Benchmarks' Friday Collection-January 14, 2022

Message from Benchmarks' President/CEO: Karen McLeod

When DHHS announced that it was going to create a Medicaid Carve-Out for Foster Care, Benchmarks immediately began advocating for a plan that was family-centered and provided services prior to removal of child(ren) to keep families intact. DHHS asked Benchmarks to put these recommendations into writing.

We developed a white paper to capture the Benchmarks’ recommendations which was submitted to DHHS in November 2020.

Benchmarks' White Paper

The initial drafts of the Foster Care Plan were released by DHHS in February 2021. Their plan was child-centered and eligibility required a youth to be in the custody of DSS. Benchmarks pushed back hard against the plan and rallied partners across the state to raise their voices as well.

NC DHHS heard the concerns and withdrew the plan in March 2021. NC DHHS put together a public Foster Care Workgroup that began discussions on what the plan should look like. NC Medicaid was still leaning toward custody as a criteria for entry into the foster care plan. Throughout 2021, Benchmarks leveraged every available committee, speaking opportunity, or meeting with DHHS staff to advocate strongly that the plan move to a family, rather than child, focus and change the criteria so that children and their families could be served PRIOR to disruption and removal from the home.

On Tuesday, January 11, 2022, the Medicaid Foster Care Plan committee met to put forward their revised plan. We are delighted to report that the plan has been changed to include family in the treatment and allows families utilizing DSS in-home services to opt-in to the foster care plan for services. This is an enormous shift by Medicaid to intentionally target services for families PRIOR to disruption. This new plan is one of the most significant changes to the NC Child Welfare program in many decades and marks a huge opportunity to shift treatment toward a family system model. You can see from the Power Point they presented on the plan, that it outlines the changes in the structure of the plan but doesn’t include a lot of details yet.

DHHS will be working on those details through March 2022 and are hoping to release the finalized plan for the RFP in April 2022. NC DHHS will then issue the RFP in June and award the RFP in November 2022. Launch of the Foster Care Plan is expected by December 2023.

Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar: Jaunuary 13, 2022

Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar with Karen McLeod, Lisa Cauley & Linda Waite:

January 13, 2022

Slidedeck

Benchmarks Membership Webinar w/Alliance: Jan. 14, 2022

Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar with

Alliance Health: January 14, 2022

Benchmarks' Upcoming Webinars

Benchmarks' Friday Webinar

Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod

Date: Friday, January 21, 2021 thru December 16, 2022

Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am

(This registration is for a recurring meeting)

Save the Date: Benchmarks/PHP Membership Webinar

Date: February 4, 2022

Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am

Registration and additional details will be forthcoming

Benchmarks' Child Welfare Webinar

Lisa Cauley Joins Karen McLeod

Date: Thursday, February 10, 2022

Time: 8:00 am thru 9:00 am

Benchmarks' Friday Webinar

Dave Richard Joins Karen McLeod

Date: Friday, February 18, 2021 thru December 16, 2022

Time: 8:30 am thru 9:30 am

(This registration is for a recurring meeting)

Benchmarks' Foster, Adoption, & Residential (FAR) Committee Meeting: Legislative Agenda Development

Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am

Benchmarks' Medicaid Forum: Legislative Agenda Development

Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022

Time: 9:00 am thru 10:30 am

Benchmarks' Collection of Past Updates

SAVE THE DATE

Benchmarks' Public/Private Behavioral Health Forum (PPBH) Face to Face Meeting

Friday, June 10, 2022

10:30 am thru 2:30 pm

Royal Center, Raleigh NC

Benchmarks is super excited to share that we are scheduled to host our PPBH meeting, for the first time in years, THIS JUNE, with Dave Richard & Debra Farrington (and more)!

Please mark your calendars and keep your eyes peeled for additional meeting details and registration information as we get closer to the meeting date.

We look forward to getting a chance to see each of you again, in person!

