|
Registration Now Open for HCBS Conference!
Join us for the National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference held in Washington, DC, August 31-September 3. The Conference offers a unique blend of policy, program, and practice issues for professionals interested in home and community based services for individuals of all abilities and in all settings. Quickly becoming the "go-to" conference for learning in the expanding field of HCBS and long-term services and supports, the Conference allows states to share best practices, present unique partnerships, and recognize the work of their peers.
The National HCBS Conference will include federal, state, and local policymakers and those who administer, manage, and deliver waiver and other HCBS programs. The Conference always sees a strong presence from U.S. Health and Human Services ranging from the Administration for Community Living including AoA, Office of Disability, and IADD to CMS, HRSA, SAMHSA, Office of Developmental Disabilities, and other federal agencies.
Click here to learn more about the conference and register.
|
|
Join NASUAD & Partners for the National Aging and Disability I&R/A Pre-Conference Summit at the 2015 AIRS Conference
Enhance your business acumen! Aging and disability professionals in I&R/A are invited to join NASUAD's National I&R Support Center, the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), for a day of information sharing, presentations, and discussion, with a special focus on business acumen, prior to the start of the AIRS I&R Annual Training & Education Conference (May 27-30, 2015, in Dallas, Texas).
Aging and disability I&R/A agencies across the county are challenged to both sustain and expand their business model in a rapidly-changing environment. This year's National Aging and Disability I&R/A Pre-Conference Summit will include a unique focus on business acumen to share ideas and strategies that can help agencies navigate the marketplace for aging and disability services. Drawing from ACL's business acumen initiative, the Pre-Conference Summit will use a blend of expert presentations, interactive discussion, and exercises to explore several key themes in business acumen.
The Pre-Conference Summit is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27. Register for this event on the AIRS conference registration form, and contact I&R Support Center Director, Nanette Relave, at nrelave@nasuad.org with questions or for more information.
For more information on the AIRS conference, including registration, click here.
|
|
Financial Security for Older Adults Webinar Resources Posted
The National I&R Support Center hosted a webinar on resources for financial security for older adults this past Wednesday. Presented by Lara Hinz of the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), the webinar identified issues related to financial need in older adulthood and shared information on resources that specialists can use when working with older adults.
Click here to view the presentation and access the audio recording.
Click here to join the I&R Center's distribution list.
|
HCBS Clearinghouse E-Clips
|
This section of Friday Update highlights reports that have been added to the HCBS Clearinghouse within the past week. Visit www.nasuad.org/hcbs for more information.
|
Banking Status & Financial Behaviors of Adults with Disabilities Report
On April 30th, the National Disability Institute released a new report, Banking Status and Financial Behaviors of Adults with Disabilities: Findings from the FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households. Based on data from a 2013 FDIC National Survey, the report highlights the financial choices and banking habits of adults with disabilities, including the finding that nearly one-fifth of households headed by working-age persons with disabilities were unbanked (18.4 percent) and more than one-fourth were underbanked (28.1 percent).
Click here to access the report.
|
Report on MFP Programs Successfully Supporting Diverse PopulationsThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a report by Mathematica Policy Research, The Right Supports at the Right Time: How Money Follows the Person Programs Are Supporting Diverse Populations in the Community. The report showcases six MFP grantees (Missouri, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois) that serve populations with diverse needs and details the factors that have led to strong performance on key outcome measures.
Click here to access the report.
|
Administration for Community Living
|
May Is Older Americans Month
This year, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA), the Administration for Community Living is focusing on how older adults are taking charge of their health, getting engaged in their communities, and making a positive impact in the lives of others. The theme for Older Americans Month 2015 is Get into the Act. Older Americans Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of community engagement as a tool for enhancing the wellbeing of older adults. Time to celebrate Older Americans Month!
