Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar
October 7, 2021
Associated Documents Include:
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Benchmarks' Upcoming Webinars
Benchmarks' Friday Webinar
Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Friday, October 15, 2021
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
NEW!!! Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar
Lisa Cauley Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Thursday, October 21, 2021
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar
Lisa Cauley Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2021
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
NEW!!! Benchmarks' Friday Webinar
Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Friday, October 15, 2021 thru December 16, 2022
(This registration is for a recurring meeting)
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
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Organizational Provider Records Without the Required Individual Provider Affiliation Risk Suspension/Termination
Forthcoming modifications to NCTracks will allow the system to identify organizational providers enrolled in taxonomies (provider type, classification, specialization) without the required affiliation of at least one active individual provider.
Beginning Nov. 21, 2021, organizational providers with certain taxonomies are required to have at least one active affiliated individual provider with at least one active taxonomy related to their credentialed status as a taxonomy level 1 provider.
- This modification will verify providers meet the enrollment criteria for each taxonomy and supports efforts to keep provider enrollment files current.
- Once implemented, this will become an ongoing requirement, obligating providers to maintain and update affiliations in order to avoid potential claims suspension and/or provider enrollment termination.
Tailored Care Management Technical Advisory Group Application Period Open
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is seeking applications for individuals to participate in the Tailored Care Management Technical Advisory Group (TAG), which will advise and inform the Department on key aspects of the design, implementation, and evolution of the Tailored Care Management program.
The Tailored Care Management TAG will be comprised of the following members:
- Representatives from Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) Tailored Plans – i.e., employees of LME/MCOs awarded a Tailored Plan contract
- Representatives from provider organizations that are certified or are candidates to become certified as Advanced Medical Home Plus (AMH+) practices or Care Management Agencies (CMAs)
- Representatives reflecting the Tailored Plan consumer population – i.e., Medicaid enrollees or family members/guardians of individuals who expect to be in Tailored Care Management
The Tailored Care Management TAG will serve as the primary venue for advisory conversations among these stakeholders and the Department, ahead of and after Tailored Care Management launch. The Department expects that members will take issues raised in the Tailored Care Management TAG back to their organizations and networks to promote dialogue and communication between the Tailored Care Management TAG and a broader group of stakeholders.
Innovations SL Levels 2&3 Stakeholder Follow-up from September 30th Meeting
Stakeholder Engagement for High Intensity Residential Services for SUD and TBI - October 13th
Here is an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to the policy development process for Clinical Managed Population Specific High Intensity Residential Services for SUD and TBI. This policy is part of the 1115 SUD Demonstration waiver work being done by DHB and DMHDDSAS.
This will be the first of three stakeholder work groups to review and discuss the Clinically Managed Population Specific High Intensity Residential Service Clinical Coverage Policy for beneficiaries with SUD and TBI.
Attachments will be added closer to the work group date.
Thank you!
October 13, 2021
12pm – 1pm
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer or mobile app
Join with a video conferencing device
Video Conference ID: 112 768 042 3
State Developmental Centers' Stakeholder Survey
We are excited to begin the process of developing a new strategic plan for the State Developmental Centers and we would like your input! In order to do this work and do the work well, we’d like to gain a better understanding of what you, the stakeholders, identify as gaps and needs within the I/DD system of care. With that in mind, we developed a survey to help gather and collect your input.
We will close the survey for responses by end of the business day on October 15th. Please share this email and the survey widely within your networks and community.
If you have additional feedback or input, please email [email protected]. Thank you for your time and collaboration as we begin this work!
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New Medicaid Bulletins Available as of Oct. 5, 2021
The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published new Medicaid Bulletin articles:
- The North Carolina Health Information Exchange is Seeking Focus Group Participants
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Tailored Care Management Technical Advisory Group Application Period Opens
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Organizational Provider Records Without the Required Individual Provider Affiliation Risk Suspension/Termination
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NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Announcements
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Maintaining Complete Medical Records and Updating Contact Information
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Billing Code Update for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
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Electronic Visit Verification Soft Launch Update for Prepaid Health Plans
Providers are encouraged to review this information. All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpaget.