Important Please Read: Tight Timelines

NC Medicaid Direct Care Worker HCBS and ICF-IDD One-Time Bonus; Wage Increase

The recently adopted NC State Budget includes funds to give a one-time bonus to eligible direct care workers (DCWs) and support staff who provide services to Medicaid and NC Health Choice beneficiaries. The NC state budget also includes a provision to implement a HCBS and ICF/IID DCW wage increase for eligible employees who provide services to Medicaid and NC Health Choice beneficiaries.

Details about the three categories of eligibility criteria can be found in the following NC Medicaid provider bulletins, posted Jan. 14, 2022:

COVID-19 BULLETIN #212 One-Time Bonus: DCWs and support staff in waiver programs, personal care services, home health and others may be eligible for a one-time bonus – DCWs and support staff in eligible waiver programs, personal care services, home health and others may be eligible for a one-time bonus
COVID-19 BULLETIN #213 ICF-IID Wage Increase: DCWs in Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities may be eligible for a wage increase
COVID-19 BULLETIN #214 HCBS Wage Increase: DCWs providing home- and community-based service may be eligible for a wage increase

NC Medicaid will hold webinars from Jan. 19-25, 2022, to provide an overview of the wage increase and bonus program. Webinar information is located in the provider bulletins listed above.

NCDHHS Outlines Priorities to Strengthen the State’s System of Community-Based Services and Supports for People with Disabilities in the 2022-23 Olmstead Plan

New Dashboard Tracks NC Medicaid Managed Care Claim Denials

Since the launch of NC Medicaid Managed Care on July 1, 2021, providers have submitted claims to the prepaid health plans (PHPs) for services provided to beneficiaries who are enrolled with that PHP. NCDHHS established provider payment requirements for PHPs to encourage continued provider participation in the Medicaid program, to ensure beneficiary access and support safety net providers and to ensure continuation of current reimbursement levels.

The Department worked closely with PHPs to share information on the steps needed to file a claim for each PHP. In alignment with NCDHHS’ proactive communication and transparency values, a new NC Medicaid Managed Care dashboard has been added to the Reports page of the NC Medicaid website with top reasons for claim denials for each PHP. The dashboard will be updated monthly and includes notes to give context to the data.

Providers are encouraged to work directly with the PHPs to resolve any issues with their claim submissions. If a provider continues to have unresolved payment issues, they should contact the Provider Ombudsman at [email protected] or 866-304-7062.

Fact Sheets Available for Children and Youth Transitioning to Foster Care

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) transitioned most Medicaid beneficiaries to NC Medicaid Managed Care (Standard Plans) on July 1, 2021. At the time of transition, children in foster care remained in NC Medicaid Direct without the option to choose a Standard Plan.

As of July 1, 2021, children who are enrolled in Standard Plans and enter foster care are disenrolled from their Standard Plan. Fact sheets that address questions related to the Standard Plan disenrollment process for children in foster care are now available.

Foster care fact sheet for children, youth and their families
English
Spanish
Foster care fact sheet for Medicaid providers

The fact sheet(s) address the following:

What happens if I am enrolled in a Standard Plan at the time I enter foster care?
What is the disenrollment process timeline?
Will I lose any of my providers?
Where can I go if I have questions?

More information on the Foster Care Plan is available on the NC Medicaid Specialized Foster Care webpage at https://medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/beneficiaries/specialized-foster-care-plan.

Advanced Medical Home Provider Manual 2.2 Update

NC Medicaid is releasing the Advanced Medical Home (AMH) Provider Manual 2.2, which reflects program modifications and changes that impact Advanced Medical Home (AMH) Tier 3 contracts with Standard Plans. Only select AMH Tier 3s are impacted by this change. Those AMH Tier 3s and their Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs) will have already received targeted outreach on the program from Medicaid and the InCK program team. This manual supersedes the previous April 23, 2021 version (AMH Provider Manual 2.1).

Additional guidance and program information is available on the Advanced Medical Home webpage. Thank you for your help in supporting NC Medicaid beneficiaries and providers.

