Attention: Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Residential and Non-Residential Providers and Case Managers/Care Coordinators

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Attention: Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Residential and Non-Residential Providers and Case Managers/Care Coordinators   The Department of Health and Human Services continues to monitor the statewide effects of COVID-19 and HCBS validation activities that have occurred over the last thirty days by utilizing a "safe practices" approach. The Department has determined HCBS validations will resume statewide, effective immediately, using "safe practices" approaches as described below. When contacted regarding setting validations, providers should respond timely and continue to fully participate in the HCBS validation process. By doing so, providers will receive their settings' findings reports sooner and as a result, will have more time for setting remediation, if necessary. Disability Rights Maine (DRM) will now conduct virtual/remote HCBS validations, in all districts, for residential settings which were previously selected for on-site validations. Providers are encouraged to contact Katrina Ringrose at DRM by email at kringrose@drme.org or call her at (207) 626-2772, ext. 234 to schedule HCBS validations for these settings. DRM is expected to complete all virtual/remote residential setting validations by December 31, 2020. Individual Experience Assessments (IEAs) will now resume statewide and can be conducted either virtually/remotely or during an outside in-person visit utilizing "safe practices." Through piloting of IEAs conducted telephonically, via Zoom, FaceTime or Skype, the Department has determined that valid results could be obtained this way. The Department thanks OHI and Spurwink for their assistance with this pilot to ensure IEA validity despite the impact of COVID-19. The Department will resume notifications to Case Management agencies regarding the monthly prioritization of settings, with all IEAs to be completed and results uploaded into the EconSys portal by December 31, 2020. Community Supports, Work Supports-Group, and Brain Injury Work-Ordered Day Clubhouse settings will receive on-site validations by DRM and OADS staff. On-site validations in Aroostook county will begin the week of August 17, 2020. Providers operating these settings in other counties will be contacted by DRM or OADS staff regarding scheduling these validations. All on-site validations will be done using a "safe practices" approach and will be completed by December 31, 2020. Office of Aging and Disability Services staff will continue to conduct mini desk level reviews for residential settings that are not selected for on-site validations. These will also be completed by no later than December 31, 2020. With all setting validations completed by December 31, 2020, providers are expected to receive their setting findings reports by no later than January 31, 2021. All settings that require remediation are expected to have remediation plans (Transition to Compliance Plans) approved by the state by no later than March 3, 2021. Please note that, as a result of the CMS extension of the final date for states to fully comply with the HCBS Settings Rule to March 17, 2023, providers will now have until July 31, 2022 to complete all remediation required for their HCBS settings. Finally, the Department encourages all providers to begin or continue to upload documentation to support the validation process (e.g. documents supporting compliance with the HCBS Settings Rule) to the EconSys HCBS Compliance Portal. Please keep in mind, however, that documents containing personally identifying information (PII) for HCBS participants should *not* be uploaded to the portal, but they should be retained for secure email transmission to validators when they request these documents. The Department will continue to monitor the statewide effects of COVID-19 and implications to HCBS validation strategies and adjust as necessary.Thank you for your continued efforts, especially during these challenging times, to help the State of Maine reach compliance with the HCBS Settings Rule. Please feel free to submit any HCBS related questions to HCBS.DHHS@maine.gov Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by Maine Department of Health & Human Services. This email was sent to stevenmagallanes520.nims@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Health & Human Services · 109 Capitol St · Augusta, ME 04333