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Earlier this week in our President & CEO update, we shared a copy of the 2020 IARF Strategic Framework approved by the IARF Board of Directors on Wednesday, October 23rd (see to the right).  The 2020 IARF Strategic Framework is a public facing document that outlines our “why”, provides our organizational imperatives, our 2020 areas of focus, and our guiding principles. This document informs the reader where we are investing our time and energy for the coming year and why we are doing it.  We believe this will be crucial to current and potential members alike, as there should be no question that IARF intends to meet the evolving needs of community-based providers in Illinois.

We look forward to putting our Action Plans together as we look to advance our 2020 Areas of Focus. (Contact: Josh Evans)

IARF WELCOMES STATIONMD AS A SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR 2020
The Association would like to welcome our newest supporting member, StationMD!  StationMD is a healthcare solution that delivers sophisticated medical care through telemedicine, offering immediate access at any time to high-quality, board certified ER doctors who are specially trained in the care of vulnerable populations. Through two-way video conference, and with the use of Bluetooth medical tools, StationMD physicians can assess individuals in home and provide treatment plan recommendations to keep the patient in place when possible
 
StationMD aims to have a positive impact on individuals with I/DD and other vulnerable populations by improving their quality of care and increasing their access to care by providing treatment in their homes or facilities. Providing this type of superior care also enables us to save provider agencies and payers significant dollars as a result of reducing ER transfers and hospital admissions. These savings can then be used to improve or add other services for those with disabilities.

IARF is looking forward to our partnership with StationMD in 2020. For more information on StationMD, click here to visit their website. To contact StationMD directly, please see contact info below. (Contact: Maggie Henley)


StationMD Contact Info:
Ariana Anderson
Marketing Manager
Ariana.Anderson@StationMD.com
908-663-2929
 
CILA AND ICF/IDD PROVIDER COST AND WAGE SURVEY
Navigant has been contracted to review provider rates in Illinois.  As part of the review process they have created a provider cost and wage survey and need provider feedback.  A webinar will be hosted by Navigant who will walk providers through the cost survey and answer any questions you might have regarding accurate completion of the survey.  The webinar via WebEx will be held on November 19, 2019 at 10:00am and can be accessed at:
 
WebEx Registration Link
Teleconference Information
Participant Dial-In: (833) 612-0014
Conference ID: 7487677
 
In addition, the webinar will be recorded, should you need to revisit parts of the training or if you are unable to participate during the live broadcast.  A dedicated website for the rate study, where the recorded webinar will be posted, is being set up and will be published in the survey release notification as well as contact information for Navigant technical assistance. (Contact: Beth Owens)
 
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES HEARING ON SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES 11/6/18
This past Wednesday, the Senate Human Services Committee, chaired by Senator Julie Morrison (29th District), met to discuss Supportive Housing Options for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Oral testimony was provided by the following persons:

• Kim Mercer- Schleider (ICDD);
• Allison Stark (DHS-DDD);
• Vincent Smith (disability advocate); and
• Theresa Parks (ICDD & GAC).

 IARF was represented in person, as well as through submission of written comments, which can be seen at the following LINK.
 
 Director Stark provided testimony on a peer exchange program she participated in with the state of Missouri. She reported that Missouri’s supportive housing differs from Illinois in how the housing system is coordinated, the separation of housing and supports, and the state’s use of technology.  She provided the following recommendations to improve supportive housing availability in Illinois:

• Improving the Statewide Referral Network (SRN) with more focus on regionality in housing;
• Collaborating with the Illinois Housing Development Authority and improving data collection to better understand need; and
• Providing education on existing resources such as the SRN, Intermittent CILA supports and technology available in current waiver plans. 

Director Stark suggested this could be done through by coordinating with ISC agencies and through webinars.  She also indicated that the division is planning an assistive technology webinar that will be available after the first of the year.  IARF has been advancing discussions on assistive technology for 3 years and will continue to do so with DHS, HFS, the Governor’s Office and all other stakeholders.
 
 We thank Council Director Mercer-Schleider for organizing the hearing which found a receptive audience with members of the Committee. (Contact: Luis Andrade and Beth Owens)

ILLINOIS SUBMITS PLAN TO EXPAND DUAL DEMO STATEWIDE
On September 17, 2019, Illinois submitted a request to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services seeking approval to expand the state’s Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI) dual eligible demonstration statewide effective January 1, 2021. Illinois has participated in MMAI since 2014 in the greater Chicago and central Illinois regions. See statement from HFS HERE. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
 
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
IDHS- DDD has released more information on the 7 Assistive Technology (AT) projects that have been selected.

