Are you looking for online training?   Take moment to see what Benchmarks' Online Training Library  has to offer!  

Any questions at all, please reach out to Paige Wiggs , Benchmarks' Online Training Guru!


Take care of each other and stay safe and healthy!

The Benchmarks' Team

Friday:  May 15, 2020 (Each Friday)
Benchmarks' Friday Membership Webinar

Time:  8:30 am

Friday:  May 15, 2020
Trillium Call with Day Service Providers for I/DD: Reopening Requirements

Time:  10:00 am to 11:30 am

Friday:  May 15, 2020 (Each Friday)
WEEKLY Q&A WEBINAR FOR VAYA NETWORK PROVIDERS

Time:  11:00 am

Monday:  May 18, 2020 
Statewide Developmental Disabilities Council Launches Virtual Road Tour to "Meet" Communities

Times:  
  • 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm 
  • 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm 
Monday:  May 18, 2020 (Each Monday until May 26, 2020)
Joint DMHDDSAS and DHB (NC Medicaid) COVID-19 Update CallFor BH/IDD Consumers, Family Members and Community Stakeholders

Time:  2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Toll-Free:   844-291-5495 Access Code: 1279313
Wednesday:  May 20, 2020 (All Providers)
Provider Information Sessions

Time:  2:30 pm
Thursday:  May 21, 2020 
SPARCS Information Call

Time:  12:30 pm
 
Meeting number: 473 235 227
Password: HQmtXJmy445

New:  Thursday:  May 21, 2020  (Repeats Each Thursday)
COVID-19 Update for Long Term Care Settings

Time: 11:00 am
 
Or dial-in at (646) 558-8656 
Webinar ID 997-9499-7344
New:  Thursday:  May 21, 2020  (Repeats Each Thursday)
NC DHHS COVID-19 Healthcare Professional Webinar Series, in partnership with CCNC and AHEC

Time: 5:30 pm
Wednesday:  May 21, 2020 (All Providers)
Monday:  May 25, 2020 (Each Monday until May 26, 2020)
Joint DMHDDSAS and DHB (NC Medicaid) COVID-19 Update CallFor BH/IDD Consumers, Family Members and Community Stakeholders

Time:  2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Toll-Free:   844-291-5495 Access Code: 1279313
Tuesday:  May 26, 2020 
Trauma and Mental Health Peer Support 

Time:  2:00 pm
Wednesday:  May 27, 2020 (Each Friday)
QUESTION, PERSUADE, REFER (QPR) - SUICIDE PREVENTION WEB-BASED TRAINING

Time:  2:00 to 4:00 pm (7 Slots Available)

Thursday:  May 28, 2020
Let's Talk w Dave Hingsburger; Human Trafficking and People with an Intellectual Disability-Staying 'As Safe As Possible'

Time:  2:00 pm

Friday:  May 29, 2020 
COVID-19 Q&A Webinar for Behavioral Health Care

Time:   1:30 pm to 2:30 pm 

Monday:  June 1, 2020 
Statewide Developmental Disabilities Council Launches Virtual Road Tour to "Meet" Communities

Times:  
  • 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm 
  • 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm 
Monday:  July 20, 2020 
PCIT Information Calls

Time:  10:00 am
 
Meeting number: 730 385 489
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number. Or, join by phone: 1-650-479-3207 Access code: 730 385 489 
Thursday:  July 23, 2020 
PCIT Information Calls

Time:  10:00 am
 
Meeting number: 730 385 489
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number. Or, join by phone: 1-650-479-3207 Access code: 730 385 489 

State CFAC Vacancy Announcements:  Deadline June 1st

From Kate Barrow, Community Engagement Specialist

The State Consumer and Family Advisory Committee has several vacancy openings beginning July 1, 2020. Please see the attached announcements for the two DHHS Secretary Vacancies and the DHHS State CFAC Application.
SCFAC Vacancies
  • DHHS Secretary: Mental Health Consumer and/or Family Member
  • DHHS Secretary: I/DD Consumer and/or Family Member
  • DHHS Secretary: SA Consumer and/or Family Member*
  • House: Western Region
  • House: Eastern Region
  • North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC): Central Region
 
*The SA SCFAC Vacancy is filling a term that runs from May 12, 2020 to June 30, 2021 and will be eligible for reappointment to a three-year term. The deadline to submit an application for this vacancy is June 23, 2020.
 
Applicants are encourage to view the "SCFAC Roles & Responsibilities for Perspective New Members" webinar recording. If you need assistance with the application, please contact Kate Barrow.
 
