Benchmarks' Upcoming Webinars
Benchmarks' Thursday Child Welfare Membership Webinar with Lisa Cauley & Karen McLeod
Date: Thursday, March 10, 2022
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
New: Benchmarks' DSP Rate Increases-Member Discussion
Date: Thursday, March 16, 2022
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am
Benchmarks' Friday Webinar
Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod
Date: Friday, March 18, 2021 thru December 16, 2022
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
(This registration is for a recurring meeting)
New: Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar with Healthy Blue PHP & Karen McLeod
Date: Friday, April 1, 2022
Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am
In order to be most efficient with our time, please feel free to send any questions you may have for the Healthy Blue team to Karen and Tara in advance.
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Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar with
Karen McLeod and AmeriHealth Caritas
March 4, 2022
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Joint Legislative Committee on Access to Healthcare & Medicaid Expansion: Handouts from March 1, 2022
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Direct Care Worker One-Time Bonus Payment Information
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Community Alternatives Program for Children Waiver Renewal Update
Waiver extension has been approved by CMS
NC Medicaid received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for an extension of the Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) waiver, which was set to expire Feb. 28, 2022. The CAP/C waiver will continue to be active through the duration of the renewed CAP/C waiver (the end date of the renewed waiver is to be determined).
All services and service limits authorized in the CAP/C waiver are active and available to currently enrolled and newly enrolled participants. All requests for services will be reviewed and will be determined based on individual needs and current and past utilization approvals. Service requests for modifications, such as home and vehicle modifications, do not have a request cutoff date; requests for these services can be submitted at any time while the participant is actively enrolled in the CAP/C waiver.
NC Medicaid is in the process of updating the rates for direct care workers per North Carolina Senate Bill 105 enacted as S.L. 2021-108 in November 2021. Once these rates are updated for direct care workers supporting participants in the CAP/C waiver, the waiver application will be updated to reflect the new rates. Upon completing these updates, the public comment period for this waiver will begin. A draft of the renewed waiver will post for public comment and feedback at that time. The timeline for submitting the renewed waiver to CMS for approval will be communicated after the public comment period expires.
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State Funded TBI Long Term Residential Rehab-Open for Public Comment
The public comment review period is from February 8, 2022 – March 24, 2022 [email protected]. Below you will find a brief summary of the proposed service definition.
TBI Long Term Residential Rehabilitation provides individualized rehabilitative services and supports individuals 18 years and older with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
This service must be provided in a licensed Supervised Living facility (i.e., Group Home or Alternative Family Living [AFL]) setting) of their choice to enable individuals to be active participants in their communities.
This service requires the following TBI Assessments:
- NC TBI Risk Support Needs Assessment and NC TBI Wellness Assessment, OR
- Comparable TBI Assessment that address Risk and Wellness supports needs, AND
- Comprehensive Clinical Assessment (CCA), AND
- Physical Examination completed by a physician assistant or physician extender within completed within one year prior to admission and annually thereafter. AND
- Confirmed TBI condition or approved TBI Diagnostic Verification.
The provider of this service includes providing or making provision for “first responder” crisis response on a 24/7/365 basis to individuals experiencing a crisis. Mobile Crisis Management can be utilized for Behavioral Health crisis when medically necessary.
Transportation to and from the residence and points of travel in the community (i.e., employment) as outlined in the PCP or ISP is included to the degree that they are not reimbursed by another funding source and not used for personal use.
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Slide Presentations from Webinars This Week
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From NC DSS: Dear Director Letter - Kinship First Webinar
Kinship families are vital to increasing placement stability and decreasing the effects of trauma on children in North Carolina. Our continuing efforts to remove barriers to kinship placements allow for kinship families to safely care for children and maintain important family connections. As North Carolina Division of Social Services (NCDSS) continues to support local agencies across the State, we want to share vital resources and information to ensure agencies are successful in supporting our kinship families.
During this webinar, your agency will be provided with current information pertaining to our kinship vision, licensing, and the Kinship Fit and Feasibility Study.
NCDSS is offering two opportunities for child welfare staff to participate in the live webinar, Kinship First:
March 10 at 1:00 PM:
March 15 at 9:00 AM:
Register with the following link:
Thank you for your continued support of kinship families. Should you have any questions, please contact NCDSS Permanency Coordinator Mary Mackins at [email protected].
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From NC DSS: Linda Waite Announces Retirement
From Linda: I am retiring from my position as Section Chief for Regulatory and Licensing Services effective February 28, 2022.
My last day to receive and respond to email will be Friday, February 25, 2022.
Kimaree Sanders will assume the role of Interim Section Chief on March 1, 2022.
If you have an immediate need or an emergency please call the Regulatory and Licensing Services office at 828.232.3160 and someone will assist you.
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CDC implementing twelve new codes; now available in NCTracks. Details
Certain COVID-19 Flexibilities implemented by NC Medicaid under State Authority will be end-dated as of March 31, 2022. This Bulletin replaces SPECIAL BULLETIN #226. Details
NC Medicaid has completed initial review of the one-time bonus submissions received by the published January 31 and Feb. 11, 2022, 5 p.m. EST deadlines, and has determined the uniform bonus amount that will be distributed to providers for payment to the eligible direct care workers. More information
SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #232: Hospice Room and Board Claims Reprocessing Due to Extension
The SNF room and board percentage was inadvertently changed to 95% vs. the COVID-19 percentage of 100%. NC Medicaid is currently in the process of revising this change in NCTracks. Details
SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID #231: Bebtelovimab Injection for Intravenous use HCPCS Code Q0222: Billing Guidelines
Effective with date of service Feb. 15, 2022, the Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs cover bebtelovimab injection for intravenous use in the Physician Administered Drug Program (PADP) when billed with HCPCS code Q0222 - Injection, bebtelovimab, 175 mg. More information
Providers are encouraged to review this information. All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpage.