Click here to access Older Americans Month materials.
|
Funding Opportunity: SMP & SHIP Hard-to-Reach Beneficiary ProjectThe Administration for Community Living has announced a new funding opportunity. The overall goal of this grant opportunity is to develop innovations that can be successfully replicated by the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) grantees to expand and integrate program coverage to better serve traditionally hard-to-reach populations through new, efficient, and sustainable approaches for ensuring high quality and culturally competent service delivery. Applicants may select one of the following priority populations for their targeted approach or may submit an application for a different target group if they can provide rationale and data to support the need for that targeted population (Applicants that wish to target more than one of the priority populations must submit separate applications for each population): - Medicare Beneficiaries under the age of 65
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Medicare Beneficiaries
- American Indian/Alaska Native Medicare Beneficiaries
- Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Areas
- Limited-English Speaking Beneficiaries
- Medicare Beneficiaries of Racial/Ethnic Minority Communities
- Medicare Beneficiaries of Other Hard-to-Reach Populations
The application deadline is June 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET. An informational conference call will be held on Thursday, May 7 at 2:00 p.m. ET. To participate dial 1-888-566-5976, when prompted, enter passcode: 5922266. Click here to view details for the funding opportunity.
|
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
|
|
Preventing Falls Guide and Data Released
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new data on the seriousness of falls and new tools and guides to support increased adoption of best practices to reduce falls among older adults. The release of a prevention guide and of a compendium of effective interventions came at the White House Conference on Aging Falls Prevention Summit on Thursday, April 30.
Click here for more information on falls from the CDC.
Click here to view the full press release from the White House Conference on Aging. |
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
|
|
Bulletin Released on 2015 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released an informational bulletin related to the 2015 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Spousal Impoverishment Standards. The bulletin explains that the community spouse's minimum monthly maintenance and housing allowances are adjusted according to the changes to the federal poverty level, effective July 1 of each year.
Click here to view the 2015 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Spousal Impoverishment Standards.
|
|
Funding Opportunity for Navigators in Federally-Facilitated Marketplaces
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is accepting applications for funding to support Navigators in Federally-Facilitated Marketplaces (FFM), including State Partnership Marketplaces. Grantees will be selected for a three year project period, and a total of up to $67 million is available for the first year of the award. The funding opportunity announcement is open to eligible individuals, as well as private and public entities, applying to serve as Navigators in states with a FFM. It is open to new and returning HHS Navigator grant applicants, and applications are due by June 15, 2015.
Click here for more information.
|
Department of Health and Human Services
|
|
Funding Opportunity for Health Information Exchange
The Office of the National Coordinator has released a Funding Opportunity Announcement for the Community Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program. This program makes available a total of $1 million for up to 10 awardees to expand resources for doctors, patients, and communities to work together to unlock health information data. Funding is intended to help communities create opportunities for long-term services and supports and behavioral health providers who may not currently participate in the collection and exchange of health information. Entities eligible to apply include domestic non-profit organizations, state or local governments, and agencies or groups in a designated community. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2015.
Click here for more information on the grant.
An informational webinar is scheduled for May 6 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Click here to register for the webinar.
|
Office of Disability Employment Policy
|
|
Advisory Committee on Competitive Integrated Employment Webinar Meeting
The Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities will hold its third meeting on May 11-12, 2015, via webinar. The meeting will be open to the public and will take place each day from 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET. During the meeting, the Committee will hear expert testimony, and the four subcommittees will report on their efforts to date and discuss next steps in their work. There will be a public comment period on May 11, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. Instructions on submitting comments can be found in the Federal Register Notice. Members of the public wishing to participate in the webinar must register by May 4.
Click here to register.
Click here to view the full announcement regarding the meeting.
|
National Institute on Aging
|
|
Go4Life Campaign Kickoff
Go4Life® is the national exercise and physical activity campaign for people 50+ from the National Institute on Aging at NIH, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Go4Life works with public and private organizations to empower older adults to become more physically active. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to join the Go4Life month celebration in September 2015, in collaboration with the White House Conference on Aging. Materials and resources to participate in the initiative or to plan an event are available on the campaign's website.
