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

Announcements:

• Case Management Agency (CMA) Request for Proposal (RFP)

• REMINDER: Community First Choice (CFC) Stakeholder Engagement Survey - Deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023

• Colorado To Transition to Federal Hotline for COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments and Information

• Surveying Members on Case Management Agency (CMA) Attributes

General OCL Meetings:

• CANCELED: Residential Habilitation Services and Supports (RHSS) and Supported Community Connections (SCC) Stakeholder Engagement Meeting

• Transitions Stakeholder Advisory Council (TSAC)

• DATE CHANGE: Direct Care Workforce Collaborative (DCWC) Training & Career Advancement Action Group

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-Related Meetings:

• ARPA 2.02 Statewide Mobile Crisis Response: General Technical Assistance

Announcements

Case Management Agency (CMA) Request for Proposal (RFP)

The Department is soliciting competitive, responsive proposals from experienced and financially sound organizations to perform as a Case Management Agency (CMA). The CMA will serve within a geographical Defined Service Area to provide case management services to individuals enrolled or enrolling into Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS).

For more information, see Informational Memo 22-046.

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REMINDER: Community First Choice (CFC) Stakeholder Engagement Survey

Deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023

The Department is conducting a stakeholder survey to better understand how we can continue to improve upcoming CFC stakeholder opportunities. Our goal is to ensure a successful launch of CFC in Colorado.

What is CFC?

Community First Choice (CFC), also known as 1915(k), allows Colorado to offer Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid Program) attendant care services on a statewide basis to eligible members. Through CFC, members would have the option to direct their attendant care services or receive services through an agency.

Attendant care services are those that assist in accomplishing:

• Activities of daily living such as eating, dressing and bathing

• Instrumental activities of daily living such as shopping and keeping doctor appointments

• Health-related tasks such as medication monitoring

Promoting self-direction is a significant program goal and is detailed in federal regulations. To encourage states to adopt CFC, Congress has authorized a higher federal match on CFC-related Health First Colorado expenditures. Under CFC, Colorado would pay approximately 44% of program costs instead of the 50% it currently pays on most services.

About the Survey

The Department is seeking feedback through this Stakeholder Engagement Survey from Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver members and other CFC stakeholders on how we can improve CFC stakeholder engagement. It is important we hear from as many stakeholders as possible for an accurate assessment of individual experiences and values. We want to reach all possible stakeholders, including those who aren’t necessarily familiar with CFC or have not yet engaged in previous engagement opportunities. The deadline to take this survey is Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.

Please Help Us Share Information About This Survey

Please help us spread the word about the opportunity to complete the CFC Stakeholder Engagement Survey by Jan. 4, 2023. Please advise stakeholders to follow the survey link or contact Jordan Larson and complete the survey with him over the phone by calling 303-866-3580.

We are also asking our partnering and collaborating community organizations to share or forward this survey to one or more people in their community or network, such as:

• Individuals who receive services from their organization

• Individuals who receive their communications

• Individuals they think would like to provide feedback on CFC

The Department will also be glad to give a short presentation on CFC during any of our partnering and collaborating organizations’ upcoming meetings. An overview of CFC and how it relates to HCBS waivers is on the CFC Overview page. If you have any additional questions, please email the CFC team at hcpf_cfc@state.co.us or call Jordan Larson at 303-866-3580.

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Colorado To Transition to Federal Hotline for COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments and Information

Please note the following Colorado Department of Public health & Environment (CDPHE) announcement:

Beginning Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, Coloradans who need help making an appointment by phone to get a COVID-19 vaccine or need vaccine information should use the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) free COVID-19 vaccine hotline at

800-232-0233. CDC’s hotline provides help in English, Spanish, and many other languages.

Coloradans can also call the state’s COHELP call line for information about COVID-19 vaccines at 303-389-1687 or 877-462-2911. Live agents are available to answer questions and provide information about vaccines in the state. COHELP cannot directly schedule vaccine appointments. 

CDPHE’s website continues to offer information about vaccines, including where to find a vaccine appointment:

• For questions about COVID-19 vaccines, visit the vaccine FAQ.

• For a vaccine appointment, visit the vaccine finder page.

Live assistance on Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline (877-CO VAX CO) will end Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022. A recorded message will direct callers to CDC’s vaccine hotline or covid19.colorado.gov for assistance.

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Surveying Members on Case Management Agency (CMA) Attributes

What is the Member CMA Survey?