• Avenues to Independence – Smart home technology, 4 CILAs
• Community Support Systems – Smart home technology, 1 CILA
• Kreider Services – SimplyHome remote support system, multiple sites/individuals
• New Star Services – Smart phones with apps for scheduling/prompting and other functions
• The Arc of the Quad Cities Area – Smart home technology
• Trinity Services – Remote supports, 6 CILAs
• UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago – Remote supports, Apps

This week DDD also reported they are planning an assistive technology webinar that will be available to providers after the first of the year.  This webinar will provide technical assistance to providers to apply for technology currently available within the waiver.  (Contact: Beth Owens)
 
HEALTH RISK SCREENING TOOL (HRST) WEBINARS
HRS, Inc will be hosting a series of webinars to help past users of the paper version get more acquainted with the online version. These webinars will also give information about how the HRST is rolling out to Illinois providers. This will be an orientation style webinar; other more in-depth webinar trainings will be offered in the coming months. Registration and more information can be found here.
 
Times offered:
* Wed. Nov 20, 2019, 4 pm
* Wed. Dec 11, 2019, 10 am 
* Wed. Jan 8, 2020, 2 pm
(Contact: Beth Owens)
 
SELF-ADVOCATE FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC) was created to share self-advocacy ideas and help others across the country. SARTAC is now taking applications for 2020 Fellowships.  This one-year self-advocacy project should help individuals with I/DD grow their own skills as a leader. The Fellow will work on their project about 6 hours each week. SARTAC pays Fellows $5,000 to complete their projects.  You can learn about earlier Fellows’ projects on the SARTAC Fellows' web page and more information can also be found HERE. (Contact: Beth Owens)
 
ILLINOIS PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONVENTION REGISTRATION OPEN
The Illinois Psychological Association convention registration remains open online till Monday 11/11 at 5pm. On-site registration is available.  Please click here to learn more about the IPA Convention.  (Contact Dan Frey)

ANCOR: APPLY TODAY FOR THE 2020 MOVING MOUNTAINS AWARD
ANCOR, through a partnership of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota, the Moving Mountains Award recognizes organizations using leading practices in direct support workforce development that result in improved outcomes for people with disabilities.
 
Organizations that apply are required to illustrate how their direct support workforce practices and philosophy align with the principles of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.
 
Applications are now being accepted for the 2020 Moving Mountains Award. The winning organization will be honored and will share their initiative in Baltimore, Maryland during the Reinventing Quality Conference in August 2020. Applications for submission are due by February 28, 2020.
 
To learn more about the awards click the following LINK. For information on previous award winners click here to visit our Moving Mountains Awards page. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
 
DISABILITY SCOOP: TRUMP PLAN WOULD WEAKEN DISABILITY HOUSING PROTECTIONS, ADVOCATES SAY
A new Trump administration rule could make it harder for people with developmental disabilities and others to lodge discrimination complaints under the federal Fair Housing Act.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s proposed rule, which is likely to face legal challenges, would replace “disparate impact” guidelines regarding housing policies that indirectly discriminate against certain groups. The new rule would raise the burden of proof for people filing discrimination complaints and give landlords more authority to use algorithms such as minimum credit scores to reject housing applicants.

“Autistic people may face barriers to challenging rules that disproportionately burden us,” said Sam Crane, legal director and director of public policy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. To read the rest of the article click HERE. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
 
FROM THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS): CMS TAKES HISTORIC STEPS TO INCREASE PUBLIC ACCESS TO MEDICAID AND CHIP DATA
On November 7, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released for the first time its research-ready Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) data, a robust and evolving collection of Medicaid and CHIP data files. Today’s historic data release is a milestone in CMS’s continued commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in the Medicaid program. It is also part of our MyHealthEData initiative to unleash data into the public domain to promote data-driven solutions, help ensure sound program performance, support improvement, and identify and prevent fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicaid and CHIP programs.

“The research community and stakeholders will have a powerful tool to provide creative solutions on Medicaid and CHIP healthcare delivery, outcomes, and financing,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “By unleashing data, the Trump Administration is establishing an environment of shared learning and opportunity for federal and state partners to continue to realize values from best practices, leading to positive health outcomes for our most vulnerable populations.”

