for these funds other than completing the ODP Workforce Recovery Supplemental Payments survey. ODP has indicated that this revenue would be considered similar to any other service revenue and advises providers to keep a record of how funds were used in the event that they are reviewed as part of the normal claim review process.

As of the morning of May 6, 2024, ODP has received requests from 350 providers. If your MPI is on this file, this will serve as confirmation that your agency’s request has been received. ODP will release a similar file next week prior to the deadline. Late requests will not be accepted. Providers must request the subject payments no later than May 15, 2024. See ODP Announcement 24-041 for additional information.

For any questions, contact Carol Ferenz.

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