Team 2: Intake and Eligibility Meeting Minutes (3-12-14)

Members Present

Meeting Notes

What do you want to accomplish?

• Purpose is the process for intake and Eligibility
• To add a parent's perspective
• Opportunities and choices are out there for consumers and families - system can be cumbersome
• Accessing resources that are more appropriate - from a consumer and family prospective want things more user friendly for consumers
• Hope for some continuity - the system doesn't always work across the PAS agencies
• As part of the work I do with family members who want their family members to move from institutions I hope to gain knowledge about the system and continuity
• More consistency across the board with agencies - we are repeating things over and over - forms are overlapping - tedious for families
• Simplify
• Time for change - excited to hear what people want to say and think

Agenda

What you Want	What You Don't Want
To know when meetings are scheduled and times	Exchange of ideas may not result in tangible outcomes or will not end up in real practice
Conveying same message throughout the system	People to be defensive
People should know what to expect	People to have closed minds
Intake process should be the same - access, clarity and knowledge	People not open to embrace change
Remove duplication	More paperwork
Consistency among ISSA	Not take us backwards
Meeting locations are mutually accessible	The time consumed needs to have actual results
Other teams overlap - how to assure not contradicting their work	Anyone dropping out due to logistics
Meet with Reta on PAS forms	To lose the emphasis on the person, as well as families in the process
Outreach responsibilities - who does it - role of ISC
Families and consumers need to request information only one time
Clarity of message to families
Agendas in advance
Knowing what role of ISC is in intake process
Needs to be a level of passion when working with amilies - less acronyms!
Remember and use layman terms
Families informed of their options and ability to be prepared

Comments

• How you approach people's choices and the method of introducing them is a significant factor regarding people's approach to changes in their life. People need exposure to what there real options are 
• ypically, there is only 1 chance to meet, talk, decide and figure it out! Need more conversation and more frequently. Know ISC's plate is full - additional training to 'other' resources to supplement the ISC's capacity

Questions

* What about transition from school to adult services- is it part of this work group's consideration?

Ground Rules

What does everyone need to agree to or think about to stay focused and be as effective and productive during the meeting time?

• Stay on topic
• Avoid complaining
• Be constructive
• Stay positive
• Stay on goal
• Be respectful of each other's ideas and opinions even when conflicting to your own
• No one becomes offended or defensive or if we feel offended we talk about it
• People be prepared - do homework - come ready to work
• Receive agenda in advance
• Be efficient with use of time
• Mute cell phones

Roles

Senior Managers and Kevin Casey met to discuss how team's recommendations will be handled There will be a steering committee with participation of senior management team members who will function as liaisons to teams.

For team #2, Joe Turner and Dr. Pio are the liaisons to the steering committee. They will provide information regarding what's doable, when there is a red flag, etc. They will not attend all meetings but can attend when needed. Final make up of steering committee might include the chairman of each team or will consider each team's recommendations and provide clarity and response.

MLB, VST or Celia are facilitators to assure objectivity and creativity and will be at every meeting to help provide a broader perspective of what other teams are doing. When decisions are made - it is inclusive with input from everyone. There will be a chairperson who will call the team meetings and communicate with team and possibly be a member of the steering committee. Each team will also have a Communicator, a recorder and a timekeeper [Sean].

The vision statement is from the Strategic plan 2012-2017 developed with the DDD by Millennium.

What are your thoughts?

• When we get there this will be awesome
• Takes a stand on community based services
  • People still believe state-operated centers are an option
• This is a bold statement
• Is it doable?
• Lots of people on the waiting list!
• How to fund it?

Outcomes

• Senior management conducted an environmental scan to determine where the system was headed and where DDD was going. 
• DOJ civil rights division assigned priority to assure people will live in the community. New CMS rules on 1/10/14 clarified and defined community for home and community-based services and that person-center practices are used. No segregated day services in the future.
• Other challenges in 2020 - there will be no direct care and personal care staff available - competing with health care industry for home-based services
• Will politics affect where we are? Absolutely. Always.

Senior staff developed outcomes:

• Healthy and safe
• Real relationships
• Work
• People make decisions about their own lives
• Opportunity to contribute to the community

Comments

What makes the person feel safe?

Shouldn't being happy be added as an outcome? Isn't this the most important? Can't measure happy.  Review Penn State study on measuring happiness. And what is happy? Who's decides what happy is?  Having techniques for asking questions a different way may help - what's a good day and what's a bad day? What about when people cannot communicate? When people thrive-are they happy? Being listened to and valued comes closest to 'making people happy'. [Refer this to ISP Profile and Service monitoring team]

Our Purpose

What Will Intake and Eligibility Team Do?(Slide 11)

• Streamlining proposal in the works would affect determination of eligibility
• What can be influenced upfront
• Making materials available upfront in intake process
• Easier to gain access - reduces the amount of time for determination of eligibility
• Screening should be done prior to placement on waiting list - people waiting 5-6 years and then find out they aren't eligible is unacceptable
• Once on list, applicant continues to change - updates?
• No alternatives are provided if not eligible
• PUNS is like a lottery and being pulled does not assure eligibility
• Step by step process provided to parents if not eligible - what to do?
• Our language is important and can confuse families
• Education to parents - handout at intake
• DDPAS10 - choice of services are all written as acronyms
• PUNS - eligibility and being selected -PUNS does not provide families a guarantee of services (refer to PUNS work group)
• Intake is not about services - how can applicants find information on services?
• What is eligible? Are there changes to be made regarding who is eligible? Subjective criteria.  (Refer to next meeting - asking for Dr. Aldridge's participation)
• PAS manual changes proposed on streamlining single step process, psychologicals, etc.
• What is the role of the ISSA's

Responsibilities of Team 2

• Map out strategies for implementing key components of the change initiative.
• Identify and overcome any obstacles impeding successful implementation of the change initiative.

* Keep key stakeholders apprised of the progress of the change initiative by way of status reports to the Steering Committee.

* Decide on chairperson

What's On the Table 

• Families and Advocates Included
• Consistency in determining eligibility
• Train system wide - everyone, not just SSA's
• Standard criteria set for eligibility
• Consider combining work - much duplication between ISSA/PAS etc.
• Create a central database that shares all common general information (so parents don't have to repeat info )
• Video - Microsoft healthcare in the future  - What is the message:
  • User friendly
  • Efficient
  • Inclusive
  • Idealized
  • Scary
  • Really need to change for the future
  • Current technology is so far behind
  • State's archaic practices are apparent
  • Immediacy of a response to a consumer is great
  • Why aren't services and supports first rate for people we support
  • Communicating with parents and guardians who don't have technology - or are they just not accessing it?
  • Think Big!
  • What if there was no paper?
  • We need to get past the funding barrier because it stops us from being creative.

Wrap up

Refer topics to Service Monitoring group (Team #5) and PUNS group (Team #3)

Scheduling

Prposed:4/17 at 10:00 - 2:00 in Lincoln