FRAMEWORK? DEAL? WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN?
It’s more than a framework, but less than a deal. Today the House began the process of setting the stage for a vote on both aspects of the Build Back Better Agenda – the $1.75 trillion ‘human’ infrastructure/reconciliation package and $1 trillion bipartisan ‘hard’ infrastructure package. I believe betting folks are confident this package clears the House.
But a deal? Probably not quite yet, as the push/pull within the Senate Democrat caucus remains an issue. As you may’ve seen, a drug pricing framework has helped pave the way for paid leave to come back into the House package, but whether that, as well as other tax provisions remain in what passes the Senate remains to be seen.
The good/excellent - the HCBS and caregiving proposal of $150 billion remains one of the top areas in which there is broad support, meaning we remain on solid footing as the politics remain in play. Our sincere compliments and hat tips to our members that have stuck out these long weeks of high-volume advocacy – it's going to make an incredible difference! (Contact: Josh Evans)
IARF INTERIM UPDATE ON OSHA ETS – FEDERAL CMS VACCINE EMERGENCY RULE
Yesterday the Association sent out an interim update highlighting key areas of note from the published OSHA ETS and federal CMS Emergency Rule on COVID-19 vaccinations. The update is now published on the Association’s COVID-19 page for your reference. Additionally, we are planning to work with our Supporting Members and national membership organizations on future updates and educational opportunities. Keep your questions on these important regulations coming our way! (Contact: Josh Evans)
DHS-DDD ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO COMMUNITY DAY SERVICES
The Division of Developmental Disabilities released a communication outlining changes to Community Day Services (CDS) as of January 1, 2022 and pending waiver approval. With these changes, the Division is very close to implementing all of the Guidehouse recommended rate adjustments. The outstanding recommendations include implementing a regionality factor and average DSP wage rate of $16.50. Additional CDS changes include a shift to billing in 15-minute increments for all residential settings and an end to the temporary COVID rate enhancement. The full letter can be viewed HERE. (Contact: Beth Owens)
IDPH ADOPTS CDC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE FOR CHILDREN AGES 5-11
IDPH issued a press release this week stating the department is adopting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation for children ages 5 through 11 years to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This announcement comes following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's expansion of the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children on October 29, 2021. Previously, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in individuals ages 12 years and older. The full press release can be seen HERE. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
NEON/IARF EMPLOYMENT TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY DUE NEXT WEEK
IARF has been participating in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy’s (ODEP) National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON). Specifically, we are a statewide partner of ANCOR in this endeavor, receiving and providing technical assistance to member agencies as we build towards a community of practice in employment services and supports.
As part of IARFs continuing involvement with ODEP and the NEON Project, we are respectfully requesting providers fill out an Employment Training Needs Assessment.
The survey takes less than 5 minutes and simply gauges provider interest in different training topics related to employment services. We hope to use this information to continue to bring your organization exciting and impactful training opportunities. Surveys are due on Wednesday, November 10. Thank you. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ISSUES EMPLOYMENT FAQ
The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) issued FAQs related to Criterion for an Integrated Employment Location in the Definition of “Competitive Integrated Employment” and Participant Choice (RSA-FAQ-22-02). These FAQs provide guidance and technical assistance to VR agencies and community rehabilitation programs so they may assist individuals with disabilities to achieve high-quality employment and exercise their informed choice about the type of employment to pursue, either with assistance from the VR program or from other community resources. The FAQ and more information can be found HERE on the RSA website. (Contact: Beth Owens)
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ILLINOIS MENTAL HEALTH PLANNING AND ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING
The Illinois Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council (IMHPAC) met on Thursday for its November meeting and included updates from the Division of Mental Health on pertinent issues, including the additional funding to help address the behavioral health workforce crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and the newly-announced funding for mitigation efforts, and the crisis care continuum of services, including the 988 implementation plan. DMH Director Albert provided the Council with an update on the various additional infrastructure investments announced by the department a few weeks ago, including the $13 million set aside for sustainability payments to providers, the $1.7 million for covid mitigation efforts, the $6 million for the behavioral health workforce center, and the $5 million for the student loan repayment program.
