Office of Community Living Updates: May 24, 2023

May 24, 2023

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

Announcements:

Creating 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

General OCL Meetings:

Case Management Redesign (CMRD) Rule Revision: Home and Community Base Service Benefits and Service Rules, Part One

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Listening Session

Case Management Rule Revision Follow-Up

Transitions Stakeholder Advisory Council (TSAC)

Announcements

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

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General OCL Meetings

Please find a general OCL meeting announcement listed below. Other OCL meeting information is on the OCL Stakeholder Engagement and Calendar webpage.

Case Management Redesign (CMRD) Rule Revision: Home and Community Base Service Benefits and Service Rules, Part One

This meeting is part of a series of the CMRD rule revision stakeholder feedback meeting series. More information is on the CMRD webpage.

The meeting will be held:

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

9 to 11 a+.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join via Phone:

(Toll-free) 1-877 853-5257

Meeting ID: 873 9014 4539, Passcode:597847

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Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Listening Session

EVV Listening Sessions are informal opportunities for stakeholders to bring questions to HCPF about your EVV implementation and operation. No new policy or technical processes will be announced in these Listening Sessions. New information will be discussed in the Quarterly EVV Stakeholder meeting and published on this page. Email EVV@state.co.us to have a calendar invitation sent for this ongoing session.

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

10 to 11 a.m. MT

Join via Google Meet

Join by Phone:

1-208-715-5308, PIN: 438 295 119#

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Case Management Rule Revision Follow-Up

This meeting is part of a series of Case Management Redesign (CMRD) rule revision stakeholder feedback meetings. More information is on the CMRD webpage. CM rule follow up: training, quality, and listening log follow-up. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join by Phone:

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

Meeting ID: 873 9014 4539, Passcode:597847

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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 meet monthly on the first Thursday at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. MT. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

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

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

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

Join via Google Meet

Join by Phone:

1-347-480-3624, PIN: 515646803 #

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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