ARPA Project Pulse Newsletter |
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Welcome to the first issue of the new American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Project Pulse newsletter! We look forward to using this as a vehicle to share with stakeholders about all the exciting and transformational work that is happening within the Department related to the ARPA-funded Home and Community-Based Services projects.
We plan to send this newsletter monthly with a focus on a different category of projects each month. It will contain reminders, information about new opportunities for engagement, project-specific updates, spotlights on stakeholders and staff working on or impacted by projects, and other resources from our federal and state partners.
We love hearing your feedback so please don't hesitate to reply to an email and let us know how we are doing.
Thanks for your dedication to and interest in this very important work.
~ The Department ARPA Team
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Reminder!
A temporary rate increase using Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding was implemented on Nov. 4, 2021. A 2.11% increase has been applied retroactively to April 1, 2021, and will be in effect through March 31, 2022, but providers must submit or adjust previously paid claims.
Do not lose out on the increase. Be sure to submit your claims or adjust your paid claims ASAP!
Additionally, please keep an eye out for an upcoming informational memo on guidance to adjust these claims more quickly.
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Upcoming ARPA Stakeholder Engagement Opportunities |
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Two upcoming webinars in February offer stakeholders an opportunity to hear from Department staff about key project progress, new projects launching, and additional opportunities to get involved. These are a great venue to share feedback and have your voice heard as it relates to all of the work being done around ARPA-funded initiatives. |
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MEMBER, FAMILY, ADVOCATE WEBINAR
Feb. 17, 2022
9:30 - 11 a.m. MT
Meeting ID: 993 1700 7314
Join by phone: (Toll-free) 877-853-5257
Passcode: 396389
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PROVIDER WEBINAR
Feb. 17, 2022
3:30 - 5 p.m. MT
Meeting ID: 993 1700 7314
Join by phone: (Toll-free) 877-853-5257
Passcode: 396389
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A Focus on the Workforce
Project Category: Strengthening the Workforce and Enhancing Rural Sustainability
People with disabilities who receive HCBS depend on Direct Care Workers (DCWs) to provide vital services that allow individuals to remain in their homes and other integrated community settings. Many Coloradans struggle to find and maintain consistent care in their homes, in part, because of low wages typically paid to DCWs. The median hourly wage for Colorado-based direct care workers in 2020 was $14.85, though DCWs who work in community-based settings are often paid less, with a median wage of $13.83.
Colorado is committed to ensuring people with disabilities and older Coloradans who rely on DCWs can receive the needed services these workers provide. Funding from the ARPA presents Colorado with a unique opportunity to further demonstrate its commitment to DCWs and a significant portion of Colorado’s ARPA funding for HCBS is dedicated to improving the wages DCWs receive. Starting this month, DCWs providing many services through HCBS waivers will receive a base wage of at least $15 per hour. Gov. Polis announced the base wage in a letter to DCWs dated Dec. 15, 2021. This letter provides additional information and steps a DCW can take if they are not receiving at least $15 per hour for providing certain HCBS services.
In addition to the DCW base wage of $15 per hour, the Department is also undertaking additional initiatives that will have a positive impact on DCWs. These initiatives include DCW training programs, a job hub where DCWs can find job openings, and increasing access to DCWs in rural areas.
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ARPA Stakeholder Spotlight |
Name: Penny Whitney
Projects: Many in the Strengthen the Workforce & Enhance Rural Sustainability category
Information about the DCWC: The DCWC will serve as the key stakeholder group which advises, guides, and supports the direct care workforce ARPA initiatives. For instance, the DCWC's Training and Career Advancement Action Group will help advise on the development and launch of the new standardized training being developed for homemakers and personal care workers.
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About Penny:
Penny Whitney serves as the 2021-2022 Co-Chair for the DCWC. Penny’s path to the DCWC has been both professional and personal. During the last ten years, the focus of her professional consulting practice has been strategic facilitation and interprofessional team leadership development in health care and most specifically long-term skilled health care. Although her consulting focuses on leadership teams, she knows and values the importance of the direct care workforce for quality care outcomes. However, it was not until she had two family members diagnosed with terminal conditions ultimately requiring the support of direct caregivers that she really understood the importance of the direct care workforce and the value they provide not only to clients but to families.
Can you tell us a little bit about the Direct Care Workforce Collaborative?
The DCWC is a stakeholder-led Colorado initiative with a mission to stabilize the direct care workforce by implementing strategies to support three identified priority areas (Compensation/Benefits; Training/Career Advancement; and Value/Awareness) and to raise awareness of the essential contributions of this workforce to health care.
What do you hope the DCWC will be able to accomplish?
The Vision for the DCWC is to be recognized as the central hub for action, expertise, and advocacy on behalf of the direct care workforce. This vision is beginning to become a reality this year as each of our three action groups begins implementation of the strategic action steps developed in 2021 and as the DCWC develops important partnerships across the state.
If you could say one thing to the general public about direct care workers, what would that be?
The DCWC is well-positioned with a full agenda of goals for 2022; however, the success of all the goals is linked to increased awareness and understanding of the important health care role of the direct care workforce. Colorado is identified as the second fastest aging state in the country. Research confirms that 70% of those over 65 will need the support of a direct care professional sometime in their life. The work the DCWC does today to stabilize the direct care workforce and raise awareness of their essential value will provide benefits well beyond 2022.
I am honored to work with and learn from the dedicated individuals participating in the DCWC! We would love to have you join us!
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Are you interested in working on ARPA projects for the Department?
We are hiring a number of positions to help implement and design diversity of projects and we would love to have you on the team!
HCPF offers competitive salaries, remote working, and a strong benefits package* which includes:
- PERA retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan, PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401K and 457 plans
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage
- Automatic Short-Term and Optional Long-Term Disability Coverage
- Life and AD&D Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) job protection and State of Colorado Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)
- 10 Paid Holidays Annually and Accrued Annual and Sick Leave
- Accrued Sick Leave for State of Colorado Temporary Employees
- Flexplace and Flextime work arrangements
- Variety of discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program
- Discounted RTD EcoPass
- Reduced college tuition through CSU Global
- Credit Union of Colorado Membership Eligibility
- Free personal development classes and more!
If you have a desire to be of service to your community and to be a part of transformational change within the Medicaid system in Colorado please apply or share this information with your friends and colleagues who might be interested.
HCPF is committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities, including those with lived experience.
*Benefits package can vary based on employment type
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Other Updates & Key ARPA Links
Department ARPA Landing Page - The ARPA team is hard at work expanding and improving the ARPA portion of the Department website. A key recent addition is eight new subpages for each project category with a full directory of projects and project descriptions.
Quarterly Reports - The Department will be submitting comprehensive reports to the Colorado Joint Budget Committee (JBC) and the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that provide detailed hiring updates, budgetary information, and overall project progress. The next report will be posted in the first week of February.
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State Partner Opportunity
Who: Individuals negatively impacted by the pandemic
What: Training costs and support services for individuals to earn short-term credentials
How: Local workforce centers and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) enroll individuals and pay for training costs
RUN funds are available to support an individual through local workforce centers and nonprofit organizations funded by the CWDC.
Training Providers DO NOT need to be on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) to get RUN funds for a learner.
Training providers can be funded if they meet any of the following:
There is not one single, comprehensive list of training providers who can get RUN funds; it is a local workforce board decision.
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