Dear Friends of Mainers with Disabilities,
Please ask your state representative and state senator to co-sign a letter that Rep Laurie Osher is circulating about prioritizing family members living with people at risk for bad COVID outcomes (especially children at risk who are too young for the vaccine). The letter does the following:
You can get your senator’s email address at https://legislature.maine.gov/sen.../find-your-state-senator Thank you! Home and Community Based Services (HCBS):
Case Manager/ Care Coordinator Series Register Now! Two HCBS Virtual Events: Home and Community Based Services (HCBS): Case Manager/ Care Coordinator Series HCBS Choice of Settings Requirements January 14th, 2021 1:00 – 3:00pm Register here and HCBS Rights Modifications January 15th, 2021 10:00am – 12:00 noon Register here Dr. Lisa Mills Join us to learn how to implement two requirements of the HCBS settings rule applicable to person-centered planning and the writing of person-centered plans with and for Mainers utilizing waiver services:
Both webinars are required for Community Case Managers (CCMs) and ORC/BI Care Coordinators. Webinars meet annual Job Specific Competencies training requirements for Case Managers supporting adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and Autism. https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads/about-us/initiatives/hcbs to learn about Maine’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Transition Initiative. Dr. Lisa A. Mills has been a consultant in the field of disability for 30 years with a primary focus on community services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has served as a consultant for several states on HCBS Setting Rule compliance and is currently the Subject Matter Expert with Economic Systems (EconSys) supporting Maine’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) transition to compliance initiative. She has worked in Maine and twenty other states over the past 14 years on Medicaid waiver renewals, Medicaid 1115 demonstration waivers, policy and rate/ reimbursement models, supporting service provider capacity-building and engaging other state systems as critical partners with Medicaid. If you require accommodations to attend these trainings (for example sign language or other language interpreters, etc.) please inform Alexis L Reminder: DHHS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS): Individual/ Family/ Guardian Series1/19/2021
DHHS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS):
Individual/ Family/ Guardian Series Register Now! Two Free HCBS Virtual Events: Home and Community Based Services (HCBS): Individual/ Family/ Guardian Series Ensuring Your Choice of Settings where HCBS is Provided January 28th, 2021 7pm - 8pm Register here Are you someone who receives waiver services? Do you wonder about how you could be a more active member of your community or how you could meet and get to know more people in your local community? Are you struggling to plan interesting and meaningful days? Do you wonder about whether there are different places where you could receive the waiver services you are currently receiving? We will explore how the HCBS Rule ensures that people who receive waiver services are supported to be fully involved in their communities, to the same extent as people who don't receive waiver services. Note: This session is also valuable for involved family members, advocates and/or legal guardians for an individual receiving waiver services. and Know Your HCBS Rights Know When, Why and How these Rights can be Modified January 29th, 2021 2pm - 3pm Register here Are you someone who receives waiver services? The federal HCBS Settings Rule ensures that Mainers receiving waiver services have certain rights and protections. Do you know the rights and protections you have under the HCBS Settings Rule? Do you know which of these rights and protections may be “modified” and how, when and why a modification can be done? We will explore the rights and protections assured through the HCBS Settings Rule. Also, if your Team may want to modify these rights to keep you healthy and safe, we will explore what steps must be taken as part of your person-centered planning process. The advocacy resources available to you will also be shared. Note: This session is also valuable for involved family members, advocates and/or legal guardians for an individual receiving waiver services. https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads/about-us/initiatives/hcbs to learn about Maine’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Transition Initiative. Both Sessions Presented by Dr. Lisa Mills Dr. Lisa A. Mills has been a consultant in the field of disability for 29 years with a primary focus on community services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has served as a consultant for several states on HCBS Setting Rule compliance and is currently a Subject Matter Expert with Economic Systems (EconSys) supporting Maine’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) transition to compliance initiative. She has worked in Maine and twenty other states over the past 14 years on Medicaid waiver renewals, Medicaid 1115 demonstration waivers, policy and rate/ reimbursement models, supporting service provider capacity-building and engaging other state systems as critical partners with Medicaid. If you require accommodations to attend these trainings (for example sign language or other language interpreters, etc.) please inform Alexis Lull – [email protected] Register Now! Two Free HCBS Virtual Events: Home and Community Based Services (HCBS): Individual/ Family/ Guardian Series Ensuring Your Choice of Settings where HCBS is Provided January 28th, 2021 7pm - 8pm Register here Are you someone who receives waiver services? Do you wonder about how you could be a more active member of your community or how you could meet and get to know more people in your local community? Are you struggling to plan interesting and meaningful days? Do you wonder about whether there are different places where you could receive the waiver services you are currently receiving? We will explore how the HCBS Rule ensures that people who receive waiver services are supported to be fully involved in their communities, to the same extent as people who don't receive waiver services. Note: This session is also valuable for involved family members, advocates and/or legal guardians for an individual receiving waiver services. and Know Your HCBS Rights Know When, Why and How these Rights can be Modified January 29th, 2021 2pm - 3pm Register here Are you someone who receives waiver services? The federal HCBS Settings Rule ensures that Mainers receiving waiver services have certain rights and protections. Do you know the rights and protections you have under the HCBS Settings Rule? Do you know which of these rights and protections may be “modified” and how, when and why a modification can be done? We will explore the rights and protections assured through the HCBS Settings Rule. Also, if your Team may want to modify these rights to keep you healthy and safe, we will explore what steps must be taken as part of your person-centered planning process. The advocacy resources available to you will also be shared. Note: This session is also valuable for involved family members, advocates and/or legal guardians for an individual receiving waiver services.
