September 16, 2016
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From NASUAD
NASUAD Recognizes 3 Leaders in Aging and Disability Services with Awards
On August 31st, NASUAD honored three leaders in aging and disability services with Arthur S. Flemming and Katie Beckett Awards.  NASUAD and its board of directors are proud to announce that Dan Timmel and Bob Kafka were selected to receive the Arthur S. Flemming award, and Jamie Kendall was posthumously presented with the Katie Beckett Award. Jamie's husband, Tim Dombro accepted the award on her behalf. 

2016 HCBS Conference Materials Now Available! 

Thank you for joining us for the National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference held in Washington, DC, August 29-September 1. This year's conference was the largest to date with over 1,400 attendees. 

 
The conference had a a very full agenda with over 100 workshops, a number of compelling plenary sessions, and a very full exhibit hall. We hope everyone found the content, events, and plenaries to be useful and engaging. 



Materials from the workshops are now available on the conference website (under the agenda tab) and on the conference app. If you have not shared your presentation with NASUAD staff, please email Linda Nakagawa



Thank you, again! We look forward to seeing everyone in Baltimore, MD in 2017. 
National I&R Center Webinar: Understanding Medicare

The National Information & Referral Center is hosting a webinar on Understanding Medicare. With Medicare Open Enrollment beginning October 15, now is a key time to enhance or refresh your understanding of key components of the Medicare program. Join this webinar to learn about Medicare eligibility and coverage options as well as educational resources from Medicare Made ClearTM that can assist I&R/A agencies and the consumers they serve. Our guest presenter is Kathy Spenler, Associate Director, Marketing, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. Pre-registration is required for this webinar. Space is limited so register today!
 
Click here to register. 
HCBS Clearinghouse 
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.
Report and Recommendations: Fighting Elder Financial Exploitation through Community Networks

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report about how to fight elder financial exploitation by using community networks. The CFPB conducted research nationwide and with the assistance of the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, they attended network meetings and interviewed representatives from 23 elder protection networks and various experts in the field. 
The CFPB also offered specific recommendations for existing networks and stakeholders to assist in the fight against exploitation.  



Click here to view the publication.  
From the Administration
Administration for Community Living

2017 State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Base Grant

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) released the 2017 State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Base Grant Funding Opportunity Announcement. The SHIP was created by Congress in 1990 to provide education and assistance to Medicare-eligible individuals, their families and caregivers to assist in making informed health insurance decisions. There are currently 54 active SHIP grants; one in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The funds awarded through this application are for a three year project period running April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2020. Eligible applicants include state offices of insurance, the state Medicaid offices, or the departments on aging as designated by the state or territory, who demonstrate their ability and commitment to providing SHIP services state-wide. All awards will be subject to the availability of federal funds and have a project period of up to three years. One SHIP grant will be awarded to cover each state, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All applications must be electronically submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on November 30, 2016. There will be a conference call for potential applicants on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 2:00 pm ETCall: 800-790-2009 and use the passcode: 1527494. 


Click here to view grant details. 
ACL Grant to Create New National Center on Law & Elder Rights 

On Thursday, September 15, 2016, the Administration for Community Living's (ACL) Administration on Aging announced the release of $1,050,000 to the nationally-recognized senior advocacy organization Justice in Aging to create a new National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). The NCLER will support ACL's ongoing efforts to protect the rights, financial security, and independence of older adults. All questions regarding the NCLER can be forwarded to Omar Valverde.
National Resource Center for Self-Advocacy to Empower People with I/DD

On Thursday, September 15, 2016, the White House Design for All Showcase announced the first-ever Administration for Community Living (ACL)  grant to establish a National Resource Center for Self-Advocacy to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for enhancing their voice on issues important to their well-being and daily life. The organization, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) will spearhead the effort with the help of other organizations as part of a $2 million, five-year cooperative agreement funded by ACL under the Administration on Disabilities as an AIDD Project of National Significance.