NCDHHS Publishes Summary Network Adequacy Results for Standard Plans

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today published summary network adequacy results for Standard Prepaid Health Plans (Standard Plans) which were in effect for the July 1, 2021 “go-live." Network adequacy measures the ability of each NC Medicaid Managed Care health plan to deliver covered benefits by providing adequate access for members to all covered health care services through a network of contracted health care providers. Network adequacy and accessibility standards help verify that members have access to providers and offer an important tool for NC Medicaid to monitor and measure that access.

In NC Medicaid, network adequacy standards are either a maximum travel time or distance from a member’s residence to one or more providers of a certain type OR a minimum number of providers of a certain type within a geographic boundary (county or region). In advance of managed care launch, NC Medicaid focused on five priority-service groups and summarized network adequacy analysis results on a regional and county-by-county basis for those five categories of services – Primary Care, Hospitals, Pharmacy, OB/GYN, and Outpatient Behavioral Health for evaluation of the Standard Plans.

For more information, please see NCDHHS Publishes Summary Network Adequacy Results for Standard Plans.

New Begin Date on Provider Records with Continuous Enrollment

NCTracks is aware that some providers may have noticed a new begin date for their taxonomy on the provider record which seems to indicate it replaces the original enrollment begin date. This is likely due to licenses or credentials that lapsed into suspension but were later updated before termination of the provider record. This created what appears to be a new begin date on the date the credentials were updated.

However, the provider record contains both the initial enrollment begin date and the most recent date when credentials were updated with no gap in enrollment. Although these two dates are split into separate segments, the original begin date remains the provider's actual enrollment begin date as there was no lapse in enrollment with NC Medicaid.

Provider records may contain multiple enrollment date segments created by the renewal of credentials but only one begin date (from the most recent update in credentials) may be visible to providers. The original begin date remains on the provider record and is the actual enrollment begin date. This has no effect on claim payments and re-enrollment reminders will be sent in accordance with the original begin date when necessary.

Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests for Home Use

Effective Jan. 10, 2022, NC Medicaid-enrolled pharmacies may bill for FDA approved over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests dispensed for use by NC Medicaid beneficiaries in a home setting, with or without a prescription issued by an NC Medicaid-enrolled provider. NC Medicaid Direct beneficiary implementation date is Jan. 10, 2022. Refer to beneficiaries’ managed care plan for guidance on the specific plan’s implementation date.

NC Medicaid will cover one kit per claim per date of service, with a maximum of four test kits every 30 days. Covered test kits are listed below. Please note that some kits will include two tests.

Pharmacists must submit the enrolled pharmacy’s NPI number on the claim unless prescribed by a provider.

Pharmacies must follow the NCPDP standard and use the NDC found on the package. Pharmacies will be reimbursed at State Maximum Allowable Cost per kit, specific to the NDC. Copayment will not apply.

*Please note this information is shared from SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #210: NC Medicaid Omicron COVID-19 Surge.

SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #207: Medical Office Specimen Collection and CPT 99070 & 99072

Medical office providers can be reimbursed for COVID-19 specimen collection using CPT code 99211 (ESTABLISHED PATIENT OFFICE OR OTHER OUTPATIENT VISIT, TYPICALLY FIVE MINUTES) with modifier CR. CMS has approved the use of this code for new patients, as well as established patients, when used for specimen collection. More Information

SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #208: Amended Outpatient Billing Guidance for Vaccine and Monoclonal Antibody Administration

To allow claims to process at CMS approved rates, providers should bill with Revenue Code 0771 instead of Revenue Code 0261 on future claims for the vaccine and monoclonal antibody administration services noted here.

SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #209: HCPCS Code Q0220: Billing Guidelines for Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab, Copackaged as Evusheld

Effective with date of service Dec. 8, 2021, the NC Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs cover tixagevimab injection; cilgavimab injection, copackaged for intramuscular use (Evusheld™) for use in the Physician Administered Drug Program (PADP). Criteria and billing information

SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #210: NC Medicaid Omicron COVID-19 Surge

This bulletin provides updates on vaccines and ongoing flexibilities including nursing homes, home health and at-home COVID test kits. Read more

SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #211: Pfizer-BioNTech Booster Dose: Minimum Age Change; Permission to Administer Five Months Post-Second Dose

The FDA amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to expand the use of a single booster dose to include use in individuals age 12 through 15 (previously approved for ages 16 and older) and also shortened the time between the second Pfizer dose and the booster shot to five months (previously recommendation was at six months after primary series) for all ages. More information

New Medicaid Bulletins

The NC Division of Health Benefits (DHB) has recently published new Medicaid Bulletin articles:

New Legislation Waives $100 Medicaid and NC Health Choice Provider Enrollment Fee
New Dashboard Tracks NC Medicaid Managed Care Claim Denials
Fact Sheets Available for Children and Youth Transitioning to Foster Care
Healthy Opportunities Pilots Service Delivery Launch Date: Update
CPT Code Update for 2022
Podiatric Physicians Permitted to Prescribe Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies
Pneumococcal 15-Valent Conjugate Vaccine Suspension for Intramuscular Injection (Vaxneuvance™) HCPCS Code 90671: Billing Guidelines
NC Medicaid Managed Care Provider Update – Dec. 21, 2021
Afamelanotide Implant, for Subcutaneous Use (Scenesse®) HCPCS Code J7352: Billing Guidelines

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 Legislation Waives $100 Medicaid and NC Health Choice Provider Enrollment Fee

Effective Jan 9, 2022, NCTracks will no longer require Medicaid and NC Health Choice providers to pay the $100 NC application fee with enrollment and reverification applications. This change is made pursuant to NC Senate Bill 105 Session Law 2021-180 Section 9D.9(a), which waives the fee until June 30, 2023.

Although the NCTracks system change is effective Jan. 9, 2022, the legislation became effective on Nov. 18, 2021. Therefore, NC Medicaid will identify and automatically refund the NC application fee paid by any provider who submitted an enrollment or reverification application on or after Nov. 18, 2021, through the Jan. 9, 2022 system modification.

1099s Arriving Soon

The 1099s will be mailed during the week of Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, and could go out as late as Jan. 19, 2022. The 1099s will be sent to the “1099 Reporting/Pay-To Address” location currently on the provider file. Due to postal service volume, providers should allow 7 to 10 business days to receive a 1099. For more information about the 1099s, refer to the 1099 Frequently Asked Questions on the NCTracks Provider Portal.

Update to Issue with Claims Retroactively Voided with EOB 06125

As previously announced, some providers experienced issues with claims being retroactively voided or recouped in the Nov. 30, 2021, checkwrite with Explanation of Benefits (EOB) 06125 - CLAIM RECOUPED. CLAIM COVERED BY PREPAID HEALTH PLAN (PHP). The technical team has researched this issue and will apply the following corrective action:

Claims that were erroneously recouped in the Nov. 30 checkwrite will be corrected in the Dec. 21 checkwrite using an Accounts Payable (AP) transaction for the exact amount of any voids caused by this issue. Any Accounts Receivable (AR) that generated due to these claims being recouped will be satisfied by the AP. These transactions on Dec. 21 will reverse the negative financial impact from your Nov. 30 checkwrite. The Dec. 21 Remittance Statement will display the special payment in the “Financial Transactions” section, identified by Financial Reason Code 006. No provider action is required.

NCTracks thanks providers for their patience and understanding. Providers are encouraged to watch their email and check the announcements on the Providers page for any future updates.

Reminder - Updating North Carolina Medical Board Licenses

NCTracks receives North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) provider license information directly from NCMB. NCTracks receives this update file from NCMB once a month (by the 15th) for the previous month.

When the monthly NCMB file is received, NCTracks automatically updates the expiration dates in the provider record. If you receive a letter that you need to update your NCMB license, make sure it is updated with NCMB and that NCTracks has the correct license number on file.

