Office of Community Living Updates: May 17, 2023

May 17, 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

Behavioral Health Secure Transportation Benefit Goes Live July 1, 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

Children's Waivers Satisfaction Survey: Deadline Sept. 15, 2023

General OCL Meetings:

Health Equity Public Meeting: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Community Focus

Participant-Directed Programs Policy Collaborative (PDPPC)

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-Related Meetings:

Quarterly ARPA Updates Webinar - All Stakeholders

NEW: ARPA 1.05 Provider Grant Informational Webinar #7

ARPA 2.02 Statewide Mobile Crisis Response Bi-Weekly Technical Assistance

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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Behavioral Health Secure Transportation Benefit Goes Live July 1, 2023

House Bill (HB) 21-1085 directed the creation of a behavioral health secure transportation (BHST) service for people experiencing a behavioral health crisis. This is a collaborative effort between HCPF, the Behavioral Health Administration, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The BHST paid benefit will be available July 1, 2023, for Health First Colorado members.

Find out more information by visiting HCPF's BHST webpage or by contacting meghan.morrissey@state.co.us.

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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 (click the "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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Children's Waivers Satisfaction Survey: Deadline Sept. 15, 2023

HCPF has partnered with Vital Research to develop and administer the Children’s Waivers Satisfaction Survey. The new Children’s Waiver Satisfaction Survey (CWSS) will receive feedback from families on their services and supports, from members enrolled on the four children’s waivers, which includes the Children’s Extensive Services (CES), Children's Home and Community-Based Services (CHCBS), Children with Life Limiting Illness (CLLI), and Children's Habilitation Residential Program (CHRP).

In the next few weeks, members will be randomly chosen from a list of Colorado children receiving long-term services and supports to participate in the member experience survey. Vital Research will be mailing letters to families who are chosen during the Summer of 2023.

All information provided will be kept confidential and members will not be personally identified in any report that is released. This survey is completely voluntary. It is the family’s choice whether to participate. Services received from Medicaid programs will not be impacted regardless of the family’s choice to participate or not.

We hope you choose to be part of this important survey. For more information on surveys and to see results from previous years, please visit HCPF's National Core Indicators (NCI) webpage.

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.

Health Equity Public Meeting: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Community Focus

HCPF is committed to ongoing and sustained health equity for all our members.

The purpose of the health equity public meeting is to provide space for providers, members, and community stakeholders to learn about HCPF’s Health Equity Plan, and to provide input and feedback. Our goal is to establish the current state of health equity, and strategically look at innovative ways to improve health outcomes and decrease health disparities for our members in Colorado.

To achieve better health outcomes, stakeholder engagement is critical.

Feedback from sessions will inform HCPF’s health equity strategy and implementation.

Health equity happens when everyone has equal opportunity to be as healthy as they can be. No one's race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography or preferred language should negatively affect their health care. Health equity work includes removing obstacles to health care access and positive health outcomes.

The meeting will be held:

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

3 to 4 p.m. MT

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Participant-Directed Programs Policy Collaborative (PDPPC)

The PDPPC is a collaboration between stakeholders and HCPF, focusing on issues related to Participant-Directed Programs, which includes Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS).

The webinar link and phone number are the same for all the 2023 meetings. The PDPPC meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month in 2023, from 1 to 4 p.m. MT, with the following exceptions, due to holidays:

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, 1 to 4 p.m. MT

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, 1 to 4 p.m. MT

All PDPPC meetings are posted on the OCL Stakeholder Engagement and Calendar webpage. All interested stakeholders are welcome to attend. For more information, see

the PDPPC webpage.

The next meeting will be held:

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

1 to 4 p.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join by Phone:

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

Meeting ID: 969 4053 6000, Passcode: 115140

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Nursing Facility Stakeholders Meeting

This meeting focuses on Medicaid-related developments related to Nursing Facility reimbursement and benefits. This includes, but is not limited to, procedural reviews, benefit interactions, policy clarifications, and cyclical business operations.

The Nursing Facility Stakeholders Meeting meets on the third Wednesday of the month. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

The meeting will be held:

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

1 to 3 p.m. MT

Join via Google Meet

Join by Phone:

1-401-379-3164, PIN: ‪406 137 468#

American Rescue 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 and Calendar webpage.

Quarterly ARPA Updates Webinar - All Stakeholders

This meeting provides an update for all interested stakeholders on key projects specifically funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 within OCL and the Health Policy Office (HPO). Other OCL and HPO updates will also be covered, as needed.

The audience includes members, family, advocates, case management agencies (CMAs), community centered boards (CCBs), home and community-based services (HCBS) providers, nursing facilities, providers and single entry point (SEP) agencies.

Webinar documents are located on the OCL Webinar page and the ARPA page.

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, May 18, 2023

3 to 4:30 p.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join via Phone:

(Toll-free) 877-853-5257

Meeting ID: 837 2638 7551, Passcode: 168309

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NEW: ARPA 1.05 Provider Grant Informational Webinar #7

This informational webinar is intended for home and community-based services (HCBS) providers. Through the ARPA 1.05 grant, HCBS providers can apply for funding to support specialization and advanced training opportunities for their HCBS workforce. Visit the ARPA1.05 Grant portion of the ARPA webpage or see the Request for Applications for more information on the grant program.

The webinar will be recorded and posted on the HCPF website. Additional webinars will be scheduled for future grant cycles. All interested stakeholders are welcome.

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, June 29, 2023

1 to 2 p.m. MT

Join via Zoom

Join via Phone:

(Toll-free) 877-853-5257

Meeting ID: 993 1700 7314, Passcode: 396389

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ARPA 2.02 Statewide Mobile Crisis Response Bi-Weekly Technical Assistance

This is an opportunity for Administrative Service Organizations (ASO) / Regional Accountable Entities (RAE), community and members, providers, and any interested stakeholder to ask questions and receive technical assistance related to implementing the Mobile Crisis Medicaid Benefit. These meetings will occur through at least July 2023.

For more information, contact Emily Holcomb at Emily.Holcomb@state.co.us.

The meeting will be held:

Thursday, May 25, 2023

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

Click Here to Register

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 can be found on the OCL Stakeholder Engagement and Calendar webpage.

ARPA-Related Meetings can be found on the ARPA Stakeholder Engagement and Calendar webpage.

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