Click here to view more details. 
Webinar: We Can Do Better Together

ACL, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Transportation are hosting a webinar titled: "We Can Do Better Together" Encouraging Health, Housing, Transportation, and Social Service Partnerships: Successful Strategies to Expand Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs. This webinar will highlight their efforts to reach underserved populations by encouraging health, housing, transportation, and social service partnerships.


The webinar will also provide an overview of evidence-based chronic disease self-management education (CDSME) programs and highlight two exemplar CDSME programs that serve affordable housing residents, in partnership with federally qualified health centers, transportation services, and social services. This webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 20, from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EST.



Click here to register.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
Open Listening Session for All Interested Stakeholders
On September 8, 2016, the State Innovations Group released a Request for Information (RFI) to help prepare for the future of state-based delivery system and payment reform. States play an important role in accelerating health system transformation and the State Innovations Group is seeking input on the ways that their investments might evolve to meet state needs, as well as how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can best partner with states to implement delivery and payment models across multiple payers. In conjunction with this release, CMMI is holding an Open Listening Session for all interested stakeholders. 


Questions may be submitted in advance of the listening session here. All comments are due by October 28, 2016


Click here to register for the event. 

Click here to view the RFI.  
National Alzheimer's and Dementia Resource Center
Webinar: Translating Evidence-Based Dementia Interventions into the Community
The National Alzheimer's and Dementia Resource Center will be hosting a webinar titled Translating Evidence-Based Dementia Interventions into the Community: ADSSP Grantee Experience. Participants who attend this webinar will learn about the successes and barriers associated with translating evidence-based interventions into the community through two ADSSP grant projects. The webinar will take place on Thursday, September 22nd from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.



Click here to register.

From the Senate
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
Report Identifying Ways to Maximize Social Security Benefits
On Wednesday, September 14, 2016, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, held a hearing titled, "Maximizing Your Social Security Benefits: What You Need to Know." During the hearing, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) unveiled a new study that examined how Americans make decisions about when to claim their benefits. Witnesses for the hearing included: Charles Jeszeck, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Virginia P. Reno, Deputy Commissioner for Retirement and Disability Policy, U.S. Social Security Administration; William Meyer, CEO, Social Security Solutions, Inc.; and Sita Nataraj Slavov, Professor of Public Policy, Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
From the States
Nebraska

Statewide Meetings for Consumer and Provider Feedback
Courtney Miller, Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities is traveling statewide in September on a "Let's Talk" tour, designed to gain additional stakeholder input on services to be provided through the Developmental Disabilities Home and Community-Based Waivers. The waivers are identified as a priority in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Business Plan. Miller is also looking for feedback on services provided through the Beatrice State Developmental Center services (BSDC) and the Bridges Program in Hastings. 


Click here to see dates and times of the DD meetings.



Additionally, Medicaid and Long-Term Care Director Calder Lynch will travel across Nebraska beginning Sept. 6th, stopping in several towns throughout the state to share information about Heritage Health, the state's new Medicaid managed care program. Heritage Health begins on Jan. 1, 2017, but Medicaid consumers will begin being able to choose their Heritage Health plan in September. Lynch will hold seven town halls between September 6 and September 14. 


Click here for locations and times of those meetings.



DHHS staff is also traveling statewide in September to seek public commentary about Medicaid's Long-Term Care Redesign project, identified as a priority in the DHHS Business Plan. All interested persons, including consumers and providers, are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts about what works with the current long-term care Medicaid system in Nebraska and what needs to be changed. Goals include strengthening access, coordination and integration of care through streamlined eligibility processes and collaborative case management, as well as promoting independent living in the least restrictive setting possible through the use of consumer-focused and individualized services and living options.



Click here for locations and times of the listening sessions.
From Other Organizations
American Society on Aging
Webinar: A Promising Collaboration: Managed Care & Independent Living
In the wake of the shift to accountable and value-based care, and in light of the growing number of older adults and individuals with disabilities, many states are looking to Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to provide these populations with coordinated healthcare and long-term services and supports (LTSS). Opportunities now exist in this new environment for community-based organizations (CBOs) experienced in providing these supportive services to partner with MCOs looking to tap into the expertise and deep community knowledge of local CBO providers. This webinar will highlight one such successful CBO-MCO partnership that used a2i case management and housing assistance interventions to improve the health and well-being of low-income people with disabilities and older adults, many of whom were homeless. Learn how these organizations were able to work together to achieve common goals and serve an especially vulnerable population. The presenters for this webinar are Pamela Mokler, Vice President, LTSS for Care1st Health Plan and Louis Frick, Executive Director, Access to Independence (a2i). The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. ET. 



