#THISISOURSHOT CAMPAIGN – FRONTLINE STAFF VACCINATING AGAINST COVID-19
As access to the COVID-19 approved vaccines continue to be distributed around Illinois, it is incredible to see and hear about provider agencies’ efforts to promote vaccination. We know we have more to do as supplies become more widely available and we want to
highlight our heroes working on the frontlines that have received the vaccine!
Frontline staff – professionals and paraprofessional serving and supporting children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities – are the backbone of our service array. Without DSPs, QIDPs, nurses, mental health professionals – there is no community. Those of you that have or are seeking the COVID-19 vaccine are our service array’s best examples of leaders during this pandemic.
Check out our
#ThisIsOurShot campaign and show your pride in keeping others and yourself safe by getting vaccinated!
Reminder – we continually update our COVID-19 resource page with updates, information, infographics, and videos/webinars pertaining to the vaccine and other COVID-19 issues! If you don’t see a helpful resource for your needs – let us know!!
PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN OUTLINES NATIONAL COVID-19 STRATEGY
As members are aware from our update last night (rapid tests, not rabid tests), President-Elect Biden outlined a
$1.90 trillion COVID-19 national strategy and relief package he intends to put before Congress. An element we didn’t believe was in at the time of the update – but we are seeing evidence of now – is inclusion in that total of $350 billion in financial relief for state and local governments – a must have for Illinois. The package focuses on a national strategy for vaccination, expansion of testing and public health jobs, expansion and extension of leave and unemployment benefits, additional direct relief to individuals and families, funding increases to behavioral health services, greater assistance to LTC settings, and a federal minimum wage of $15.00/hr - including eliminating Section 14(c) subminimum wage. As was noted by our colleagues at ANCOR, candidate Biden’s Disability Plan noted “He will also ensure that Medicaid reimbursement levels reflect fair wages, while increasing access to HCBS-alleviating tension between access to services and paying people a fair wage.”
Early analysis before the speech indicated the package would be organized with bipartisan appeal to give Republican members of Congress an opportunity to support the proposals. With Democrats controlling the Senate post inauguration, there are more paths to passage of a package such as this than with a Republican controlled Senate. We are watching to see how these provisions are observed in Congress, but expect many to be fairly popular with the Democrat majorities.
IARF MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS JANUARY 27TH WITH SENATE PRESIDENT DON HARMON
The first IARF Meeting of the Membership will be held on January 27
th at 9:30 am. We are pleased to announce that Illinois Senate President Don Harmon will join us for the meeting to discuss the upcoming legislative session with members. In addition, both the I/DD and Behavioral Health Committees will meet immediately following the Meeting of the Membership followed by the monthly Board Meeting. Information to join the meetings has been sent out to members, but if you need the login information for the meetings please
click here to contact us. (Contact: Maggie Henley)
CHRIS WELCH BECOMES 70TH ILLINOIS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
This week, after a protracted leadership debate in the Illinois House Democratic Caucus, Emmanuel “Chris” Welch was elected the 70
th Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He succeeds Michael J. Madigan, who held that post nearly continuously since first elected there in 1983.
Speaker Welch has been a State Representative from the 7th District of Illinois since 2013. Welch serves on several key House Committees including Executive, Revenue, Cities and Villages, Counties and Townships, and Higher Education. Welch serves as Chair of the House Executive Committee. He previously served as Chair of the House Higher Education Committee where he led efforts to pass legislation like the four-year map grant award and the AIM High Scholarship. He also served as Co-Chair of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Educational Success Transition Committee. He is the first African American Speaker of the House in Illinois history. This historic changing of the guard will undoubtedly lead to changes in how the Illinois House operates, but those changes are still to be seen. IARF will remain diligent in its efforts to understand those changes and how they affect our members. (Contact: Dan Frey)
NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE ON LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS HUMAN SERVICES PILLAR
As the 101
st GA came to a close, much of the legislative action surrounded votes on omnibus legislative packages proposed by the legislative Black Caucus. Of those four pillars, only the human services package that IARF was working on failed to make its way to the Governor. Though versions of the bill did pass both chambers, neither chamber took up concurrence motions on the others’ version.
As such, once the 102
nd General Assembly was sworn in on Wednesday, the legislature must now start over on any similar package if it hopes to advance those provisions. Items within that legislation that IARF supported included a Behavioral Health Workforce Center and a Managed Care Oversight Commission with a representative from a trade association for intellectual/developmental disability providers. Though we advocated for CMHCs to be included in the section cohabitating FQHCs at hospitals, that request ultimately never made it into any version of the bill. IARF plans to continue working on these provisions in the coming months. (Contact: Dan Frey)
DSP WORKFORCE COVID-19 STUDY
The Institute on Community Integration and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals collaborated in 2020 to gather evidence about the experiences of the direct support workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of that
national DSP Workforce COVID-19 study have been published.
The Institute on Community Integration and the NADSP are now collaborating on a
6-month follow-up survey to gather information in this follow-up survey that will be useful for future advocacy and they need assistance reaching DSPs in Illinois. Please share this with DSPs and your colleagues who are service providers. The survey closes on January 18, 2021. (Contact: Beth Owens)
EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY DDD RATE INCREASES
This Division of Developmental Disabilities has released a formal notification extending Appendix K. The below referenced increases will be extended through March 31, 2021.
- The 5% rate increase to the 60D Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) will continue through March 31, 2021.
- The 15% rate increase for CDS providers (31U/31C) will continue through March 31, 2021.