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Key Takeaways:
- PLEASE SHARE: Public Notice to Comment on Proposed Social Services Block Grant Plan
- Children’s Home Society: Support & Training for Kinship Caregivers Online (attachment)
- NC Commission of Indian Affairs 2021 Indian Child Welfare Gathering – Thursdays in October
- REMINDER: County Family Reunification Annual Plans due Nov. 1, 2021
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Invitation to Comment on Proposed Social Services Block Grant Plan
Please help distribute this information by sharing on your local DSS website.
NCDHHS today issued a public notice seeking comment on the proposed Social Services Block Grant Plan, which outlines how $76 million in federal SSBG funds will be spent in NC for the 2021-2022 state fiscal year. Comments must be submitted in writing no later than Oct. 18, 2021.
The Division is asking you to share links to both the public notice and plan on your local DSS or county websites to provide increased opportunities for public review.
The public notice is available at www.ncdhhs.gov/ssbg-public-notice/download?attachment and includes details about the SSBG funds and plan, instructions for submitting public comment, and details on how to register for the virtual public hearing that will be held Oct. 18.
Due to COVID-19, both the review period and public hearing will be held online. Thank you for helping the Department increase opportunities for the public to review and comment on the plan.
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Children’s Home Society: Caring for Our Own Online
Support and Training for Kinship Caregivers
Children’s Home Society is offering Caring for Our Own support and training online. Caring for Our Own provides a convenient way for families to gain support with the experiences common to kinship care. Through a series of ten online meetings, kinship caregivers will learn how to assess and build on the strengths and needs of the children in their care, and gain assistance and ideas for working in partnership with the helping network, the children, and the birth parents.
Fall 2021 Schedule:
Saturdays / Oct. 9 – Dec. 18 | 9am–12pm (no meeting on Nov. 27)
Mondays / Oct. 11 – Dec. 13 | 6-9pm
Tuesdays / Oct. 12–Dec. 21 | 9am–12pm (no meeting on Nov. 9)
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NC Commission of Indian Affairs 2021 Indian Child Welfare Gathering
Join the Commission Thursdays in October to discuss Indian Child Welfare
The NC Department of Administration’s Commission of Indian Affairs Child Welfare Program is hosting a series of webinars throughout October to discuss Indian Child Welfare. This online series will provide in-service training for tribal staff, state and local officials, social services employees, commission employees, court employees who work with American Indian children impacted with Indian Child welfare issues, foster care and adoptions.
The webinar will be held each Thursday in October, 12:30–2 p.m. To join the WebEx, click here.
- October 7 - Historical Perspective
Gain an understanding of how historical treatment of American Indians may still be impacting current outlooks on acceptance of medical treatment and social services. Find out how your interactions with American Indian clients can make the difference in whether the child gets medical care.
- October 14 - Real Life Experiences
Hear from American Indians actively involved in foster care and social service share how they’ve used their cultural knowledge and experience to impact hundreds of children’s lives and learn what suggestions they have for other providers.
- October 21 - Importance of Accurate Data
Learn how data makes all the difference in current services and resources for today's American Indian children, as well as long term impacts as they age. Hear personal experiences of what happens as children age out of foster care.
- October 28 - Resources Available Today
Find out which resources and programs are available to help American Indian children in your community - from social services, to insurance and more - and how you can make a difference.
To join the WebEx, click here. You can also join by phone by calling +1-415-655-0003 (US Toll).
Meeting number: 2420 912 6808 | Password: gBfhMhrC948
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Submit Family Reunification Annual Plans by Nov. 1 Deadline
Counties must submit their Family Reunification Plans by Nov. 1 for Promoting Safe and Stable Funds (Title IV-B2) for eligible services and activities. NCDSS released the Family Reunification Annual Plan Template for SFY 2022 on Sept. 24 (DCDL_CWS_38_2021).
Every year, NCDSS provides Promoting Safe and Stable Funds to county child welfare agencies to support Family Reunification Services. Eligible services and activities for this program include:
- Individual, group, and family counseling
- Inpatient, residential, or outpatient substance abuse treatment services
- Mental health services
- Assistance to address domestic violence
- Services to provide temporary childcare and therapeutic services for families, including crisis nurseries
- Peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups
- Facilitation of access to and visitation of children with parents and siblings
- Transportation to or from any of the services and activities listed above.