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads/about-us/initiatives/hcbs to learn about Maine’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Transition Initiative. Brought to you by the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) Both Sessions Presented by Dr. Lisa Mills Dr. Lisa A. Mills has been a consultant in the field of disability for 29 years with a primary focus on community services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has served as a consultant for several states on HCBS Setting Rule compliance and is currently a Subject Matter Expert with Economic Systems (EconSys) supporting Maine’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) transition to compliance initiative. She has worked in Maine and twenty other states over the past 14 years on Medicaid waiver renewals, Medicaid 1115 demonstration waivers, policy and rate/ reimbursement models, supporting service provider capacity-building and engaging other state systems as critical partners with Medicaid. If you require accommodations to attend these trainings (for example sign language or other language interpreters, etc.) please inform Alexis Lull – [email protected] From DHHS:
MaineCare Comprehensive Rate System Evaluation Phase 2 Stakeholder Engagement This is a notice regarding the next phase of stakeholder engagement activities for MaineCare’s Comprehensive Rate System Evaluation, which are scheduled to begin December 2, 2020, and will serve as an opportunity for MaineCare providers to share comments on the adequacy of MaineCare rate amounts and impact these rates may have on access to services. This will include feedback on the Phase 1 benchmarking report, which will be released before Thanksgiving. We will send out a notification when the benchmarking report is available on our website. To prepare for the meetings, we ask that participants review the report prior to their session(s) and think about any important factors that were not accounted for in the report that you would like to note for consideration. The meeting schedule is below (please note that some groupings have changed since the Phase 1 meetings). Information about how to register for these meetings will be forthcoming. Wednesday, December 2, 2020 8:00-10:30 Specialty Services Sec. 15: Chiropractic Services Sec. 68: Occupational Therapy Services Sec. 75: Vision Services Sec. 85: Physical Therapy Services Sec. 95: Podiatric Services Sec. 109: Speech and Hearing Services 12:00-2:30 Dental Services Sec. 25: Dental Services Sec. 90: Ambulatory Care Clinic Services, Oral Surgery Services only Sec. 3: Physician Services, Oral Surgery Services only Thursday, December 3, 2020 8:00-10:30 Hospital Services Sec. 45: Hospital Services Sec. 46: Psychiatric Hospital Services 12:00-2:30 Nursing Facilities Sec. 67: Nursing Facility Services Friday, December 4, 2020 8:00-10:30 Miscellaneous Services Sec. 5: Ambulance Services Sec. 55: Laboratory Services Sec. 60: Medical Supplies and Durable Medical Equipment Sec. 101: Medical Imaging Services 12:00-2:30 Physician, APRN, Primary Care, Ambulatory Care/Clinics Services Sec. 3: Ambulatory Care Clinic Services except Oral Surgery Services Sec. 4: Ambulatory Surgical Center Services Sec. 7: Free-Standing Dialysis Services Sec. 14: Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Services Sec. 30: Family Planning Agency Services Sec. 31: Federally Qualified Health Center Services Sec. 90: Physician Services except Oral Surgery Services Sec. 91: Health Home Services Sec. 94: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Services (EPSDT) Sec. 103: Rural Health Clinic Services 3:00-5:30 Residential Care Sec. 2: Adult Family Care Services Sec. 97: Private Non-Medical Institution Services- App B, C, D (except App D Therapeutic Foster Care), E, and F. Sec. 107: Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility Services Monday, December 7, 2020 8:00-10:30 Behavioral Health Services – Outpatient Sec. 17: Community Support Services - Day Supports Services Sec. 17: Community Support Services - Interpreter Services Sec. 17: Community Support Services - Skills Development Services Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Behavioral Therapy Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Medication Management Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Neurobehavioral Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Outpatient 3:00-5:30 Behavioral Health Services – Community-Based Sec. 13: Targeted Case Management Services Sec. 17: Community Support Services - Assertive Community Treatment Sec. 17: Community Support Services - Community Integration Services Sec. 17: Community Support Services - Community Rehabilitation Services Sec. 17: Community Support Services - Daily Living Support Services Sec. 28: Rehabilitative and Community Support Services for Children with Cognitive Impairments and Functional Limitations Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- ACT Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Behavioral Health Day Treatment Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Clubhouse Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Crisis Sec. 65: Behavioral Health Services- Home and Community Based Treatment (HCBT) Sec. 92: Behavioral Health Home Services Sec. 93: Opioid Health Home Services Sec. 97: Private Non-Medical Institution Services, App D Therapeutic Foster Care only Tuesday, December 8, 2020 8:00-10:30 Home and Community-Based Services for Members with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and/or