Occasionally, there is time gap between NCTracks receiving NCMB data with updated expiration dates and providers’ licenses expiring and an update being required to prevent suspension.

As of May 9, 2021, providers have the ability to enter or correct the expiration date on file for their NCMB license if NCTracks has not yet received the NCMB data to update the license. Providers are able to enter the expiration date themselves to prevent suspension or termination due to expired credentials. This information will still be validated with NCMB once the file is received, but will prevent suspension for expired credentials if the NCMB file is not received in the appropriate timeline for license expiration. Providers are encouraged to ensure their record expiration date is updated to prevent suspension.

For more information, please see the North Carolina Medical Board Licenses section of the user guide How to Add or Update Licensing and Accreditation on the Provider Profile in NCTracks located on the User Guides & Fact Sheets page.

NCTracks Call Center Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

The NCTracks Call Center will be closed Monday, January 17, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. (The Pharmacy Prior Approval Unit will be open holiday hours from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

In keeping with the published approved 2022 checkwrite schedule, because of the federal holiday, the checkwrite the week of the holiday will be on Wednesday, January 19. The posting and availability of funds to provider bank accounts will depend on the provider's financial institution.

Bank of America customers should see their payments in their accounts on the day that the EFT is processed, which will be Thursday (1/20/2021). Providers who bank at other financial institutions should see payments the business day following the date that the EFT is processed, which will be Friday (1/21/2021) afternoon. (Some may post sooner.)

The 2022 checkwrite schedule can be found under Quick Links on the NCTracks Provider Portal home page.

Reflecting on NC Child Welfare in 2021

As the new year begins, NCDSS Child Welfare Services staff are reflecting on the progress North Carolina has made in child welfare over the past year. NC’s local DSSs and child welfare workforce worked tirelessly throughout 2021 to improve outcomes for the children and families of our state.

While there are many accomplishments to celebrate from the past year, we’d like to acknowledge a few that reflect major contributions from and collaborations among local DSSs throughout North Carolina. Among the highlights of 2021, the NC child welfare workforce:

Continued to provide North Carolina children and families with Child Welfare Services while adapting to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing staffing crisis.
Distributed stimulus checks to nearly 3,000 young adults who were in foster care at amounts that will have a positive impact on their lives.
Provided timely, constructive feedback on legislative-driven policy changes in Child Welfare Services to help inform policy decisions.
Surpassed federal benchmarks for rates of monthly visits by caseworkers to children in foster care and visits that occurred in the residence of a child.
Supported the implementation of a new Structured Decision-Making intake tool through inter-rater reliability testing.
Responded to survey and data requests to support data-informed decision making for state and federal child welfare leadership.
Contributed to NC’s ongoing child welfare transformation through participation and collaboration with Design Teams and other Workgroups.

As you set goals to advance child welfare in 2022, take some time to celebrate yourselves and your teams for all that you accomplished over the past year. At the state level, NCDSS’ overall goals for 2022 are to prioritize ongoing child welfare reform initiatives and work to achieve the benchmarks outlined in the NCDHHS 2021-2023 Strategic Plan.

The new year will bring new opportunities along with challenges as we continue to work to improve safety, permanence, and well-being through child welfare services. We appreciate all that you have done and continue to do every day to serve the children and families of North Carolina.

Kody H. Kinsley Takes Oath as NCDHHS Secretary

Appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to succeed Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. who stepped down effective Dec. 31, 2021, Kody H. Kinsley took his oath as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services during a brief ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. You can read Secretary Kinsley’s full bio online at ncdhhs.gov/about/leadership/kody-kinsley.

Prior to his appointment, Secretary Kinsley served as the Chief Deputy Secretary for Health at NCDHHS and Operations Lead for NC’s COVID-19 pandemic response. During his nearly four years of service at NCDHHS, Kinsley has overseen the state’s response to the Opioid Epidemic; increased investments in services and supports for individuals with behavioral health needs and developmental disabilities; created strategic interventions to transition justice-involved populations to care; and has been a driving force behind the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response, including North Carolina’s vaccine distribution efforts.