Today’s release reverses years of a lack of access to Medicaid and CHIP data. These data provide key information, including information on utilization and spending under Medicaid managed care, and are needed to enable research and analysis to improve quality of care, assess beneficiary care costs, and enrollment and improve program integrity. Ongoing availability of T-MSIS data is essential to allow monitoring and oversight of Medicaid and CHIP programs, to enable evaluation of demonstrations under section 1115 of the Social Security Act, and to calculate quality measures and other metrics.

Over the last five years, CMS and states have worked diligently to improve the quality and integrity of the data states submitted to T-MSIS.  As a result, we now have more timely beneficiary-level data on the Medicaid and CHIP program than we’ve ever had before. CMS is continuing to work with states to improve reporting to ensure that future data releases will be even better.

External researchers can obtain access to T-MSIS data by submitting a request to the CMS Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) and signing a CMS data use agreement containing strict beneficiary privacy and data security requirements.  To learn more click here to visit the ResDAC website. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
 
JOB ACCOMMODATION NETWORK ANNUAL UPDATE – LOW COST, HIGH IMPACT
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) posted the annual update of its "Accommodation and Compliance: Low Cost, High Impact" report on the cost and benefits of providing workplace accommodations to employees with disabilities. Employers who participated in the JAN survey reported that 58% of accommodations cost nothing to make. Providing accommodations resulted in such benefits as retaining valuable employees, improving productivity and morale, reducing workers' compensation and training costs, and improving company diversity.  The JAN annual update can be found HERE. (Contact: Beth Owens)
 
UPDATE: CHANGE TO MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT OF PHYSICIANS
On October 31st, 2019, HFS submitted another Provider Notice delaying the implementation of the ordering/referring/prescribing requirements from November 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020. The October 31st provider notice is located here.
 
This notice was in follow up to the notices HFS previously sent out on September 5th, September 18th, and September 24th regarding the HFS policy change which requires all practitioners who order, refer, or prescribe Medicaid services to be enrolled through the Illinois Medicaid Program Advanced Cloud Technology (IMPACT) as a participating Physician, Dentist, Optometrist, Podiatrist, Advanced Practical Nurse or a Physician Assistant. (Contact: Beth Owens)

FREE GATA WORKSHOPS: NAVIGATING GATA
In November, Illinois Partners for Human Service will host a series of workshops throughout the state to promote awareness and understanding of the Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) process.
 
Workshop topics will include:

• What is GATA?
• Tips for navigating the GATA system
• Understanding what to do NOW to be GATA-prepared

The workshops are intended for personnel from organizations with state contracts who are interested in gaining a better understanding of GATA and how to navigate the GATA system and will be facilitated by DHS. Workshops will be hosted in Belleville, Bloomington, Riverside, and Vienna. Click on the location of the workshop you would like to attend to reserve a free ticket via Eventbrite.
 
Bloomington: November 12 from 1 - 3 PM
 
Belleville: November 13 from 1 - 3 PM
 
Vienna: November 14 from 1 - 3 PM
Note: Space is limited. If demand exceeds capacity, a wait list will be initiated.  
 
Focus Groups – From 10 AM – Noon on the day of each GATA Training, DHS will lead a focus group on the Human Services Capital Grant Program and is seeking input from human service providers. If you are interested in participating, please email the contact person by the date specified below:

• Bloomington: RSVP to Holly by Wednesday 11/6
• Metro East: RSVP to Kate by Thursday 11/7
• Vienna: RSVP to Kate by Thursday 11/7

Note: Space is limited. If demand exceeds capacity, a wait list will be initiated.  
(Contact: Maggie Henley)
  
DOL OVERTIME RULE MEMBER RESOURCES
On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to make 1.3 million American workers newly eligible for overtime pay. The final rule updates the earnings thresholds necessary to exempt executive, administrative, or professional employees from FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime pay requirements, and allows employers to count a portion of certain bonuses(and commissions) towards meeting the salary level and will be effective January 1, 2020.
 
IARF has partnered with the Horton Group to offer members the following resources and information on the final rule:  
The Association will be a hosting member webinars in the coming months to review the rule and answer questions from members. Stay tuned for updates! (Contact: Maggie Henley)
 
 

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