New Medicaid Bulletin Available as of March 1, 2022
The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published a new Medicaid Bulletin article:
Providers are encouraged to review this information. All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpage.
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Free Online Training for Mental Health Professionals in North Carolina
SMI and COVID: Successful Models and Protocols
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET
This special event brings together experts on inpatient clinical care for a panel discussion and live Q&A session with participants. They focus on effective models that help you provide the best possible care to people who have both SMI and COVID and are located in inpatient hospital settings. Topics include how to support the workforce, treatment for symptomatic vs. asymptomatic patients, best practices for day treatment programs, and lessons learned from protocols that failed.
This event is open to clinical staff and administrators of inpatient settings in North Carolina. This program is in response to a request from Deepa Avula, Director of the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Substance Abuse Services.
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Calls to Overhaul Methadone Distribution Intensify, but Clinics Resist
Days typically start early for patients undergoing opioid addiction treatment at Denver Recovery Group’s six methadone clinics in Colorado. They rise before dawn. Some take three buses to get to a clinic by 5 a.m. for a 15-minute conversation with a counselor and their daily dose of methadone, all before they go to work or take their kids to school. Some drive more than an hour each way from Longmont or Steamboat Springs.
“They’re coming from a billion miles away,” said Dr. Andreas Edrich, the clinics’ chief medical officer, noting their strong motivation to get care compared with other patients who struggle to stick to a simple medication regimen. “Most people can’t take their blood pressure to save their life, and that’s in their kitchen cabinet.”
Patients who take methadone, a synthetic narcotic used to treat opioid addiction, must jump through more hoops than perhaps any other patient group in the U.S. due to rules dating back five decades. Proponents for easing the rules say the pandemic has shown certain constraints serve more as barriers to care than protections. And consensus is growing among clinicians, patients, and regulators that it’s time for change.
“There’s probably very few folks who work in the field who feel like we should continue the status quo,” said Dr. Shawn Ryan, a board member for the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Now officials at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are considering permanent changes to federal methadone rules. A National Academy of Medicine workshop on methadone regulations on March 3 and 4 may signal an inflection point.
Additionally, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have introduced a bill that would codify the rules loosened during the pandemic, which allowed flexibility on take-home doses, telehealth, and treatment vans. It would also allow pharmacies to dispense methadone for opioid use treatment.
Any changes to federal rules, however, could face significant resistance from methadone clinics — many of them for-profit — whose financial models are built on daily patient encounters, counseling, and regular drug tests.
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Grant Announcement: Services Grant Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Application Due Date: Monday, April 4, 2022
The purpose of this SAMHSA grant program is to provide comprehensive substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services, recovery support services, and harm reduction interventions to pregnant and postpartum women across a continuum of specialty SUD residential and outpatient levels of care, based on comprehensive, individualized screenings and assessments that inform treatment planning and service delivery in a continuous care model. Using a holistic approach, grant funds also support required activities for minor children and partners of the women, and other extended family members of the women and children, as requested by the women. Fundamental to this program is ensuring access to services for low-income women, including providing these services in locations accessible to low-income women.
SAMHSA plans to issue 19 awards of up to $525,000 per year for up to 5 years.
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2022 Kids: Empowered Communities Driving Change
Benchmarks is honored to be a sponsor of 2022 Kids: Empowered Communities Driving Change, a two-day virtual policy summit for child advocates hosted by NC Child and the NC Essentials for Childhood Initiative. It's happening on March 29 & 30 – we hope you can be a part of it too!
Community-led advocacy is a powerful tool for building sustainable, racially equitable, and bold public policies that can transform the lives of children and their families in North Carolina.
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Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Convening & Mobilizing a Strong Coalition
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:30 pm
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Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Blazing Trails to Sustainability for Community Disability Services: The National Launch of the Case for Inclusion 2022
Time: 1:00 pm thru 2:15 pm
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New: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Tackling the Silent Epidemic of Childhood Grief
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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Thursday, March 10, 2022
Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar with Lisa Cauley & Karen McLeod
Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am
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New: Thursday, March 10, 2022
NC DSS: Kindship First
Time: 1:00 pm thru 2:00 pm
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Thursday, March 10, 2022
Trauma's Impact: Our brains are wired for connection, but trauma re-wired them for protection.
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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New: Monday, March 14, 2022
Money Follows the Person (MFP) Lunch and Learn
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:00 pm
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New: Tuesday, March 15, 2022
NC DSS: Kindship First
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:00 am
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Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Communicating the Value of Care Work
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:30 pm
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New: Thursday, March 16, 2022
Benchmarks' DSP Rate Increases-Member Discussion
Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am
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New: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Interactive Monthly Update
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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New: Thursday, March 17, 2022
Integrating Peer Supports into Crisis Services
Time: 2:00 pm thru 3:00 pm
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New: Friday, March 18, 2022
"Building a National Movement” Workshop Series
Child Trends is co-sponsoring a workshop series—presented by the Campaign for Trauma-informed Policy and Practice, the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives, and PACEs Connection—on preventing trauma and fostering resilience. Half-day workshops will be offered every other Friday from late January to mid-April, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET.
- March 18: “Building the Movement with Foundations and the Private Sector”
- April 1: “Building the Movement to Address Global Crises”
- April 15: “Building the Movement through Policy and Advocacy”
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Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Building the Relationships You Need to Win
Time: 12:00 pm thru 1:30 pm
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