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) has developed a survey that allows stakeholders to share involvement in the CMA selection process while maintaining the integrity of the competitive process and state procurement law.  

The survey will consist of 5 questions targeting key areas of importance that Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) stakeholders need most from their CMA.

What is the timeline for the Member CMA Survey?

The Department will release the survey at the same time the CMA competitive solicitation is released. The Department will gather all responses during the procurement inquiry period set to end Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. 

How will the responses be used? 

The results will be used to obtain input on the needs of members, which the evaluators will consider in addition to the needs of the Department and providers. The results of the survey will be posted publicly on Vendor Self Service and the CMRD website during the inquiry and answer period of the solicitation, no later than Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. 

Who can participate in the Member CMA Survey?

Every Medicaid member (or guardian) who is a participant of the long-term support services and home and community-based services is invited and encouraged to participate in the member CMA survey.  

How many times may I fill out the survey?

We are asking all participants to fill out the survey one time to give the Department a clear picture of member preferences. 

If I, or someone I know, doesn’t want to do the survey online, what are my alternatives?

You can ask a trusted provider, friend, family member or other natural support for assistance in filling out the survey. (Case managers may not assist members with filling out the survey due to conflict of interest).  

Department CMA Survey Live Response Stakeholder Meeting

The Department will host a Member CMA Survey Live Response on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. to also help you fill out your surveys. 

Join via Zoom

Meeting ID: 873 9014 4539, Passcode:597847

Join via Phone:

(Toll-free) 877-853-5257

You may reach out to our Case Management Redesign (CMRD) Community Liaison at Nicolette.Anderson@state.co.us who can coordinate a Department staff member to call you with assistance in filling out the survey.

General OCL Meetings

Please find general OCL meeting announcements listed below. Other OCL meeting information is on the OCL Stakeholder Engagement & Calendar webpage.

CANCELED: Residential Habilitation Services and Supports (RHSS) and Supported Community Connections (SCC) Stakeholder Engagement Meeting

The RHSS and SCC Stakeholder Engagement meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, has been canceled. This meeting will be rescheduled for a later date. The new date will be posted on the OCL Stakeholder Engagement Calendar and announced in an OCL newsletter.

If you have questions, please email hcpf_hcbs_questions@state.co.us. Thank you!

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Transitions Stakeholder Advisory Council (TSAC)

The primary function of this council is to provide guidance and recommendations regarding operational policy and procedural changes to the Transition Services Program and to create solutions to streamline community transitions. The Council will analyze barriers for transitions and provide recommendations for improved practices.

The TSAC meets monthly on the first Thursday at 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. MT. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

For more information, see the Transitions Stakeholder Advisory Council webpage.

The next meeting will be held:

Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023

2:30 - 4:30 p.m. MT

Join via Google Meet

Meeting ID: 993 1700 7314, Passcode: 396389

Join via Phone:

347-480-3624, PIN: 515646803 #

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DATE CHANGE: Direct Care Workforce Collaborative (DCWC) Training & Career Advancement Action Group

NOTE: The DCWC's Training and Career Advancement Action Group meeting originally scheduled for Friday, Jan. 6, at 9 a.m. has been rescheduled to Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, from 9 – 10 a.m. MT. If you have questions, please reach out to the Direct Care Workforce Team at HCPF_DCWorkforce@state.co.us. Thank you!

This Action Group works collaboratively with stakeholders to identify and move forward strategies to support the recruitment and retention of Colorado's direct care workforce. This group intends to meet quarterly on the second Wednesday of the month.

The new meeting date is:

Friday, Jan. 13, 2023

9 - 10 a.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Meeting ID: 993 1700 7314, Passcode: 396389

Join via Phone:

Toll-free: 877-853-5257

American Recue 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 & Calendar webpage.

ARPA 2.02 Statewide Mobile Crisis Response: General Technical Assistance

This is an opportunity for any interested stakeholders to ask questions and receive support for the Mobile Crisis Medicaid benefit implementation. This meeting will include full program updates. We recommend it if you can only attend one meeting a month. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

These meetings will occur on the first Thursday of the month, from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT, through at least July 2023.

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023

11 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT

Join via Google Meet



Join by Phone:

361-248-9976, PIN: ‪239 867 541#

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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.usor the 504/ADA Coordinator at hcpf504ada@state.co.us at least one week prior to the meeting to make arrangements.