Each county child welfare agency must submit an annual family reunification plan using the designated template. The plan covers the time between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022. In the plan, agencies will:
- Estimate the number of children, parents, and families that they will serve.
- Project the percentage of each type of allowable services that they will offer as well as the expected internal staff members or community service providers.
- Describe why they selected this particular service(s), how they will track eligibility, maintain documentation, and list any changes from the type of services provided during the previous fiscal year.
- Have the County DSS Director sign the report.
Please submit your plan to Wendy Clewis at [email protected] by Monday, Nov. 1, 2021.
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Direct Care Workforce Updates
Over the past 10 months you may have participated in at least one of the many Essential Jobs, Essential Care North Carolina collective advocacy events-- and thank you! For this reason, we are sharing several timely updates and educational opportunities on NC's Direct Care Workforce.
Don't remember the Essential Jobs, Essential Care initiative? It is a multi-year partnership between the North Carolina Coalition on Aging and PHI, a national organization focused on strengthening the direct care workforce. The initiative aims to advance policy reforms for direct care workers as a critical step toward ensuring quality care for older adults and people with disabilities. The initiative is focused on advancing our Advocacy Road Map which was developed with the input of hundreds of stakeholders from across settings and populations. If you would like more information or to be removed from this list, please contact me at [email protected].
Build Back Better Act: Call To Action
The Better Care Better Jobs Act (S. 1844/H.R. 4131) would be a historic improvement that will help an estimated 3.2 million Americans to obtain the home care they need, while strengthening the economy by creating over 1.6 million new jobs. The Build Back Better Act would provide a critical investment in home and community-based services and would raise wages for care workers to ensure they’re able to build financial security for themselves and their families.
The path forward to enact the proposal into law will be difficult unless member of Congress hear from their constituents about the urgent need for this reform. Let your support for the Build Back Better Act be heard now by calling your congressional delegation. You can call or email them directly or through the help of many national groups. Call 1-855-678-4150 to connect with US Congress switch board (the phone number is supported by National Domestic Workers Alliance) or send an email or Tweet through the National Council on Aging's Action Center here.
Data-Driven Solutions to Strengthen the Direct Care Workforce
Date: Friday, November 19, 2021
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Panelists: Dr. Emma Sandoe, NC Division of Health Benefits; Dr. Sandi Lane, Appalachian State University; Stephen Campbell, PHI
Front Line Workforce the Focus of NC Medical Journal
The latest issue of the NC Medical Journal highlights the changing health care workforce in North Carolina. Amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, major changes are taking place in public health and health care, from the emergence of community health workers and peer support to the expansion of what it means to be on the "front line" of health care.
Invited commentary includes:
- The Caregiving Crisis: Significant Changes Needed to Fill the Void of Caregivers in North Carolina Nursing Homes from Adam Sholar, NC Health Care Facilities Association
- Caregivers—Essential, Frontline, Paid, and Unpaid: Exploring the Differences, Similarities, and Needs of This Important Sector of Community Care from Mark Hensley, AARP NC
- The Health Care Education-to-Workforce Pipeline: Challenges and Changes After the Pandemic from Lori Byrd, NC Community College System
Read the full publication here.
Survey Opportunity for Direct Care Professionals
The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis wants to hear about direct care workers’ experiences during the pandemic. Nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides, medical assistants and other paid frontline caregivers can receive a $25 Amazon gift card for completing this 15-minute survey: https://bit.ly/2XIAFSK. Please spread the word among your networks and help ensure that workers’ voices are heard!”
Need North Carolina or National Workforce Data?
The PHI Workforce Data Center provides customized, up-to-date state and national snapshots on the direct care workforce, including key demographics, job characteristics, and projected openings. Workforce Data Center
Federal Policy Priorities for the Direct Care Workforce
This report offers an extensive and detailed set of federal policy recommendations to strengthen the direct care workforce across eight issue areas: financing, compensation, training, workforce interventions, data collection, direct care worker leadership, equity, and the public narrative. The report offers nearly 50 concrete recommendations for the White House, Congress, and key federal departments and agencies. It also includes recommendations for navigating and learning from COVID-19. Download Report here.
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Workforce Projections
The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) helps public and private organizations understand how changes in population will affect future workforce demands. By estimating supply, demand, and distribution of health care workers, we inform public policy to help prevent shortages and surpluses.
