Office of Community Living Updates: May 31, 2023

May 31, 2023

The Office of Community Living (OCL) within the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) has the following information to share below:

Announcements:

Join Stakeholder Forums to Discuss Hospital Community Benefit

Creating Equitable Access within Colorado’s Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) - Register to Join Us on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, from 12 to 2 p.m. MT

National Core Indicator (NCI) State of the Workforce Survey-IDD: Deadline Friday, June 30, 2023

Apply Now to Become a Member of the Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board: Deadline Friday, June 30, 2023

Group In-Reach Implementation Survey for Stakeholders: Deadline Friday, June 16, 2023

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-Related Meetings:

Community First Choice (CFC) Council

ARPA 4.03 Child and Youth Step-down Options Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) Track Request for Application (RFA) Question & Answer Meeting

ARPA 2.02 Statewide Mobile Crisis Response Bi-Weekly Technical Assistance

ARPA 4.03 Child and Youth Step-down Options Children’s Habilitation Residential Program (CHRP) Track Request for Applications (RFA) Question-and-Answer Session

Announcements

Join Stakeholder Forums to Discuss Hospital Community Benefit

HCPF, in partnership with the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), is seeking feedback on how nonprofit hospitals should prioritize their community benefit investments.

We invite you to join one of the two stakeholder feedback sessions listed below. We are seeking feedback from community-based organizations and advocacy groups, local public health agencies, and health care providers outside of hospital and health systems, including home and community-based service providers, behavioral health providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and others. A separate session will convene hospitals and health systems.

Session #1 will be held:

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

9 to 10 a.m. MT

Session #2 will be held:

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

4 to 5 p.m. MT

Both meetings will take place virtually. Please register to receive details and materials prior to the meetings. The same information will be shared at both meetings.

CHI will facilitate these sessions and is accepting written feedback or questions in advance at focusgroups@coloradohealthinstitute.org.

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Creating Equitable Access within Colorado’s Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)

Through the ARPA Initiative 3.01 - Equity Study, HCPF is working with stakeholders to identify barriers and increase equity across HCBS programs.

This has included:

Internal HCPF Equity Study (to be released this summer)

Agency/Provider and Member/Caregiver Survey reaching nearly 500 respondents across Colorado (conducted in February 2023)

Virtual Summit #1 on April 4 with more than 115 participants

In-depth learning exchanges with local grassroots, community organizations throughout the state

On June 6 from 12 to 2 p.m. MT, we will share what we have learned, and invite your further participation in a conversation about barriers and actionable solutions around awareness and enrollment of HCBS programs and services.

The meeting will be held:

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

12 to 2 p.m. MT

This work has been supported by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) 3.01 Equity Study. You can also find more information about the project on the ARPA Initiative 3.01 Equity Study webpage.

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National Core Indicator (NCI) State of the Workforce Survey-IDD:

Deadline Friday, June 30, 2023

HCPF launched the NCI State of the Workforce Survey (formerly known as the Staff Stability Survey) in mid-March, for agencies providing services to individuals enrolled in the Supported Living Services (SLS) and the Developmental Disabilities (DD) waivers. The NCI State of the Workforce Survey is conducted across the country and will help Colorado measure improvement in the quality and stability of the workforce of direct support professionals assisting adults with Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Agencies included in the survey sample received the link via email, to complete the NCI State of the Workforce Survey online. Each agency will only fill out one survey about their direct care workforce. We ask that the survey be completed by Friday, June 30, 2023.

HCPF thanks agencies for assisting us with completing this mission-critical work. It will help evaluate the stability of staff and services provided to the members we serve. For more information, please visit HCPF’s NCI Survey webpage.

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Apply Now to Become a Member of the Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board: Deadline Friday, June 30, 2023

The Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board reviews and makes grant approval recommendations for projects funded by Civil Money Penalty funds. The projects focus on innovative ways to improve the quality of life and quality of care for nursing home residents. Your experiences, knowledge and insight may help support these projects.

The Board is looking for five representatives: one who is a resident of a nursing facility, three who are long-term care employees, and one representative from the business community.

To Apply

To apply to become a member of the Board, please fill out the application at the Colorado Boards and Commissions webpage ("Apply Now" box on the bottom of the page and select "Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board"). The application deadline is Friday, June 30, 2023.

For More Information

For more information about the Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board, please visit HCPF's Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board webpage. If you have questions, please contact Richard Clark at Richard.Clark@state.co.us.

