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The Re-KAPP 11.18.16

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Events this Past Week!

Wednesday was the IJC on Health & Welfare meeting at 10:00 am with Co-Chairman Rep. Tom Burch presiding.  KAPP was on the agenda with me & our State DSP for 2016, Betsy Byrnes presenting.  A link to the full meeting can be found here on KET.  Our presentation begins around the 1:02 mark.  Betsy did a great job, as you can see!  KAPP member, Easter Seals West Kentucky was also on the agenda (right before KAPP) discussing their PPEC program.

Betsy, Shannon & Sen. Danny Carroll
Betsy, Shannon & Sen. Danny Carroll
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Betsy with Senator Julie Raque-Adams
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Betsy with Sen. Denise Harper Angel

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Also on Wednesday, the KAPP Board of Directors retreated to Gheen’s Lodge in Louisville for an all day Strategic Planning Retreat.  Thank you to Board Members, Chris Stevenson and Maria Smith for preparing and facilitating.  2017 brings many exciting opportunities for membership!

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On Thursday, KAPP Member Redwood in Fort Mitchell hosted a Legislative Breakfast.  I attended along with Senator Wil Schroder, DDID Commissioner Wendy Morris and an impressive group of local legislators, Board Members and parents.  Executive Director John Francis and his team did an outstanding job planning, organizing and hosting the event.  The highlights included the tour of their programs, and the robust conversation that followed with parents and Board Members sharing their compelling stories about their Redwood experience.  I challenge all of you to invite your legislators to tour your agency!  I am happy to assist you.

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Thursday morning concluded with KAPP’s Waiver Redesign Workgroup weekly call.  The group is forming two sub-groups within itself.  One group will continue looking at and monitoring trends.  They will also be working on data collection, including some cost analysis.  The other group will be overseeing the breakdown of KAPP Service Sub-groups.  An email will follow soon requesting your assistance with ideas for specific waiver and regulation changes per service and sections, including personnel/training, med admin, etc.  

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Friday morning (today) was the I/DD Technical Advisory Committee (or TAC) meeting in Frankfort.  KAPP representative Rick Christman and The ARC’s Stella Beard (who has replaced Patty Dempsey) co-chaired the meeting.  Commissioner Anderson was there to give updates on:

  • Medicaid Waiver Redesign:  The group is set and will meet all day on December 7th and a half day on December 14th.  KAPP will be well represented with me, Johnny Callebs, Todd Case, Chris George, Mary Allen, Brad Schneider, Sarah Bell, Tracy Ruth and Brandon Griffith all have been selected to participate.  The group is now closed and includes representatives from ABI, KARP, ADHC, AARP, ADDs, Home Health, etc.  To prepare for the initial planning meeting, I will be sending out a provider survey on Monday November 28th that will be open through December 5th.  This survey will ask for overall system/service ideas and requests for change.  We need as many responses as possible.  
  • The three workgroups.  Not much has changed from what she shared with us at the KAPP meeting last week.  She did announce that Commissioner Miller should have a decision on the Exceptional Rate Protocol changes within a “few days”, likely after the holiday.  The process will be streamlined and will include a mechanism to backdate (in a reasonable timeframe) to ensure providers can be paid from the time the additional supports are implemented.

Laura Sanders, DCBS and Alisha Clark, DMS addressed Benefind and continuing eligibility problems with the group.  I did assure them that I would give an update to members today on this.  If you are having eligibility issues with a participant’s case, you first need to try with the local office.  Here is the SPREADSHEET to reference.  (note tabs at the bottom for East, West, South Central and North)  Start with the spreadsheet and email the appropriate worker.  Laura and Alisha both said that if you do not get a response, or get a response from the local worker saying they can’t help you, FORWARD that email to them and follow the steps I outlined in this earlier blog post:  Eligibility & Billing Issues:  Who to Contact? I know this is an extra step for you, but it will aid them in resolving system (or particular worker) problems.   The TAC is committed to making a recommendation to the Medicaid Advisory Committee that this is a CRISIS (eligibility issues) and must be addressed in a bigger way.

The meeting minutes will be posted HERE  when I get them from the court reporter.  The next meeting (open to the public) is January 20, 2017; 10 am – 12 pm at 275 East Main in Frankfort.