For other appointing authority vacancies, please contact that the following:
House: Julie Lisella by email at   Julie.Lisell@ncleg.gov
NCACC: Laurel Edwards at   Laurel.Edwards@ncacc.org
 
For more information on the State Consumer and Family Advisory Committee, visit the website:   https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/mhddsas/councils-commissions/state-consumer-and-family-advisory-committee [ncdhhs.gov]
 
The applications below can be opened, saved to a computer desktop and typed into the form. Once completed, save the document again and attach to an email.

Associated Documents:

From Angelia Lighfoot, I/DD Consultant-Emplyment, Post-Secondary Education & Assistive Technology

The NC Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Alliance:

The Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) Alliance is excited to offer a Virtual College Fair Video!  The IPSE Alliance is a multi-agency collaborative that promotes inclusive post-secondary educational opportunities.  A few of the many IPSE Alliance partners include University of North Carolina System, North Carolina Community College System, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Public Instruction.

In lieu of our planned live event, you will be able to view the YouTube video series which is designed to help you start your inclusive college search.  The videos will highlight 2-year and 4- year program information that prospective students would need to know.  The targeted audience is students, families, teachers, and others that work with students with an IEP (or have had an IEP). 

The IPSE Alliance ask that you complete the survey and provide feedback at the end of the last video.  Your feedback will be used to generate future videos and webinars.
 
 
NC Medicaid COVID-19 Support for Beneficiaries & Providers

From Debra Farrington, Chief of Staff NC Medicaid:

DHHS-NC Medicaid realizes that it must be hard for you to keep track of the vast amount of information being circulated during this time.  Therefore, we are providing this document summarizing information that NC Medicaid has released along with links for more detail.  We hope you will find it to be helpful.


Personal Protective Equipment:  Opportunity for Free Face Shields
Benchmarks continues to work to identify reliable suppliers of much needed personal protective equipment opportunities for our members.

This week, with all thanks due to Myra Griffie, Lutheran Services Carolina, we found the following resource that we wanted to share with you.

A grassroots volunteer organization in Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Durham is making and distributing free face shields to healthcare providers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.  They have distributed over 10,000 masks to hospitals, nursing homes and community health centers across the state and country.  You can find more information on our organization on their facebook page 


e-News for Small Business, Issue 2020-8

Good news for employers affected by COVID-19: Three new credits may be able to assist them:
  • Employee Retention Credit - Designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll.
  • Paid Sick Leave Credit - Designed to allow a business to get a credit for an employee who is unable to work (including telework) because of Coronavirus quarantine or self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis.
  • Family Leave Credit - The employer can also receive a credit for employees who are unable to work due to caring for someone with Coronavirus or caring for a child because the child's school or place of care is closed, or the paid childcare provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus.
The IRS has produced a new IRS.gov page to address questions raised by self-employed taxpayers, business owners and their employees. The Filing and Payment Deadlines Questions and Answers page will be updated often to reflect latest updates and information related to filing your 2020 income tax returns, the changes due to the Coronavirus pandemic and resulting tax legislation.

The IRS and Treasury have successfully delivered nearly 130 million Economic Impact Payments in less than a month, and more are on the way. Some taxpayers may have received a payment amount different than what they expected. Payment amounts vary based on income, filing status and family size.

See the IRS news release: Why the Economic Impact Payment amount could be different than anticipated  for some common scenarios that may explain a different payment amount than expected.

IRS Notice 2020-32 provides guidance regarding the deductibility for Federal income tax purposes of certain otherwise deductible expenses incurred in a taxpayer's trade or business when the taxpayer receives a loan pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program. The guidance clarifies a point of confusion in the small business loan program to help businesses during the Coronavirus shutdowns.

Live at the Virtual Barbershop
During this webinar, the first in a series of "virtual barbershops," we'll discuss inequities and COVID-19, particularly the virus' impact on African American men and communities of color.

About the Virtual Barbershop
 
This webinar will bring the barbershop atmosphere to you virtually,
and, like the brick-and-mortar version, everyone is welcome. The barbershop is the one of few safe places where black men feel very comfortable in having candid conversations on just about anything.
 
Takeaways
  • How and why COVID-19 has affected persons and communities of color more than other demographics
  • Perspectives of African American male leaders in the sector on the consequences and long-term effects of the pandemic
  • Strategies and solutions for addressing systemic inequities
On a lighter note, how sports may change permanently given COVID-19.

Hope4Healers is a partnership between NC DHHS and the North Carolina Psychological Association that offers resources including a hotline staffed 24/7 by licensed therapists for health care workers and their families who need emotional support for being on the COVID-19 front lines. The hotline number is (919) 226-2002. Other resources, including information about how to volunteer to staff the hotline, are  available here.
Provider Alert

May 14, 2020
 
Codes Added to Contracts
 
The following codes have been added to contracts where the base code already exists with no action required by providers. These are in addition to the codes that were identified in previous alerts and bulletins from Partners. 
 