Click here to access Go4Life resources.
|
|
White House Conference on Aging
|
|
Long-Term Supports and Services Policy Brief Released
The 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) has published a policy brief on long-term services and supports (LTSS), which is a key focus area of the upcoming Conference. The brief addresses five key areas of the aging community: informal caregiving, formal services and supports, direct care workers, access to information and services, and financing LTSS. The biref concludes with discussion questions, and the WHCOA encourages public feedback and comments to be sent to policy@whaging.gov.
Click here to view the policy brief.
|
|
House and Senate Release Budget Conference Agreement
On April 29, the Chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees announced that they had reached an agreement on the FY2016 budget resolution. Under the agreement, the Federal Government would reduce domestic spending by nearly $500 billion over the next ten years. The agreement also includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The House subsequently passed the agreement on a vote of 226-197, while the Senate is expected to address the measure in the near future. The budget agreement sets a framework for the overall Congressional budgeting process and establishes the top-line expenditures in each category and is only subject to a majority vote in each chamber. However, actual FY2016 spending levels will be determined by the Appropriations bills, which are subject to a 60-vote threshold in the Senate as well as a Presidential veto.
Click here for more information on the budget agreement.
|
|
American Society on Aging
|
|
Call for Proposals to Present at AiA16
The Call for Proposals to present at the American Society on Aging (ASA) 2016 Aging in America Conference is now open. The AiA16 conference will be held March 20-24, 2016, in our nation's capital, Washington, DC. Submit a proposal to share your research, business or program model, policy agendas, and successful outcomes. Symposium and workshop opportunities are limited. ASA seeks presentations that share new models, innovative programs and research-to-practice. This is an unparalleled opportunity to share your program developments and new ideas with this conference community of nearly 3,000 multidisciplinary professionals who are working to improve the lives of older adults. The deadline to submit is June 1, 2015. Proposals will be reviewed and accepted in the order in which they were submitted.
Click here to submit.
|
New Spectrum Careers Job Portal
Autism Speaks and Rangam Consultants, Inc. have launched a new website, The Spectrum Careers, with the mission to connect employers with employable individuals with autism and other disabilities. The site will function like Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com, but it is designed specifically for job seekers with ASDs and other disabilities.
Job seekers will be able to register for the site and use a simple tool to upload or create a resume. They will also have tools to upload videos of themselves performing job-related tasks. Employers will also have tools to upload photos and videos of their workspace, along with a traditional job description. Job coaches and other employment service providers are encouraged to register as well.
Click here to view the website, learn about the site, and pre-register.
|
Webinar: ReFraming Aging: Understanding & Changing the Way Americans Think about Aging
Recent research from The FrameWorks Institute shows that aging experts and the U.S. public differ when it comes to older adults. On Tuesday, May 5 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET, Grantmakers in Aging will host a webinar aimed at improving aging services and policies by providing insights for more effective communication. The research was commissioned by a coalition of eight national aging organizations including: AARP, American Federation for Aging Research, American Geriatrics Society, American Society on Aging, Gerontological Society of American, Grantmakers in Aging, National Council on Aging, and the National Hispanic Council on Aging.
Click here to view more details and register.
|
Event: Medicaid at 50: A Look Back and Ahead
On Wednesday, May 6 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) will hold a public event in its Washington, D.C. offices to reflect on the lessons of the first 50 years of Medicaid and to consider what is ahead for the program and the people it serves. At the event, KFF will release a new report on Medicaid at 50 from the Foundation's Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU). KFF will also host two panel discussions involving Foundation researchers and other distinguished experts.
