Sharing Solutions: Building a "No Wrong Door" System of Access Webinar Recap
The National I&R Support Center hosted a webinar on the "No Wrong Door" System of Access in Texas. Strong partnerships between Texas Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) and 211 Area Information Centers are essential to providing a true "no wrong door" system of access. This webinar taught listeners about the Texas experience enhancing streamlined, person-centered information and referral services with respect to the Texas Balancing Incentive Program grant. State level and local ADRC and 211 network partners will highlight state-level initiatives and successful "best practice" models for outreach and referral management. The presenters were Leigh Schroeder, Manager, Program Business Operations, Strategic Operations and Grants, Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services; Beth Noah, ADRC Coordinator, Aging and Disability Resource Center of Tarrant County; and Vicki Mize, 2-1-1 Director, United Way of Tarrant County. This presentation was first given at the 2015 AIRS conference.
Click here to view the presentation and access the audio recording.
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HCBS Clearinghouse E-Clips
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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.
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Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs
The United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Education released a policy statement on September 14, 2015, that declares that all children with disabilities should be allowed access to "inclusive high-quality" early childhood programs, "where they are provided with individualized and appropriate support in meeting high expectations." Presently, children with disabilities and their families face difficulties in accessing these programs that are available for their peers. The policy statement offers a vision of what states, local educational agencies, schools, and public and private early childhood programs can do to make early childhood programs more inclusive.
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| Administration for Community Living |
Traumatic Brain Injury Grant Program Moving to ACL
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Grant Program is moving from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), beginning on October 1, 2015. The TBI Grant Program has been housed by HRSA for almost 20 years and has been providing services to thousands of individuals living with traumatic brain injuries. Following the passage of the TBI Reauthorization Act of 2014, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell was given authority to review the program's aims and goals to determine where it best fit within HHS. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2016, ACL will start issuing awards and will ensure there are no lapses in grant funding.
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Listening Sessions on Draft Adult Protective Services Guidelines
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) recently released the Draft Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State Adult Protective Services (APS) systems. ACL convened a group of national experts from the fields of Adult Protective Services and adult maltreatment to create the guidelines. ACL wants to hear from the public and is holding 6 listening sessions over the next few weeks. The proposed rule has been published in the Federal Register with a 60-day comment period. All comments must be submitted by October 30, 2015, at 5 p.m. ET.
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| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
Comment Period Extended for CMS Proposed Rule
In July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a proposed rule to revise the quality and safety requirements for long term care facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The proposal would be the first rule update since 1991. The rule aims to improve care planning, ensure staff have the right skills and competencies to provide patient-centered care, and allow dietitians and therapy providers to write orders in their areas of expertise when a physician delegates the responsibility and state licensing laws allow. Additionally, the rule would add several new sections to the regulations, including person-centered care planning, behavioral health services, quality assurance and performance improvement, training, and more. Provisions covering infection prevention and control standards, visitation requirements, and an expansion of food choice for residents are also part of the rule. The proposed rule has been published in the Federal Register with a 60-day comment period. The comment period has been extended by thirty days. Now all comments must be submitted by October 14, 2015, at 5 p.m. ET.
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| Office of Disability Employment |
Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program Funding Available
The Office of Disability Employment created the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program (EFSLMP). EFSLMP provides a platform for multi-disciplinary state teams to focus on implementing the Employment First approach with fidelity through the alignment of policies, coordination of resources, and updating of service delivery models to facilitate increased integrated employment options for people with the most significant disabilities. Last year, 15 states were awarded core state funding. The current 15 Core States will receive funding for fiscal year 2016, and up to five new state will be funded following an application process. Applications for core state funding must be submitted by October 9, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Applications for new state funding must be submitted by October 12, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. ET.
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Preventing Falls and TBI-Related Injuries Among Older Americans Congressional Briefing Recap
A congressional briefing on Preventing Falls and TBI-Related Injuries Among Older Adults took place this past Wednesday. It was convened by Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr (D-N.J.) and Representative Thomas J. Rooney (R-Fla.), both of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force in association with the Brain Injury Association of America, the National Council on Aging, and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators.
The expert panel was moderated by Dr. Wayne Gordon, Jack Nash Professor, Vice Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The distinguished panel of speakers featured Edwin Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, Administration for Community Living; Dr. Grant Baldwin, Director of the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Howard Bedlin, Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy, National Council on Aging; Martha A. Roherty, Executive Director, NASUAD; and William A. B. Ditto, Chair of Public Policy, NASHIA. The panelists presented startling facts, explained the current policy climate regarding this issue, personal stories, and all made note of the fact that more needs to be done to prevent falls.
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| American Network of Community Options and Resources |
Direct Support Professionals Week- Happening Now!
The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) is sponsoring the 2015 Direct Support Professionals Week. This week honors the dedication and accomplishments of outstanding Direct Support Professionals for all of the hard work they do. This week is currently occurring, it began on September 13, 2015, and will end on September, 19, 2015. ANCOR has a media toolkit full of resources to help the public celebrate these wonderful professionals. The toolkit also provides links to the state proclamations from Governor's across the country.
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| Alzheimer's Foundation of America |
National Memory Screening Week This November
The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) is sponsoring the National Memory Screening Week (NMSW) which will be held from November 1st - November 7th this year. Last year when the event was one day long, the AFA screened over 250,000 people. A recent study shows that screenings may detect cognitive impairment up to 18 years prior to clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's or dementia. This increased awareness brings a demand for memory screenings now more than ever. If you would like to participate in the AFA National Memory Screening Program please visit the link below.