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Group In-Reach Implementation Survey for Stakeholders:

Deadline Friday, June 16, 2023

In March 2022, the Department of Justice sent HCPF a letter regarding shortcomings within the state's Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) system and transition services for individuals currently residing in a Nursing Facility setting. As part of the BA-07 Budget Request, HCPF requested funds to proactively implement Group In-Reach in the Nursing Facility setting.

About Group In-Reach

The purpose of Group In-Reach is to educate individuals living in a Nursing Facility and their natural supports (family, guardians, friends or caregivers) about community-based living options, waivers and supports in a group setting. The first year, Group In-Reach will be completed by the internal HCPF In-Reach coordination team. After this first year, HCPF will request stakeholder feedback about:

Whether Group In-Reach should continue

Which agency would be best to assume management of the Group In-Reach program after the first year of this project

About the Survey

HCPF is now conducting a stakeholder survey to collect additional feedback regarding Group In-Reach implementation and ensure the In-Reach team is providing members with extensive, correct and pertinent information to support making an informed decision regarding their community living options. The survey deadline is Friday, June 16, 2023.

We thank all survey respondents for helping us ensure that Group In-Reach is helpful to members, their natural support and agency staff.

Click Here to Take the Survey

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-Related Meetings

Please find an ARPA-related meeting announcement listed below. Other ARPA-related meeting information is on the ARPA Stakeholder Engagement and Calendar webpage.

Community First Choice (CFC) Council

The CFC Council collaborates with and advises HCPF on the design and implementation of a CFC option in Colorado. The CFC Council consists primarily of individuals with disabilities, those 65 years or older, and their representatives to help ensure CFC is implemented in a way that best meets the needs of Coloradans with disabilities.

If you need assistance accessing the meeting webinar link or call-in number,

contact the CFC team. For more information, see the CFC Stakeholder Opportunities webpage.

The meeting will be held:

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

10 to 11:30 a.m. MT

Join via Google Meet

Join by Phone:

1-260-230-1249, PIN: 719 313 221#

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ARPA 4.03 Child and Youth Step-down Options Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) Track Request for Application (RFA) Question & Answer Meeting

HCPF will work with several providers to develop a viable step-down treatment program, to create models of care that are financially viable and person-centered, with a focus on those children and youth who are currently being sent out of state for services. This project will also look at the creation or expansion of a step-down service between hospitals and a short-term residential placement. Please join us for a program overview and a question-and-answer session.

The meeting will be held:

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join by Phone:

(Toll-free) 1-877-853-5257

Meeting ID: 969 4053 6000, Passcode: 115140

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ARPA 2.02 Statewide Mobile Crisis Response Bi-Weekly Technical Assistance

This is an opportunity for Administrative Service Organizations (ASO) / Regional Accountable Entities (RAE), community and members, providers, and any interested stakeholder to ask questions and receive technical assistance related to implementing the Mobile Crisis Medicaid Benefit. These meetings will occur bi-weekly starting March 16, 2023, through at least July 2023. Email Emily Holcomb for more information contact Emily Holcomb at Emily.Holcomb@state.co.us.

The meeting will be held:

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

11 a.m. to 12 p.m. MT

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ARPA 4.03 Child and Youth Step-down Options Children’s Habilitation Residential Program (CHRP) Track Request for Applications (RFA) Question-and-Answer Session

HCPF will focus on those areas in which there are currently gaps in services and treatment programs for children and youth. These include members with Autism Spectrum Disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities, severe emotional disturbance, as well as those with dual behavioral health and physical or developmental diagnoses. Please join us for a program overview and question and answer session. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, June 8, 2023

9:30 to 10:30 a.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join by Phone:

(Toll-free) 1-877-853-5257

Meeting ID: 969 4053 6000, Passcode: 115140

Need to Make an Accommodation Request for one of our General OCL or ARPA-Related Stakeholder Meetings?

Reasonable accommodations for all OCL and ARPA-related stakeholder meetings will be provided upon request for persons with disabilities. Auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities and language services for individuals whose first language is not English may be provided upon request. Please notify John Barry at 303-866-3173 or John.R.Barry@state.co.us or the 504/ADA Coordinator at hcpf504ada@state.co.us at least one week prior to the meeting to make arrangements.

General OCL Meetings are on the OCL Stakeholder Engagement and Calendar webpage.

ARPA-Related Meetings are on the ARPA Stakeholder Engagement and Calendar webpage.

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