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Actor Pays for Louisville non-profit’s Thanksgiving Turkeys

Our employee Sydney Gholston went to purchase Thanksgiving turkeys for our kids today. What a treat when she ran into Jon Voight who is in town filming a movie and he asked what the turkeys were for. Jon generously paid for the turkeys to feed our kids next week! We are so thankful for his generosity!
Our employee Sydney Gholston went to purchase Thanksgiving turkeys for our kids today. What a treat when she ran into Jon Voight who is in town filming a movie and he asked what the turkeys were for. Jon generously paid for the turkeys to feed our kids next week! We are so thankful for his generosity!

Updates from ANCOR – Government Relations

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DOJ EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE DISCUSSION

The Committee discussed the DOJ Guidance on employment (link below) as the main topic for the November meeting.  Several questions were raised including how much impact this guidance will have in a new Administration and how Olmstead settlement actions in general will proceed.  There were also questions raised about the consistency of the guidance with the HCBS Settings rule and other federal rules and the need for clarity from DOJ staff on those topics. Committee members noted that it would be helpful for future guidance to more clearly state the need for funding at the outset to create effective outcomes and also for the guidance to acknowledge the need to address the workforce crisis in order to provide access to employment for people with disabilities.

Statement of the Department of Justice on Application of the Integration Mandate of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Olmstead v. L.C. to State and Local Governments’ Employment Service Systems for Individuals with Disabilities

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www.ada.gov/olmstead/olmstead_guidance_employment.pdf

  • Presidential Transition: The GR Committee will focus its December call and the GR Retreat on the results of last week’s election. However, if you want a preview of President Elect Trump’s position on disability issues, check out the RevUp Campaign Questionnaire: www.aapd.com/our-focus/voting/2016-election/…. Also, Andrew Bremberg, formerly of the Walker presidential campaign and Bush/McConnell staffs, is leading the Health and Human Services policy issues for the transition team:  www.healthcare-informatics.com/news-item/payment/…
  • ANCOR Workforce paper: Our GR Manager, Doris Parfaite-Claude, is issuing a final opportunity this week to the work group for further changes to the document. We plan to release the paper at the GR Retreat in January.  THANK YOU to all of our terrific members who have helped to create this paper!
  • HCBS Rule: Several states have now received initial approval of their statewide transition plans including South Carolina, Indiana, and Arkansas. As these letters are being issued, CMS is posting them online soon thereafter here: www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/hcbs/transition-plan/…
  • SSDI Issue: New rules proposed by Social Security Administration plan to create greater oversight of medical evaluations for proof of disability. ANCOR has joined several disability organizations with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) in pushing back on the proposed rules which include SSA medical consultant determinations given more weight than an individual’s own healthcare professional and not requiring consideration of a disability determination by other agencies (e.g. Veteran Administration, DOL, etc.). The proposed rules (which can be found at: www.regulations.gov/document?D=SSA-2012-0035-0001

Let’s Talk Webinar!
November 30, 2016 – 12:00PM
 
“Deeply Frank: Getting Serious About Person-Centered Thinking”
Special Guest Author: Celine Parent
Interviewer: Dave Hingsburger
Introduction: Joseph M. Macbeth
 
As a follow-up to the previous person-centred thinking journal article, Deeply Frank takes a closer look at work habits and routines and the impact they have on the lives of people. The authors challenge readers to think differently and to reflect on why they do things the way they do. They argue that the way support is currently being provided may not be wrong but it can be different. With examples and tough questions, they encourage everyone to step back in order to move forward.
Follow these links to read the English and/or French version of Volume 5 – Issue 11 of  Service, Support and Success: The International Journal for Direct Support Professionals .
Please click on the link below to register for this very important webinar on November 30, 2016 at 12:00PM (Eastern).
 
 
After your registration is approved, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
 
 

 


Due to the holiday, the next Re-KAPP will be on Friday December 2nd.  

Have a great weekend and a HAPPY Thanksgiving!  

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Shannon McCracken is a leader when it comes to supporting the needs of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. After a decade of experience at the two largest SCL agencies in Kentucky, she made the decision to embrace a new opportunity and start her own company, Commonwealth Case Management. While in the field, Shannon has won numerous national awards and served in multiple leadership positions, most recently with the Kentucky Association of Private Providers (KAPP). From November 2009 - 2012, she served as the Vice-President of Public Policy for the KAPP Board of Directors and served as President from 2012-2015. In 2016, KAPP made a significant investment in its future and offered Shannon a full-time position as the State Executive Director. Being so involved has enabled Shannon to stay at the leading edge and have a great understanding of what it takes to support people with disabilities.

Shannon is a graduate of Western Kentucky University...wife to Tony, mom to Davis (19) & Caroline (17.)

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