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National Family Caregiver Month: Theme and Details
The National Family Caregivers Month is this November, 2015. The Caregiver Action Network (CAN) has chosen the theme for this year, which is "Respite: Care for Caregivers." The theme is
focused specifically on Respite care, the important service that allows caregivers crucial time to rest and relax, energize, sleep, use programs, imagination, and exhale. CAN has resources available for the public to celebrate National Family Caregivers Month. Their media kit includes a downloadable PDF of the theme flyer, background on the celebration, and a sample proclamation for state and local governments.
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| Mathematica Center for Studying Disability Policy |
Webinar: Child Supplemental Security Income Trends
Mathematica Center for Studying Disability Policy is hosting a webinar on State Trends in the Child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program: The Growing Role of SSI in the Safety Net. There has been a dramatic increase of children receiving SSI benefits over the past 15 years, a net increase of 45 percent. There is no policy or program change that explains this growth. Mathematica completed a new study for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation that examines this increase and some of the reasons for it. The webinar will be presented by Mathematica experts: David Wittenburg, David Mann, Bonnie O'Day, Purvi Sevak, and John Tambornino of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. These presenters will speak about Child SSI growth trends and state-by-state variation in the county distribution of SSI recipients and the evolving pathways to the Child SSI program. The webinar will take place on Thursday, September 24, 2015, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET.
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Webinar: National Employment First Policy & Data Platform
The Office of Disability Employment Policy's National Lead Center is hosting a webinar on the website launch for their national platform for Employment First. The webinar will offer comprehensive resource for policymakers, researchers, and external stakeholders to learn about trends and activities that are occurring across the United States in Employment First.
These resources include: Downloading outcome data across respective Federally-funded systems (education, I/DD adult services, mental health, vocational rehabilitation, workforce investment, and others) at an individual state level as well as the ability to compare data from up to three states at a time; reviewing comprehensive profiles for each individual state with respect to relevant legislation, policies, gubernatorial actions, funding initiatives, pilots, and strategic partnerships going on in each state as it relates to increasing competitive, integrated employment options for individuals with disabilities; and conducting queries to ascertain all policies/actions around a specific topic based on a customized search process. Please note that this webinar will be captioned and presentation materials will be sent to participants before the webinar. The webinar will take place on October 1, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
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| National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services |
Webinar: Home Care Rule "How-To: Operational Strategies for Joint Employment & Travel Time
The National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services (NRCPDS) is hosting a webinar on the Home Care Rule, it is a "How-To" Webinar on operational strategies for joint employment and travel time. This is the second webinar in the series of webinars to help stakeholders understand and comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Home Care Rule prior to November 13. During the webinar, two primary aspects of the Home Care Rule will be explored in depth: 1) understanding FLSA joint employment factors and responsibilities, and 2) tracking and paying workers' travel time in accordance with DOL and IRS requirements. Time for Q&A will be included. Single user registration is $25 and group registration (with unlimited participants from a single organization) is $200. The webinar will take place on September 29, 2015, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
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Consumer Voice Annual Conference
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care is hosting its annual Consumer Voice Conference. This conference brings together long-term care consumer, advocates, ombusdmen, agency personnel, policy makers, researchers, providers and others to reinforce the advocacy perspective. This year's agenda features a listening session with CMS; a wide variety of workshops on topics such as alternatives to using antipsychotic drugs and enforcement of nursing home regulations; plenaries on the new federal HCBS regulations and palliative care for persons with advanced dementia; and many important group meetings.
Click here to view conference details and register.
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Minnesota Seeking Director of Aging and Adult Services
The Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services is seeking applications for a Director of Aging and Adult Services. The Director will be responsible for planning and providing sustainable financial, housing, and health care options for aging populations, creating and supporting Minnesota's services infrastructure, managing fiscal planning and the strategies use of major grants, examining and aligning the State's major service systems for individuals age 65 and older and individuals with disabilities, and promoting priority, policy, and systemic change needed to realign Long-term Care Ombudsman services. Qualified applicants will have a minimum of a Master's degree and three years of experience leading a large program or organization that develops aging programs and policies. All applications must be submitted by October 16, 2015.
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Deputy Director of Human Services
Fulton County Aging and Youth Services is seeking applicants for the position of Deputy Director of Human Services. The Deputy Director will be responsible for overseeing daily activities and operations within the Aging and Youth Services Department, developing and monitoring the implementation of departmental programs designed for youth, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, managing assigned staff, evaluating employee performance, interpreting and enforcing policies and procedures, and more. All applications must be submitted by September 25, 2015.
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Boston College Seeks Research Analyst
Boston College is seeking a Research Assistant to work on a grant-funded project that is based in Washington, D.C. The Analyst will be responsible for working closely with the Director of GEC Purchased Care Services to develop, update disseminate, and implement policies and procedures of the VD-HCBS program, and generating and analyzing information to guide GEC leadership in the expansion of the VD-HCBS program and its broader efforts. Qualified applicants will have a Bachelor's degree and 2.5 years of experience in Long-Term Care Services and Supports. This is a temporary position that begins in September and ends on December 31, 2015.
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