- All policy amendments allowed for under Appendix K will be maintained through the rest of this fiscal year, or June 30, 2021, including Home Day Program (37U) will continue to be available, without prior approval, for all CILA residents.
The official letter from the Division can be found
HERE. The Division will determine in March if there is the ability to extend beyond March 31, 2021. (Contact: Beth Owens)
DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COMMUNITY PROVIDER TRAININGS
The Division of Developmental Disabilities has announced a webinar training series for our community-based, waiver funded providers. The Webinars will be recorded and posted upon completion. The Division is requesting that at least one member from each community provider agency attend the webinars.
- February 18, 2021 - DDD Update - Presenter: Allison Stark, Director, Division of Developmental Disabilities Link to register
- February 25, 2021 - Assistive Technology & the Waiver: An overview, plus Remote Supports - Presenter: Derek Hedges, Medicaid Waiver Manager Link to register
- March 11, 2021 - Supportive Housing: Supportive Housing Waitlists 101 and How You Can Use the Existing DD Waiver to Fund Supports - Presenter: Todd Fuller, Statewide Housing and Employment First Coordinator & Jennifer Gentile, Deputy Director of Clinical Services Link to register
All Webinars will be held from 1-3 pm and must be registered for individually. Additional Webinars will be held on March 25
th, April 18
th, April 12
th and May 13
th with more information to be released at a later date. (Contact: Beth Owens)
DDD DRAFT INFORMATION BULLETIN- ENTERAL TUBE POLICY
A new Draft Information Bulletin has been posted,
DRAFT IB: Enteral Tube Policy. This Information Bulletin provides guidance on the process for returning an individual, with a newly placed enteral tube, to their CILA (including Intermittent CILA and Host Family CILA) after discharge from the hospital. The comment period for this Draft IB will remain open until January 20, 2021. (Contact: Beth Owens)
NEW COVID-19 TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR ICF/DDs AND MC/DDs
IDPH has posted an Emergency Amendment that includes new rules for COVID-19 Training Requirements for ICF/DD’s and MC/DD’s among others. The rule states Frontline clinical and management staff must complete targeted COVID-19 Training. The training has five specific modules designed for frontline clinical staff and 10 modules designed for nursing home management. Fifty percent of agency staff must have completed the training by January 31, 2021 & 100% completed by February 28, 2021. These training requirements do not apply to CILA’s. The full notice can be found
HERE. (Contact: Beth Owens)
VDS TABLETS CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE
Due to the extension of the use of CARES dollars, the Division will continue to authorize the purchase of additional tablets through the Illinois Care Connections grant. using CARES dollars. The requests for individuals who would like to attend Virtual Day Services programs but need access to a tablet will continue to be filled until all the tablets are claimed. Providers and individuals can contact their Independent Service Coordination (ISC) agency to begin the referral process. To date, 1,592 devices have been requested by our Independent Service Coordination agencies on behalf of DDD. This includes the requests through the ACL Grant, as well as requests for VDS using the additional CARES dollars. (Contact: Beth Owens)
NEW VIRTUAL PERSON-CENTERED THINKING TRAINING BY HRS
Train your staff virtually on your agency’s customized schedule! HRS, Inc.’s new Virtual Person-Centered Thinking Training is designed to help you approach support from a more holistic angle, with person-centered practices that respect the autonomy of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities while providing them with the highest possible level of care.
Click here to find out how you can exclusively train up to 20 of your staff at a time in the NEW Virtual Person-Centered Thinking Training or email HRS at
inquiries@hrstonline.com for more information. (Contact: Maggie Henley)
IDPH SHARES COVID-19 PROMOTIONAL VIDEO AND OTHER EDUCATION RESOURCES
This past week, IDPH released more educational materials to share regarding promotion of the COVID-19 Vaccine:
(Contact: Luis Andrade)
ANCOR: SURVEY ON COVID-19 VACCINATION YOUR COMMUNITY
If you haven't already, please take five minutes today to complete the
ANCOR survey on the COVID-19 vaccination experiences you're seeing in your community.
ANCOR's staff is meeting with senior leadership of the incoming Biden administration's Department of Health & Human Services today, including Secretary nominee Xavier Becerra. We want to have as much data as possible about how the vaccine rollout is going for people with I/DD, direct support professionals and provider organizations. Completing the survey today will be absolutely essential to our ability to advocate on your behalf. Thank you for taking five minutes to complete the survey today. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID WEBINAR FROM NATIONAL COUNCIL
Join
Mental Health First Aid USA on
Monday, January 18, from 1-2 p.m. (CST) for an important discussion on mental health and how we can work together to protect and promote mental wellbeing during challenging times.
Experts from Mental Health First Aid USA will examine how to recognize the warning signs of mental health or substance use challenges and what steps to take if your loved one, friend or co-worker is in need.
Click here to register. (Contact: Dan Frey)
DMH LETTER ON COVID VACCINATION UPDATE RELEASED
Please see
this linked letter from DMH for an update on their COVID vaccination process. DMH is working with the Governor’s Office, IDPH, and local health departments to best determine and learn about the vaccine and encouraging partners to vaccinate. (Contact: Dan Frey)
CFOs - PROVIDER RELIEF FUNDING PORTAL NOW OPEN
HRSA has opened the
PRF portal to be used by providers that received one or more payments from the fund exceeding $10,000 in aggregate. Additional information on how to use the site are below, and posted on the landing page:
Portal FAQs
Registration User Guide
Key dates
January 15, 2021: reporting system opens for providers
February 15, 2021: first reporting deadline for all providers on use of funds
July 31, 2021: final reporting deadline for providers who did not fully expend PRF funds prior to December 31, 2020