In a Nov. 30 press release announcing Secretary Kinsley’s appointment, Governor Cooper shared his praise of Secretary Cohen and confidence in Secretary Kinsley.

“Mandy Cohen has shown extraordinary leadership during her tenure [as NCDHHS Secretary] and she has worked every day during this pandemic to help keep North Carolinians healthy and safe,” said Governor Cooper. “We are stronger because of her efforts and I am enormously grateful for her service. She has built a remarkable team of talented people including Kody Kinsley, and I know he will continue the strong legacy of competence, effectiveness and efficiency as he takes over as Secretary.”

To learn more about Secretary Kinsley and Dr. Cohen’s legacy as NCDHHS Secretary, read the full press release online: Secretary Mandy Cohen to step down as DHHS Secretary, Governor Cooper selects current DHHS Deputy Secretary to lead department | NC Gov. Cooper.

NC Practice Standards Implementation Timeline Updated

The NCDHHS Practice Standards Implementation Team is working in collaboration with Public Knowledge to ensure timely implementation of the North Carolina Practice Standards for Child Welfare Services. Recently, there have been two major adjustments to the implementation plan for the Practice Standards that will impact the timeline and medium for training.

First, the Regional Virtual Roadshows were canceled in November and December 2021 and will be replaced with a monthly Open House. The Open House is a once-a-month virtual webinar event for all state and county DSS child welfare staff. The purpose of the Open House is to answer questions and to engage staff in discussions regarding implementation of the Practice Standards. The first Open House is planned for February 2022. Stay tuned for more information.

Second, the Practice Standards Training for Supervisors will be converted to 10 online E-Learning modules, rather than instructor-led training, to support supervisors in learning the Practice Standards. In addition, supervisors will participate in skills practice during Regional Supervisors Meetings with the Regional Child Welfare Consultants and Public Knowledge consultants facilitating.

Here is an overview of the new implementation timeline based on the adjustments made to the implementation plan:

Beginning in February 2022 (and monthly after): Open House
March-May 2022: Leaders Training (via webinar, five sessions)
June 2022: Supervisors E-Learnings Training
September 2022: Social Workers E-Learning Training

There will be more information about the process and timeline for implementation of the NC Practice Standards for Child Welfare Services coming soon. To learn more about the Practice Standards, visit ncpracticestandards.pubknow.com and email questions to [email protected].

2020 CCPT End of Year Report, State Response Available Online

REMINDER: 2021 End of Year Survey responses due Jan. 14, 2022

Each year, the North Carolina Community Child Protection Team (CCPT) Advisory Board compiles and synthesizes CCPTs’ local activities, annual summaries, and survey responses into the CCPT End of Year Report (EOYR), which offers statewide recommendations to NCDSS. Last week, the 2020 CCPT EOYR and state response were made available online.

The 2020 survey was distributed to 101 local CCPTs, of which 84 completed the survey. These survey responses, along with CCPT annual surveys, helped to inform the four statewide recommendations provided in the 2020 CCPT EOYR. The 2020 report is posted on the NCDHHS website at ncdhhs.gov/media/14022/download.

Per federal requirements, NCDSS has prepared a written response to the recommendations included in the 2020 CCPT EOYR. The response describes how NCDSS will incorporate the recommendations submitted to make measurable progress in improving the North Carolina child protection system. The full NCDSS response is available at ncdhhs.gov/media/14023/download.

Aggregated responses from the CCPT annual survey enable NCDSS to inventory and report current unmet needs as required in the state’s Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR). Additionally, unmet needs recorded through the 2020 CCPT survey and EOYR will help NCDSS to assess the state’s Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) for 2020–2024, which serves as a five-year child welfare strategic plan, including reform initiatives. Consequently, local CCPTs have a significant influence in NC’s strategic planning to improve child welfare services.

