Good Afternoon,
Happy DSP Recognition Week 2020! I hope everyone had the opportunity to read my communication from Monday. Thanks again to all of our DSPs!
Lots of exciting things happening within the Division. We issued 3 Information Bulletins yesterday. The first is a revision of the Bed Hold IB based on feedback and additional information that was needed for clarity. We've extended the comment period based on the re-release. The second is in relation to Electronic Monitoring which I discussed in my last DDD Communication. And the final IB is on VDS (see below). You can find all the IBs here: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=57957
VDS NEXT STEPS
While the Division has posted a Draft IB for Virtual Day Services (VDS) (and also a Virtual Day Services User Guide) we are NOT ready to "go live" with VDS quite yet. The Division is working with the Department of Information and Technology (DoIT) to complete the programming so that providers can bill, and be paid, for these services. We're hopeful it will be ready by the end of September, or early October, but cannot guarantee it at this time.
With that being said, VDS will require prior approval from the Division. We wanted to give individuals, providers and our ISCs as much time as we could in order to develop the paperwork required to begin receiving VDS. Any individual who wishes to participate in VDS will have to complete an update to their Personal Plan and get prior approval using the Alternative Day Services Request Form (IL462-0285). Please note a revised version of this form which includes 31V will be posted on the DD website. It is currently being reviewed by legal. The revised version of the Alternative Day Services Request form must be used to request 31V.
The prior approval process is an important step to ensure that all providers that are utilizing the 1100 hours of services (31U/C, 35U, 37U, 39U, 39G and 31V) are all aware of the impact of the use of VDS. This is especially important as we do not have a mechanism to reallocate hours based on the different rate(s) for each service type. So, while VDS is at a lower rate, we are unable to provide a mechanism to provide more than the 1100 hours for the state's fiscal year for all day services combined.
As VDS is a service under our Appendix K (which is set to expire in January of 2021) we will be evaluating utilization and the possibility of keeping it in the waiver. We are also exploring the 1100 hours issue and ways we could accommodate different hours based on services at different rates.
LIGAS COMPLIANCE TOOL
There have been a number of questions in regard to next steps for the Ligas Compliance Tool process. As background, in calendar year 2019, the Ligas Court Monitor and a team of reviewers from the Bureau of Quality Management (BQM), the Council on Quality Leadership (CQL), and a small group of independent reviewers conducted a compliance review for 225 Ligas Class Members residing in community-integrated living arrangements (CILAs) in Illinois. The review measured compliance with the Ligas Consent Decree through 17 separate domains: (1) Person-Centered Planning/Measuring Outcomes; (2) Independent Support Coordination; (3) Safety; (4) Staff Presence, Conduct, Competence; (5) Employment/Day Activities, Community Integration; (6) Leisure, Recreation, Social Relationships; (7) Personal Funds Management; (8) Transportation; (9) Health Care; (10) Vision, Hearing, Sensory Supports and Services; (11) PT/OT/SLP/Other Communication Supports and Services; (12) Adaptive Equipment and Assistive Technology; (13) Dining/Dietary Supports and Services; (14) Behavioral Supports and Services; (15) Mental Health Supports and Services; (16) Protection from Harm; and (17) Rights and Autonomy.
The Ligas Court Monitor's 7th Annual Report included a summary of the findings from the compliance review. Links to each are as follows: Annual Report and Compliance review findings. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the next steps for the Compliance review process were delayed. Beginning this month, those next steps will begin for both the ISCs and providers. The ISC agencies have already received the scorecards for the 225 Class Members and have begun working on the Plan of Corrective Action (POCA) to address non-compliance in those areas directly impacted by the ISC. Next, the ISC agencies will share the scorecards with the individual's CILA provider agency. The provider agency will then complete their own POCA to address non-compliance in those areas directly impacted by the provider.
This week, we will be notifying provider organizations serving the 225 Class Members who are required to complete a POCA and the process and timeline for completing the POCA template. Next week, the Division will host a webinar (Wednesday, September 23) to provide information to those provider agencies. During the webinar, the Court Monitor and her team will describe the scorecard and POCA process and answer questions about the process. Additionally, the Division and Court Monitor's team will host "office hours" to allow providers and ISCs an opportunity to ask additional questions including questions specific to an individual's scorecard. If you have any immediate questions, please reach out to Cynthia SchierlSpreen at Cynthia.schierlspreen@illinois.gov.
Thank you for all you do!
Warmly,
Allison