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Nursing Shortage
MONA DOUGANI, QUEENS UNIVERSITY NEWS SERVICE, 10/02/21
Across North Carolina, nurses at major hospital systems are experiencing stress and low morale caused by staffing shortages. Although Novant Health recently fired more than 100 employees for failing to comply with COVID-19 vaccination requirements, low staffing levels may not be as linked to the pandemic as people think. And recent reports from national nursing and professional services organizations indicate nursing shortages will get worse — especially in North Carolina.
One of the biggest contributors to nursing shortages is the declining number of educators who can train the next generation. A survey released in September 2021 by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing indicates the vacancy rate for faculty positions increased from 6.5% in 2020 to 8% in 2021. The association reports that U.S. nursing schools turned away more than 80,000 qualified applicants for nursing programs in 2019, mostly because of faculty shortages.
To ensure faculty are not overwhelmed when teaching and can give adequate attention to students, the North Carolina Board of Nursing sets a firm faculty-student ratio of 1 to 10 for clinical experiences. “Schools are turning away hundreds of qualified students from East Carolina to Wilmington to your other major programs,” said Linda O’Boyle, a professor of nursing at Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina. “They meet the criteria to get in, but we are limited in pre-licensure education by our regulations of how many students we can take to clinicals. It is a safety issue.”
By turning away students because of the lack of nursing educators, fewer students are graduating and entering the field of nursing. Even with a 1 to 10 clinical ratio, O’Boyle said that she and other faculty find that number overwhelming and would prefer a 1 to 7 or 1 to 6 teacher-student ratio.
A report issued Sept. 29 by Mercer, a professional services firm focused on workforce changes, retirement and benefits, indicates that North Carolina will be among the five worst states for nursing shortages by 2026. If current projections hold, the firm estimates national demand for nurses will increase by 5% by 2026, and North Carolina will be 13,000 nurses short. Only Pennsylvania is projected to face a larger nursing shortage.
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Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, other major insurers are running billions behind in payments to hospitals, doctors
Corrections & clarifications: This article has been revised by Kaiser Health News to correct an inaccuracy. Anthem has not created its own network of facilities.
Anthem Blue Cross, the country’s second-biggest health insurance company, is behind on billions of dollars in payments owed to hospitals and doctors because of onerous new reimbursement rules, computer problems and mishandled claims, say hospital officials in multiple states.
Anthem, like other big insurers, is using the COVID-19 crisis as cover to institute “egregious” policies that harm patients and pinch hospital finances, said Molly Smith, group vice president at the American Hospital Association.
“There’s this sense of, ‘Everyone’s distracted. We can get this through,’” she said.
Hospitals are also dealing with a spike in retroactive claims denials by UnitedHealthcare, the biggest health insurer, for emergency department care, AHA says.
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Friday, October 8, 2021
FINAL SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT DEFINITION I/DD & TBI
NC MEDICAID AND STATE-FUNDED SERVICE UPDATE
WEBINAR & Q/A
Time: 6:00 pm thru 7:00 pm
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New: Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Stakeholder Engagement for High Intensity Residential Services for SUD and TBI
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:00 pm
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Wednesday, October 13, 2021
National Council and AAGP – Webinar #4: Evaluation and Management of the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Major and Mild Neurological Disorders in Older Adults
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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New: Wednesday, October 14, 2021
SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS THAT ENTREPRENEURS WITH DISABILITIES EN COUNTER WHEN STARTING THEIR BUSINESSES
Time: 1:00 pm thru 2:00 pm
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Friday, October 15, 2021
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar
Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
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Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Federal Level Advocacy
Time: 9:00 am thru 11:30 am
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Tuesday, October 19, 2021
How Should States Invest in the Direct Care Workforce?
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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Wednesday, October 20, 2021
The Science of Scaling-Up High-Quality Early Childhood Programs
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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New: Thursday, October 21, 2021
Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar with Karen McLeod and Lisa Cauley
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
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Tuesday, November 2, 2021
NC Children with Complex Needs Training Series
Evidence-Based and Promising Practices to Support the Workforce and Partners Serving Individuals with Mental Illness and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Session 3: Psychopharmacology for Children with Complex Needs: 1.5 Contact Hours
Time: 10:00 thru 11:30 am
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