Click here to view details and register. 
Webinar: Tapping Into New Payment & Deliver Models 
The shift in healthcare to value-based programs and purchasing is creating new incentives for healthcare organizations to pursue and strengthen collaboration with community-based organizations (CBOs). Within this changing environment, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have emerged as a promising delivery and payment model that presents opportunities for CBOs to integrate their services with healthcare, and share in any financial savings. This webinar will highlight a successful CBO-ACO partnership in Maine that resulted in better care, lower costs and opportunities for diversifying the CBO funding stream. The presenters for this webinar are Laurence (Larry) Gross, Executive Director, Southern Maine Agency on Aging, and Elizabeth (Betsy) H. Johnson, President and CEO, MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. ET. 


Click here to view details and register. 
Born This Way 
Born This Way Wins Emmy! 

The show Born This Way won the Emmy for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Series. One of the show's stars, Megan Bomgaars and her mother, Kris Bomgaars were two of the plenary speakers for the 2016 National Home and Community Based Services Conference. Megan impressed the crowd with her words about not limiting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This show is breaking down the stigma surround disability with each episode that airs. RespectAbility published an article that explains the importance of this win for the disability community and its impact on raising awareness. 


Click here to view the article. 
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
New Policy Briefs on Paralysis and Health Care Access

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation announced the release of three new policy briefs on paralysis and the associated effect on accessing healthcare. The American Journal of Public Health also published the findings from the briefs. Below are highlights from the briefs identified by the National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative. 
  • 5,357,980 people - roughly 1.7% of US population are paralyzed. Of those, 1,462,220 have a spinal cord injury.
  • An estimated 397,309 Americans - 12.3% of all those with paralysis are doing without essential durable medical equipment.
  • 84% of people living with paralysis in the U.S. (an estimated 2,630,224 individuals) are unable to obtain necessary medical care, tests or treatments.
Click here to view the Paralysis in the U.S. brief.
Click here to view the Durable Medical Equipment brief.
Click here to view the health care for people with paralysis brief. 
Epilepsy Foundation
New Online Certification Training for Seizure Recognition and Response
The Epilepsy Foundation announced the launch of a new online certification training for seizure recognition and response. The online training program will equip healthcare providers and caregivers of seniors, with expertise on seizure recognition and response. The two-hour training can be taken at the convenience of anyone's schedule and upon successful completion, each participant will receive a toolkit to help identify, recognize, and respond to the different types of seizures and one continuing education unit (CEU).


Click here to view more information. 

Long-Term Quality Alliance
LTSS Integration Event: Lessons from 5 New Case Studies

The Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) is hosting an event to discuss cross-cutting insights from the ten case studies on what matters most for successful integration, as well as brand-new analysis on the opportunities and challenges for integrating LTSS using existing Medicare Advantage products. The event will take place on Wednesday, September 21, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in The Foundation Center. Seating is limited for this free event and pre-registration is required. 


Click here to view more information. 

Mathematica
Mathematica Seeking Public Comment on Medicaid Quality Measures 
On behalf of CMS's Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services and the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office, Mathematica Policy Research is seeking public comment on measure specifications and justification for quality measures currently under development and testing. The measure concepts address the following areas and/or populations:


1.  Medicare-Medicaid (dual) beneficiaries and Medicaid beneficiaries using home and community-based services.

2.  Medicaid beneficiaries in managed long-term services and supports programs.

3.  Medicaid beneficiaries with complex care needs and high costs.

4.  Medicaid beneficiaries with substance use disorders.

5.  Medicaid beneficiaries and Medicare-Medicaid (dual) beneficiaries with physical-mental health integration needs. 


All comments must be submitted to [email protected] by close of business on September 29, 2016. 


Click here to view the memos listing questions. 