Acquired Brain Injury and Other Related Conditions Sec. 18: Home and Community-Based Services for Adults with Brain Injury Sec. 20: Home and Community Based Services for Adults with Other Related Conditions Sec. 21: Home and Community Benefits for Members with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder Sec. 23: Developmental and Behavioral Clinic Services Sec. 29: Support Services for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder Sec. 50: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Services Sec. 102: Rehabilitative Services 12:00-2:30 Home and Community-Based Services for Older Adults and Members with Physical Disabilities Sec. 12: Consumer Directed Attendant Services Sec. 19: Home and Community Benefits for the Elderly and Adults with Disabilities Sec. 26: Day Health Services Sec. 40: Home Health Services Sec. 43: Hospice Services Sec. 96: Private Duty Nursing and Personal Care Services Providers and other interested parties who would like to submit comments in writing may do so by sending an email to [email protected]. We will accept written comments until Wednesday, December 9th. Following these meetings, we will develop the Phase 2 plan for a comprehensive rate assessment process, which will include:
Interim Phase 2 findings will be released mid-January 2021, and the final report in February. Please send any questions on this effort to [email protected]. For more information, please visit our website. The Washington Post article linked below, was published on 11/18, and highlights the incredible challenges faced by direct service providers, which has been amplified by COVID. It is well worth the read. Here is the link to the article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/11/18/clorox-wipes-covid-disabled/?arc404=true COVID-19 Impacts on DHHS ServicesThe Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is carefully monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 on the State of Maine and on those we serve. DHHS is using this data to inform policy decisions, assess the ongoing impacts of the crisis, and improve access to the important services DHHS provides to the people of Maine.
As part of this effort, DHHS has collected data to analyze changes in services such as MaineCare, Food Supplement, child welfare programs, telehealth services, and behavioral health crisis lines. Our data dashboard, published today, presents many of the measures we have been monitoring this spring to assess and improve our services during the pandemic. Please note that the time period covered and the frequency of measurement may vary for different services. We will continue to update the dashboard regularly while the effects of COVID-19 continue in Maine. For the information provided by the Department, please click the link below: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/data-reports/covid-19-impacts-on-dhhs-services Maine Medical Center
Dept. of Vocational Services Work & Benefits Navigator Training 2020-2021 Training Schedule We are pleased to announce this year's Work & Benefits Navigator Training (WBNT) schedule. Please share with anyone you think may be interested. Printable Schedule All trainings will be virtual due to COVID-19. Each session is two days from 9am-12pm. Trainees must attend both days. November Session Tuesday 11/ 17 and Wednesday 11/18 December Session Wednesday 12/16 and Thursday 12/17 January Session for Employment Specialists only Wednesday 1/20 and Friday 1/22 February Session Tuesday 2/23 and Thursday 2/25 Additional dates to be announced in 2021 This training is for anyone who:
Register November SMACT presentation 11/6/20 Please join us for the Nov 6th SMACT presentation at 1:00 by Zoom. Information about our presenter is below. There is a link to a video below the text to view before the presentation. A handout with additional information is attached. At the bottom of the email is the Zoom link to the meeting. We look forward to seeing you there! Presenter Heather Shields OTR/L CDRS is an occupational therapist, driving instructor and certified driving rehab specialist. She works with people to regain their ability to drive following an acute or chronic medical event, such as a stroke, traumatic brain injury, concussion, spinal cord injury, leg amputation, peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis or dementia. Heather works with students who have special needs to ensure they have the skills required to take driver’s ed and learn to drive safely. She works with clients, their family and the healthcare team to determine readiness to drive. When the client is ready, she helps them gain their independence. This Presentation will include information on: Potential to drive evaluations for students with special needs, Vocational Rehab Services that support driver evaluation, adaptive equipment and individualized driving instruction Also, info will be shared about the Adolescent Skills Checklist (attached) used to help determine when students are ready for driver's ed and the Drive Focus app, a useful tool for teens with special needs, www.drivefocus.com Please view the video below before the presentation. https://vimeo.com/143864083 Link for the presentation: Time: Nov 6, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/99899929314?pwd=UVRiR2kwMFVoM2lPRjhYMHNqWUF3dz09 Meeting ID: 998 9992 9314 Passcode: xnSc3GAcS3 Nancy Peavy Transition Strategist Portland Public Schools 353 Cumberland Ave, Portland ME 04101 207.800.6712 |
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