One panel discussion, on Medicaid's role for people across the nation, will trace Medicaid's evolution and examine the program's impact on the uninsured and on racial disparities in health coverage and care, as well as its role as a source of coverage for low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities. A second panel will look at Medicaid's role in the health care system, with a focus on Medicaid's coverage of health and long-term services and supports. Both panels will address the program's role today and key policy debates, opportunities and challenges ahead.
Click here to view more details and access registration.
|
|
Mathematica Policy Research
|
Webinar & Event: Improving Employment Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities
Youth with disabilities face distinct challenges in transitioning to work and economic self-sufficiency. To help them overcome these challenges, the Social Security Administration sponsored the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) from 2003 to 2012. Interventions to help youth with disabilities navigate the transition to work, including employment and education counseling, job placement services, and financial planning, were developed and tested. The demonstration also included financial incentives to encourage employment among young people who were receiving disability benefits.
Mathematica evaluated the implementation and impacts of six of the demonstration projects. In an event and webinar on Tuesday, May 12 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, speakers will discuss: three-year follow-up data on the six YTD projects and their impacts on youth employment, earnings, and other outcomes; the Broadened Horizons, Brighter Futures project in Miami-Dade County, which improved more outcomes for youth than any of the other five evaluated projects did; and an analysis of the effect of early work experience on later paid employment for youth ages 18 to 20 who have disabilities.
Click here to view more details and register.
|
Webinar & Forum: Improving Public Programs: Advanced Analytics for Better Decision Making
Federal and state agencies across the country are hiring data scientists and analytics officers to meet the growing demand for advanced analytics in the public sector. For public programs in health, education, and other human services, advanced analytics can be used to pinpoint fraud, waste, and abuse; to predict program outcomes; and to identify cost-saving strategies for policymakers. High quality, advanced analytics can guide decision makers as they pursue more efficient and effective programming.
On Wednesday, May 20, 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET, Mathematica's Center for Improving Research Evidence (CIRE) will host a research forum and webinar to discuss how advanced analytics can help policymakers, program administrators, and direct services staff enhance their programs by providing rapid, reliable, and relevant information. A networking reception will immediately follow the program.
Click here to view panel details and register.
Click here to view a video trailer for the forum.
|
|
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
|
Webinar: A Cross-Systems Approach to Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Older Americans
Of the more than 40 million Americans age 65 and over, about 8 million have a mental health disorder, such as depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. A new workforce, certified peer specialists, has emerged as a highly effective approach to improve consumer outcomes by promoting recovery. On Wednesday, May 6, 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET, this webinar will describe how Pennsylvania's Certified Older Adult Peer Specialist Program (COAPS) builds a cross-systems collaboration for older adults by strengthening the capacity of the workforce to meet the health and wellness needs of people with serious mental illness and substance use disorders who are aging and whose health needs are often neglected. Through training and supervision, this workforce has been successful in traditional and non-traditional aging and mental health services.
Click here for details and to register for the webinar.
|
|
National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
|
Webinar: Round-the-Clock Registered Nurse Coverage in Nursing Homes
On Tuesday, May 12 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET, Consumer Voice will host a webinar discussing the importance of staffing registered nurses (RNs) around the clock as critical element to ensuring quality care for nursing home residents. A representative from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's office will also present on a federal RN bill sponsored by the Congresswoman.
Click here for details and to register for the webinar.
|
|
National Council on Aging
|
Call for Promising Practices in Family Caregiver Support
NCOA is working with the University of Illinois at Chicago Family Support Research and Training Center on a national search to identify promising practices and programs in Family Caregiver Support. Findings will be shared with aging and disability advocates across the country. If you know of a successful local, state, or national program that supports family caregivers of individuals with disabilities and/or seniors, please take a moment to nominate them using the link below. To nominate a practice by phone, call (844) 781-4158. For more information, email familysupport@uic.edu.
Click here to nominate a practice or program.
|
Webinar: Strong Brains, Sharp Minds, Part II
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) will be hosting Part II of its Strong Brains, Strong Minds webinar on Thursday, May 7 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET. The webinar will detail the latest brain science to the process of developing inexpensive, community-based brain health programs for seniors and caregivers.