Regarding the crisis care continuum, DMH indicated that the state’s 988 implementation plan was submitted to SAMHSA and they are currently awaiting feedback from the federal government and Vibrant regarding the plan. DMH expects to receive that feedback no later than November 24. The 988 Stakeholder Coalition will meet next week to continue discussions as the state moves forward in the implementation process. Of significant note on the 988 plan, SAMHSA has indicated its awareness of the enormous impact the development and implementation of this new crisis hotline will have on states, and it has been bandied about amongst interested parties that states will likely continue to receive significant continued increases in their block grants, most likely in the form of a 10% increase in crisis funding. (Contact: Emily Miller)
DHS-DDD UPDATE WEBINAR – November 10th
DHS-DDD will be hosting a DDD Update webinar on November 10 at 1pm. This webinar will discuss key data points, new PUNS numbers, FY 22 & FY 23 budgeting, next steps with Settings and other topics. DHS-DDD is requesting that at least one individual from every provider organization attend the webinar. You can register here. (Contact: Beth Owens)
HFS PUSHES BACK EFFECTIVE DATE FOR LCPC/LMFT REIMBURSEMENT TO DECEMBER
HFS released an updated public notice this week announcing a delay in its intent to allow LCPCs and LMFTs to bill Medicaid for psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, psychotherapy, and counseling. The original public notice had an effective date of October 1, 2021; this new notice pushes the effective date to December 1, 2021. As a reminder, this change was outlined in the Medicaid omnibus this year to ensure billing/reimbursement for these provider types was consistent with prior rule changes. (Contact: Emily Miller)
ANCOR RELEASES REPORT ON IMPACT OF INCREASING FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE
The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) contracted with the Burns & Associates division of Health Management Associates (HMA-Burns) to estimate the additional costs that providers would incur to increase DSP wages in response to a higher federal minimum wage. The results were published in the recent report, Estimating the Impact of an Increased Federal Minimum Wage on Direct Support Professionals’ Wages and I/DD Service Providers’ Costs. The estimates in this report account only for the additional costs that providers will incur to keep pace with an increased minimum wage. The analysis did not seek to address the greater investment necessary to address the existing challenges confronting the DSP workforce. (Contact: Beth Owens)
Foothold Technology is excited to announce the official launch of their podcast series, “Sharing In Our Caring,” a platform for human services professionals, and thought leaders to shed light on the topics and trends impacting their industry. Whether you’re a provider looking to connect with your community, a policy-maker, or just someone who wants to learn more about the field of human services; we welcome you to listen, share, and come together to make positive change in the human services space. Sharing in Our Caring is hosted by Elliot Massuda, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Foothold Technology, where he applies more than twenty years of strategic sales and partnership experience to connecting with and supporting our provider community. His co-host is Foothold Technology’s Senior Advisor, David Bucciferro, who brings more than 30 years of experience in the human services field working with providers, local governments, and healthcare agencies. Check out the first episode here! (Contact: Maggie Henley)
NOMINATIONS FOR ANCOR’S 2022 DSP OF THE YEAR AWARDS DUE NOVEMBER 30TH
More than ever before, we've seen first-hand in the past year the incredible lengths direct support professionals (DSPs) will go to ensure the safety, well-being and inclusion in the community of the people they support. And we couldn't be more excited to celebrate the achievements of so many outstanding DSPs, so make sure you nominate one of more outstanding DSPs for ANCOR's 2022 Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards!
ANCOR will recognize recipients at a ceremony during ANCOR’s 2022 Annual Conference, taking place April 11-13 in Miami, FL. We'll honor a national award recipient, as many as 51 state-specific award recipients (for all 50 states and the District of Columbia), and a small handful of recipients of our special category awards. Submissions will be reviewed by a committee of judges in late 2021 and early 2022, and nominators will be notified if their nominee(s) has been selected to receive an award by mid-February 2022. Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 pm PST on Tuesday, November 30. Start your nomination today! To find answers to the most frequently asked questions, visit our FAQs page. (Contact: ancor@ancor.org)
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