As a reminder, CCPT 2021 End of Year Survey responses are due Jan. 14, 2022. Thank you to the local CCPTs for contributing to the 2020 EOYR and for continuing to promote a community-wide approach to the problem of child abuse and neglect in North Carolina.

NC Child Welfare Services Policy Updates Continue

Upcoming Webinar on IV-E Policy Changes Jan. 25, 26, 27

NCDSS is committed to providing counties with protocol and guidance to support compliance with the law as well as best practice of child welfare services. The Division is in the process of updating CWS policies to ensure that NC policy is following the federal requirements for Title IV-E, and to update NC policy manuals following several changes to the law regarding child welfare during the 2021 legislative season. The below resources have been offered for county departments of social services to learn more about these policy changes.

Foster Care Candidacy, Claiming, Rates

To bring NC into compliance with the Federal Requirements for IV-E, policy revisions were completed to ensure an accurate definition of IV-E candidacy for foster care in the following policy manuals: Assessments, In-Home Services, and Cross Functions. The instructions for the administrative claiming of both 215 In-Home Services and 109 Foster Care Services have been revised in the Child Placement and Payment System Manual (CPPS), and the Foster Care Funding Manual. Additionally, changes to foster care, adoption, and guardianship assistance rates were updated to reflect the new NC budget. More information is available in the Jan. 4 DCDL and the updated policy manual and Change Notice can be accessed at policies.ncdhhs.gov.

Webinars on IV-E Policy Changes: Candidacy Definition and Administrative Claiming for In-Home Services and Foster Care are being offered for county child welfare agency employees working in In-Home Services, Permanency Planning Services, and those who use the DSS-5094 for IV-E claiming purposes. DSS staff are invited to attend one of three available webinars through ncswLearn.org.

IV-E Policy Changes Webinar: January 25, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Register: www.ncswLearn.org (by Jan. 18)
IV-E Policy Changes Webinar: January 26, 1 – 2:30 p.m. Register: www.ncswLearn.org (by Jan. 18)
IV-E Policy Changes Webinar: January 27, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Register: www.ncswLearn.org (by Jan. 18)

For more information on how to register to receive credit for the webinar, review the Dec. 30 announcement online at ncdhhs.gov/media/14037. Email Vicky Chang ([email protected]) with any questions on how to register and participate.

Permanency Planning

Updates related to permanency planning were announced last month (see Dec. 7 DCDL) and published Dec. 6 in the Division’s policy manuals at policies.ncdhhs.gov. CWS supervisors and workers were invited to attend a Permanency Planning webinar to discuss the changes. Policy to Practice “Office Hours” will be available soon for county DSSs to receive additional support in implementing these new policies. More details on Office Hours will be announced in an upcoming DCDL.

CPS and Safety Network Development

Changes to CPS policy and safety network development were announced last month (see Dec. 3 DCDL) and published in the Division’s policy manuals at policies.ncdhhs.gov. CWS supervisors and workers from county DSSs participated in webinars on Building Safety Networks in mid-December. To ensure continuity and accuracy, CPS policy changes are being provided in phases, and additional protocol and guidance will be issued as each phase is introduced.

Other Child Welfare Policy Manual Updates

Several updates have been made to Appendix 3.5 Child Welfare Funding – Foster Care as well as Appendix 2 of the Child Placement and Payment System (CPPS) Manual. The Change Notice regarding these updates can be accessed at policies.ncdhhs.gov.

More resources and information on CWS policy updates will be available in the coming weeks. Please look for further DCDLs and webinar opportunities in the near future.

More from DSS: New Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Guidance for Children in Foster Care

North Carolina has been approved to administer the Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program for students in the 2021-2022 school year. Children in foster care automatically qualify for free or reduced-price lunch at school and therefore are eligible for P-EBT benefits if/when they experience a COVID-19 related absence from school. The P-EBT program will help caretakers purchase food for children in their care when schools are closed as a result of COVID-19 or the student is out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.