Events 
2016 ANCOR Technology Summit & Showcase
The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) is hosting the "2016 ANCOR Technology Summit & Showcase." The summit will feature peers, advocates, and experts presenting ways that technology can help the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) community achieve the triple aim of better health, better care, and lower costs. The event will take place in Broomfield, Colorado on Friday, October 7, 2016.



Click here to register
Jobs & Internships

2017 AAPD Summer Internship Program

AAPD has announced the opening of applications for the 2017 Summer Internship Program. The AAPD Summer Internship Program develops the next generation of leaders with disabilities and offers host employers access to a talented, diverse workforce. Each summer, AAPD places college students, graduate students, law students, and recent graduates with all types of disabilities in paid 10-week summer internships in Congressional offices, federal agencies, non-profit, and for-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area.



Each intern is matched with a mentor who will assist them with their career goals. AAPD provides the interns with a stipend, transportation to and from Washington, DC, and fully-accessible housing. All applications must be received by November 7. 


Click here to view the internship announcement. 
Funding Opportunities 
CMS
CMS Announces a New Funding Opportunity for Track 1 of the Accountable Health Communities Model

CMS, in January 2016, released a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for a model called the Accountable Health Communities (AHC). This Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation model focuses on the health-related social needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The AHC Model is based on emerging evidence that addressing health-related social needs through enhanced clinical-community linkages can improve health outcomes and reduce costs. The original FOA requested applications for three different scalable tracks featuring interventions of varying intensity that would address health-related social needs for beneficiaries. After receiving inquiries and stakeholder feedback, CMS has decided to make modifications to the Track 1 application requirements and is releasing a new FOA specific to Track 1 of the AHC Model. Track 1 will support bridge organizations to increase a patient's awareness of available community services through screening, information dissemination, and referral. Track 1 award recipients will partner with the state Medicaid agency, community service providers and clinical delivery sites to implement the Model. The modifications to the Track 1 application include the following: (1) Reducing the annual number of beneficiaries applicants are required to screen from 75,000 to 53,000; and (2) Increasing the maximum funding amount per award recipient from $1 million to $1.17 million over 5 years.



Under this announcement, CMS is accepting applications from community-based organizations, health care practices, hospitals and health systems, institutions of higher education, local government entities, tribal organizations, and for-profit and non-for- profit local and national entities with the capacity to develop and maintain relationships with clinical delivery sites and community service providers. All applicants, including those who applied to
Tracks 1, 2 or 3 in the previous FOA, are eligible to apply to this FOA.
Applicants that previously applied to Track 1 of the AHC Model under the original FOA (# CMS-1P1-17-001) must re-apply using this FOA (# CMS-1P1-17-002) to be considered for the Model.


The AHC Model is accepting applications for Track 1 at www.grants.gov through November 3, 2016. For more information about the AHC Model, visit CMS at https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/ahcm. A webinar scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at 2:00pm EST will provide more information about the Track 1 changes and the AHC Model application process. Click here to register.



Michigan Health Endowment Funds
2017 Community Health Impact Responsive Grant Round
The Michigan Health Endowment Fund announced the opening of the 2017 Community Health Impact grant round. This round is part of the responsive grantmaking program. The intention of the responsive grantmaking is to allow for meaningful investment in projects that will have an impact on community health and wellness, and are smaller in scale and complexity. Please email Megan Murphy if you have any questions. 



Click here to view more information. 

Click here to view the FAQs. 
Paul Marchand Internship Fund
Paul Marchand Internship Applications Due October 1 
The Paul Marchand Internship Fund will provide $3,000 per semester or summer session to assist interns interested in pursuing careers in public policy advocacy for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD). For 38 years, Paul Marchand was a dedicated disability policy advocate and recognized leader working on behalf of people I/DD and the larger disability community. Upon his retirement in 2011, The Arc, with substantial contributions from United Cerebral Palsy, other organizations, and individuals with whom Paul worked during his decades in Washington, established an internship to honor Paul and to continue to cultivate disability policy advocates. All applications must be submitted by October 1, 2016. 



Click here to view more information. 

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