Click here to access details and register for the webinar.
|
|
National Foundation to End Senior Hunger
|
What A Waste Solution to End Senior Hunger and Limit Food Waste
Research by NFESH shows that we are throwing away more than 40% of the food that is produced in this country while at the same time more than 9 million seniors are missing meals. Motivated by such data, NFESH created and implemented a program to reduce kitchen waste, plate waste, and line waste in senior nutrition programs that would not only save money but turn waste into a new food source. In collaboration with the DC Office on Aging's Senior Nutrition Programs, NFESH has put the What A Waste program into action in Washington DC.
If you are looking for ways to feed more seniors with currently available funds or are interested in improving your purchasing practices and developing nutritious menus you can be sure seniors will like, NFESH and the What A Waste program can help you make a difference.
Click here to learn more about the What A Waste solution.
|
HCBS Quality Measurement Workgroup Meeting & Activities
The HCBS Quality Measurement workgroup met for the second time this week for a two-day in person meeting in Washington, DC. Camille Dobson, NASUAD Deputy Executive Director, is representing states' interests on the workgroup, along with Patti Killingsworth from Tennessee's Medicaid agency. Over the two days, the workgroup members developed a draft definition of HCBS and began laying out domains of measurement for the framework that the workgroup is charged with developing. The NQF staff will be working over the spring and summer on finalizing that work as well as conducting an environmental scan of HCBS measures that address the domains of measurement. The workgroup will react to their findings at the next teleconference in August, with the workgroup's first report being published this fall.
Click here to follow the efforts of the workgroup and to submit public comments on the NQF HCBS workgroup page.
|
|
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
|
Home Care Worker Turnover above 60% in 2014
According to the 2015 Private Duty Benchmarking Study, over 60 percent of caregivers working for private duty home care companies quit or were fired from their jobs in 2014. The median turnover rate of 61.6 percent is the highest recorded by the Study since it began in 2010. Median turnover rates were highest in the Great Lakes and Central regions of the United States. More than 700 home care companies participated in the 2015 Benchmarking Study. The survey also provides data on caregiver wages and benefits and agency profits.
Click here to view the complete article.
|
Webinar: WIOA Implementation: Employment First Planning Tool
On Wednesday, May 6 at 1:30 p.m. ET, RespectAbility will host a webinar detailing how to create a "Unified State Plan," as required by WIOA, and how best to expand employment for people with disabilities. Speakers include Donna Meltzer of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities and Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi of RespectAbility.
Click here to access details.
|
Webinar: Older Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
By 2030, the number of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) over the age of 60 is projected to be 1.2 million individuals. As adults with ID/DD grow older and their caregivers age, new challenges emerge. On Wednesday, May 13, 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET, this webinar by UnitedHealthcare and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities will explore the opportunities to support the independence and self-directed lives of persons with ID/DD and their families. All interested policy makers, care coordinators, providers, and health plan staff are encouraged to join.
Click here to access details.
|
|
Job & Internship Postings
|
Advocacy & Development Manager
Oregon's Department of Human Services, Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) program in Salem, OR, has announced a vacancy for a Principal Executive Manager position in its Advocacy and Development Unit. The purpose of the position is to supervise the staff that will provide technical support for local Aging and Disability advisory councils and take on special assignments that involve advocacy for Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) consumers. The posting for the position will close Sunday, May 17.
Click here to view the full posting.
|
Director of External Affairs
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is seeking applicants for the position of Director of External Affairs for their New York office. The Director is responsible for managing the NOD brand and directing marketing and communications strategies, as well as leading the external relations team. Candidates should have at least 10 years experience in marketing or communications.
Click here to view the full posting.
|
Subscribe
Click here to subscribe to Friday Update or other NASUAD news updates.
|
|
