Re: Links to New Enrollment Policies for both Adult and Children's Home-Based Support Services Programs

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Charlotte.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

New policy for receiving supports and services through

DHS/DDD

Hi all:

There are a lot of questions out there about the new policies

governing application for funding for supports and services from the

state.

Here is the memo...some of which needs clarification. ..especially in

terms of what the expectation is for funding for individuals exiting

the educational system...

I will attempt to get some answers on that.

Ellen

Leaders in The Arc: Memo from Director Teninty about new enrollment

in the waiver follows. Looks like about 800 individuals will be

getting new supports and services in 2008. Happy New Year! Tony

auski The Arc of Illinois 708-206-1930 MEMORANDUM TO:

Developmental Disabilities Service Providers Pre-Admission Screening

Providers Statewide Advisory Council for Developmental Disabilities

Other Advocacy Organizations FROM: Lilia Teninty, Director Division

of Developmental Disabilities DATE: January 4, 2008 RE: Service

Requests and Authorizations The Department is pleased to announce the

release of funds for services to persons with developmental

disabilities made available through the Hospital Tax Revenues. With

these funds, approximately 800 additional individuals will be served

this fiscal year. The funds will be used to serve individuals who are

enrolled in the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS)

database. Along with the release of these funds, the Division of

Developmental Disabilities has established new operating procedures

whereby individuals will be selected from the PUNS database for these

funds and for funds made available through vacancies that occur each

month. Under these new procedures, once the names of individuals are

selected, they will be shared with the appropriate Pre-Admission

Screening (PAS) providers. The PAS providers will be instructed to

complete all necessary eligibility assessments and, for those found

eligible, assist the individuals (and providers, if applicable) in

submitting the necessary service authorization requests. The

selection criteria addresses a variety of factors, including, but not

limited to, urgency of need, length of time on the database,

statewide geographic distribution, current living arrangements,

caregiver situations, randomness, etc. The criteria, which were

originally reviewed by the Statewide Advisory Council, will

continually be re-evaluated as PUNS data is analyzed. We believe this

new selection criteria and process will enhance our ability to ensure

fair and equal access to services and facilitate the service

authorization process. In addition to the routine PUNS selection

process, the Division will reserve a number of capacities each month

to address the needs of individuals in immediately urgent situations.

These capacities will be used for individuals whose situations are

sudden and unpredicted, e.g., they are abused, neglected, or

homeless. These individuals' needs will be recorded on PUNS as part

of the authorization process. It is anticipated that ten capacities

will be reserved each month for this specific purpose. If a capacity

is not used for this purpose, it will be used for the routine

selection. The adequacy of the reserve will continually be evaluated.

The Division will continue to process applications for individuals

who have special funding allocations, i.e., individuals moving from

State-Operated Developmental Centers (SODCs) and individuals

transitioning from the Department of Children and Family Services

(DCFS). These applications will be submitted and processed as they

are now. Attached are flow charts of the current and new processes.

As we release the Hospital Tax funds and implement the new PUNS

selection process, there are transition issues and time frames of

which we wish to make everyone aware. Transition Issues Division

network staff are in possession of authorization request packets that

have been submitted by PAS and other providers. These packets have

been determined to be in accordance with the current priority

population criteria and are awaiting available funding. These packets

will be funded as quickly as possible. The Hospital Tax revenues will

be used to fund a mixture of requests from pending packets and from

the PUNS database in general. Thus, many of the current packets will

be accommodated through a portion of the Hospital Tax Revenues; the

remaining packets will be funded as vacancies occur. To facilitate a

smooth transition to the new selection process, the Division will

continue to accept packets from PAS providers for individuals who

meet the current priority population criteria through January 31,

2008. For those who are determined by network staff to have met the

eligibility and priority criteria, authorizations will be released as

vacant capacities become available. More detailed information on the

new process will be distributed to PAS agencies and others in early

2008. Time Frames Time frames for the transition to and

implementation of the new process are as follows: fá By January 31,

2008, no longer accept request packets from PAS providers for

individuals without the individuals having first been offered the

opportunity to apply per selection through the PUNS database. Packets

for those that are abused, neglected, or homeless, as well as packets

for individuals transitioning from SODCs and DCFS, are the exception

to this. fá By January 31, 2008, release authorizations for a portion

of the current packets using Hospital Tax Revenues and current vacant

capacities. (This work began in December.) fá By February 28, 2008,

begin the new process and inform individuals selected from the PUNS

database and their PAS providers of the opportunity to apply for

services funded through the remaining Hospital Tax Revenues.

Applications will be processed as submitted. fá As of March 1, 2008,

routinely address requests through the new PUNS process using vacant

capacities and any new funds made available through appropriations. fá

By April 30, 2008, re-evaluate the number of capacities routinely

available each month due to vacancies in light of the significant

expansion. Modify the number of capacities used each month as

appropriate. fá By June 30, 2008, process all remaining approved

packets that are currently with network staff or that will be

submitted to them by the end of January 2008. (The ability to meet

this time frame will depend on the total number submitted by the end

of January.) Thank you for your attention to these issues and your

cooperation as we move to this new process. If you have any

questions, please contact your network facilitator. Attachments cc:

Grace Hou, Assistant Secretary All Central Office DDD Staff Please

click here to be removed from our list. If you still receive emails

from us in the future, please ensure it was not forwarded from

another party or sent to an email address that is different than the

one asked to be removed. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Or write us at:

The Arc of Illinois

18207-A-Dixie Highway

Homewood, IL 60430

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