All alerts and bulletins can be found on the Provider Knowledge Base at https://providers.partnersbhm.org/. 
 
If you have further questions, please contact your Provider Account Specialist or email  PNAS@partnersbhm.org.
 
State-Funded/IPRS
Code
Modifier
Modifier
YP620
GT
CR
 
YM580
GT
CR
YP610
GT
CR
YA389
GT
CR
YP020
GT
CR
YP640
GT
CR
 
 
Medicaid B
Code
Modifier
Modifier
Modifier
Modifier
H2023
U4
GT
CR
 
H2023
U4
CR
 
 
H2023
HQ
U4
GT
CR
H2023
HQ
U4
CR
 
H2026
U4
GT
CR
 
H2026
U4
CR
 
 
H2026
HQ
U4
GT
CR
H2026
HQ
U4
CR
 
T1019
U4
GT
CR
 
T1019
U4
CR
 
 
H2022
U4
GT
CR
 
H2022
U4
CR
 
 
T1012
U4
GT
CR
 
T1012
U4
CR
 
 
T2013
U4
GT
CR
 
T2013
U4
CR
 
 
 
 
Medicaid C
Code
Modifier
Modifier
Modifier
Modifier
T2027
GT
CR
 
 
T2021
GT
CR
 
 
T2021
HQ
GT
CR
 
T2013
TF
GT
CR
 
T2013
TF
HQ
GT
CR
H2015
GT
CR
 
 
H2015
HQ
GT
CR
 
H2025
GT
CR
 
 
H2025
HQ
GT
CR
 
H2025
TS
GT
CR
 
H2025
TS
HQ
GT
 
T2033
GT
CR
 
 
T2033
HI
GT
CR
 
T2033
TF
GT
CR
 
S5125
GT
CR
 
 
T1015
GT
CR
 
 
T2013
GT
CR
 
 
T2013
HQ
GT
CR
 
T2041
GT
CR
 
 
S5110
GT
CR
 
 
T2025
GT
CR
 
 
 
 
FY 2019-20 Quality Management Program Executive Evaluation Summary  
The FY 19-20 Quality Management Program Executive Evaluation Summary is available to providers from the Providers Knowledge Base on the Partners' website at  https://providers.partnersbhm.org/. The Executive Summary and other Quality Management documents can be accessed by scrolling to Quality Management and Corporate Compliance and clicking on Quality Management and Global CQI:  https://providers.partnersbhm.org/quality-management-global-cqi/ 
 

NC DHHS COVID-19 Healthcare Professional Webinar Series
 
CCNC and NC AHEC are working together with NC DHHS to help North Carolina's healthcare providers address the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring subject-matter experts from CCNC, NC AHEC and representatives of NC DHHS, this weekly webinar series will address new options for telephonic and telehealth delivery of care for Medicaid beneficiaries, provide a one-stop location gathering the latest information from NC DHHS and the CDC, and deliver practice support coaching to help practices implement new clinical workflows in response to the changing demands of COVID-19.
 
Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.
 


We have not found anything new to report.

  • SPECIAL BULLETIN COVID-19 #75: Telehealth and Virtual Patient Communications Clinical Policy Modifications - Behavioral Health Service Flexibilities & #76 Telehealth and Virtual Patient Communications Clinical Policy Modifications B(3) Services
  • New My Learning Campus Platform for Providers

Hear from Legal Experts
Hear from Buncombe County Bar, Pisgah Legal Services, Legal Aid of NC, and the North Carolina Bar Foundation at no charge and get answers about issues on housing, bills or debt, unemployment benefits, health insurance, safety from abuse, stimulus checks, and other matters affecting health, well-being and financial security. Thursday, May 21 st from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  Learn more here 
 
New: Network Providers Application Form for Participation in the COVID-19 Cell Phone Program
To support Vaya Health members most in need of telephonic and telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vaya purchased a limited supply of cell phones that may be requested by our network providers for distribution to eligible members. The primary purpose of this time-limited cell phone program is for providers to deliver MH/SUD/IDD services to our members who are currently unable to access services due to lack of a reliable communication device. To learn more, access the Network Providers Application Form for Participation in the COVID-19 Cell Phone Program.

N.C. DHHS: COVID-19 EMS Healthcare Resource Request Form
State leadership, including N.C. DHHS and the N.C. Department of Public Safety, has created a process for fulfilling requests from first responders and healthcare organizations for personal protective equipment (PPE). Read the  Full Guidelines for Allocation of Personal Protective Equipment and complete the COVID-19 North Carolina EMS Healthcare Resource Request Form