Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/25/2020
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Categories
The Arc of Illinois: Save the Date: HCBS Settings Webinar!
Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and The Arc of Illinois are hosting a webinar:
Keeping the Community in HCBS Funded Services: Understanding and Commenting on the Statewide Transition Plan
Tuesday, Feb 25 from 2-3:30 pm
Do you want to help make sure that community services and supports for people with disabilities offer choice, control and self-determination to people? The state just released a plan on how to make sure money spent on community-based services and supports offers choice, control and self-determination to people with disabilities. We need YOUR HELP to comment on it. The webinar will include:
- Overview of the federal HCBS settings rule
- Timeline review of the draft statewide transition plan and the process
- Review of what is in the plan
- Review how to share comments
Who is the webinar for: self-advocates, families and community organizations
Register for the webinar here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/243410289071695629
Background: In 2014, CMS added to these rules so that people with disabilities who get services through Waivers have even more choice, control and self-determination. While every person gets different services that are unique to them, the new rules emphasize that community participation and integration should be the standard and that everyone should have access to more than one community. Illinois is one of five states that still do not have approved statewide transition plan and per the federal government, the HCBS settings rule must be implemented as of March 2022.
Illinois released last week an updated DRAFT statewide transition plan and is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to gather comments from community members. We NEED YOUR HELP to ensure that the settings rule is implemented fully and the state puts FUNDING to support transition of HCBS services to meet the settings rules.
https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/SiteCollectionDocuments/PNforTransitionPlan2020FINAL.pdf
The Department has completed a revised Statewide Transition Plan (STP) after receiving feedback from Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). The revised STP is available for public review and comment for a period of 30 days beginning on February 4, 2020 and will continue through March 5, 2020. Providers are encouraged to share this information with their residents, representatives, and other interested parties. The next submittal of the transition plan to CMS is scheduled for March 23, 2020.
The revised Statewide Transition Plan is accessible through the HFS website: https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/MedicalClients/HCBS/Transition/Pages/TransitionPlan.aspx#Subhead6
Comments may be submitted online HFS.SWTransitionPlan@illinois.gov or written comments may be mailed to:
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Attn: Waiver Management, 201 South Grand Ave East, FL 2 Springfield, IL 62763
Persons who are unable to access the Internet may request a hard copy of the revised draft plan by calling HFS at (217) 524-4148.
The great news is that ICDD has previously funded a lot of training about the settings rule. Here are some important background information if you want to learn more or share this!
- https://autisticadvocacy.org/policy/toolkits/hcbsrule/
- https://c-q-l.org/HCBS-ACT/hcbs-act-video-clips
THE HCBS ADVOCACY COALITION 3-PART TOOLKIT:
- The HCBS Settings Rules: What You Should Know!
- The HCBS Settings Rules: Settings Presumed to be Institutional & the Heightened Scrutiny Process
- The HCBS Settings Rules: How to Advocate for Truly Integrated Community Settings | Download Abridged Version
Check out the HCBA-ACT website: https://c-q-l.org/HCBS-ACT