May 8, 2015
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From NASUAD  
NASUAD Releases Survey Results on Adult Services
NASUAD is pleased to release the results of a survey administered to Adult Service providers. NASUAD conducted this survey to learn more about the locations, funding sources, and supports that these programs provide to seniors and people with disabilities. The report demonstrates how Adult Services include a wide array of services, including a combination of social and medical supports. The comprehensive nature of Adult Services allows individuals to remain in their communities by ensuring that all of their needs are met in a single location. Consequently, older adults and people with disabilities are able to live in their own homes or the homes of their families without concerns about whether they are receiving adequate nutrition, health care, and socialization supports. Due to some of the locations of Adult Service providers, NASUAD is concerned that new CMS regulations may reduce the number of available providers in the Medicaid program. This would have the unintended consequence of limiting the availability of important health and social services, and would likely result in individuals entering institutional settings.

To read the survey report, click here.  
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. 
Register for the AIRS Conference and National Aging and Disability Symposium, May 27-30, Dallas, TX
The National Aging and Disability I&R/A Symposium at the 2015 AIRS Conference is convened by the National I&R/A Support Center at NASUAD, in collaboration with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), and with support from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL). With a pre-conference I&R/A Summit for Aging and Disability professionals and a full complement of workshops, panel discussions, and conversation throughout the week, the Symposium is essential for keeping apprised of the latest developments in aging and disability I&R/A. Join us to experience a blend of workshops facilitated by I&R/A, ADRC, CIL, and Federal and National Association professionals from across the country discussing developments and initiatives in aging and disability information and referral programs. Topics such as No Wrong Door system building, ADRC partnerships, serving diverse consumers, and business strategies will provide insights to help you deliver effective I&R/A programs and services to older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.

Join us 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 the National I&R Support Center, ACL, n4a, and 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. 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
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.
Person-Centered Planning Brief Released
Last week, Justice in Aging released a new issue brief, A Right to Person-Centered Planning. The brief analyzes how well states are implementing a 2014 rule that creates the right to person-centered care planning for Medicaid consumers of long-term services and supports. The brief can be used as a tool for health care providers, plan administrators, and advocates to help them understand the rule and its scope.

Click here to access the brief.

Medicaid at 50: Evolution and Impact
In recognition of the Medicaid program's 50th anniversary this year, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has published a report reflecting on the program's accomplishments and challenges. The report also considers upcoming issues that will influence the course of this major health coverage and financing program moving forward.

Click here to access the report.

From the Administration
Administration for Community Living
Funding Opportunity to Enhance Adult Protective Services 
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has announced a new demonstration to provide states one-time funding to enhance their adult protective services (APS) programs statewide to include innovations and improvement in practice, services, and data collection and reporting and to develop their technical ability to interface with ACL's National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS).

Click here to access the funding opportunity announcement. 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Guidance on ACA's Amendments to Spousal Impoverishment Statute Released 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued guidance to states on the implementation of section 2404 of the Affordable Care Act. The section expanded spousal impoverishment protections beyond the previous application to married individuals of an "institutionalized spouse" to include spouses of home and community-based services beneficiaries.

Click here to view the guidance letter.
Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment Data for February 2015 Released   
CMS has released the February 2015 monthly report on state Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility and enrollment data. The data includes the number of applications submitted, the number of eligibility determinations made by each state, and total current enrollment in state Medicaid and CHIP programs, as reported by state Medicaid and CHIP agencies. Since October 2013, Medicaid and CHIP enrollment has increased by 11.7 million.

Click here to view the report.
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
Recommendations for Alzheimer's Disease Research Agenda Released 
Following from the Alzheimer's Disease Research Summit 2015:Path to Treatment and Prevention, the
National Institutes of Health has released recommendations for a strategy to accelerate the development of effective interventions for Alzheimer's and related dementias. The recommendations call for a change in how academic, biopharmaceutical, and government sectors participating in Alzheimer's research and therapy generate, share, and use knowledge to propel the development of critically needed therapies.

Click here to read the press release. 
Go4Life Month Event Planning Tips  
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 Month will be celebrated in collaboration with the White House Conference on Aging this coming September. Detailed planning guidelines to organize your own event for the Go4Life Month are available on the campaign's website and start with tips on how to get the ball rolling in May.

Click here to view Go4Life Month planning resources.

From Other Organizations
American Society on Aging 
AIA15 Opening General Session Available Online 
The 2015 Aging in America Conference's opening general session by Ken Dychtwald, PhD, President and CEO of Age Wave, and Chair-Elect of ASA's Board of Directors, is now available to stream online. Ken's talk addresses the elements of health, family, work, housing, leisure, and finances given increasing longevity and new lifestyle choices unlike that of any preceding generation.

Click here to watch the talk.
LeadingAge
Call for Nominations for Board of Directors 
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 LeadingAge Board of Directors. Eligibility criteria are outlined in the Call for Nominations Booklet. Nominations must be submitted by May 29, 2015.

Click here to nominate a candidate. 
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 Academy of Social Insurance
Working Together Challenge Aims to Improve Services and Supports 
The National Academy of Social Insurance wants to improve services and supports for working-age persons with disabilities by crowd-sourcing ideas in three key areas: notable results (what's working); research questions (what we need to know); and new initiatives (what we should try). Ideas may be submitted online until May 31, and participants with the top-ranked ideas will receive ticket to the Academy's Robert M. Ball Award Banquet in June.

Click here for details and to join the challenge. 
National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care 
Webinar: Round-the-Clock Registered Nurse Coverage in Nursing Homes 
Registered nurses (RNs) play a critical role in ensuring quality care for nursing home residents, yet current federal nursing home regulations only require a RN to be on duty 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. 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 for nursing home residents. Presenters will share information and data about current coverage in states and nationally. 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. 
UnitedHealthcare 
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. 
Just for Fun
UnitedHealthcare
100@100 Survey Results 
UnitedHealthcare surveyed 100 centenarians and 100 10-year-olds on a range of personal health and interest questions in its 10th annual 100@100 survey. Questions included: what is the key to staying healthy; do you feel younger or older than you are; and what piece of advice would you give to your past or future self.

Click here to view the full presentation of the survey results. 
Job & Internship Postings
Chief Information Officer 
The Champlain Valley Agency on Aging (CVAA) is accepting applications for the position of Chief Information Officer. CVAA is the largest elder services organization in Vermont, providing seniors and their families with a wide array of vital services and supports in beautiful northwestern Vermont, on Lake Champlain and including the Burlington metropolitan area and surrounding rural/agricultural communities. Burlington was ranked #2 among "America's 10 Great Places to Live" by Kiplinger's Personal Finance and #8 by Men's Journal among "The 10 Best Places to Live Now."

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) will provide strategic direction, structure, supervision, and project management of CVAA's data systems, including Harmony SAMS (the elder services software suite), Blackbaud (Financial Edge, Raiser's Edge and Nonprofit CRM), and others. Interested applicants must submit resume and cover letter by Friday, May 15.

Click here to view the full posting and details on how to apply. 
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. 

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