Greetings CFS SDS Families! 

 

Please review our CFS SDS Family & Individual Newsletter for important news and updates.

Highlights!

Special thank you and shout out to the New York Disability Advocates who rallied in Albany. It was an incredible experience! CFS was warmly greeted by several senators and assembly members. We had 37 people from CFS come together in Albany to rally for key priorities in the executive budget! Thank you to everyone who participated and rallied for a more stable care system!

Check out the February edition of The CFS Loop for all things CFS! CFS The Loop

We want to share with the world a variety of stories that showcases the wonderful individuals we support along with their employees and families. You can click the link below to share your ideas with the communications team so we can work with you to tell your story.


See how to share your story>>>

As a member of the CFS community, you know the difference that great support makes in the lives of the over 1,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that we work with.

 

Right now, in Washington D.C. the government is making decisions that may impact the support CFS and other organizations are able to deliver. Currently, there are no confirmed cuts directly impacting CFS or the individuals we support. CFS leadership and staff are working with other organizations and provider agencies to stay informed. To ensure services for individuals with disabilities remain funded at adequate levels, the entire community is working together to let officials know how important these programs are in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.


Tell Congress to Protect Medicaid

 

Many of the supports individuals rely on are funded through the Federal Government's Medicaid program. Currently, the House of Representatives is considering a resolution that would cut at least $880 billion from the Medicaid program, which may impact home and community-based services. They are voting soon on this legislation, so advocacy now is vital.


Learn More and Take Action

Workforce Team Updates

 

Please take note of some very important announcements from our Workforce Team. 

 

1. In the weeks to come self-hired employees who utilize their personal vehicle to work with individuals on goals and safeguard related activities will be contacted by Workforce and Project Management. The License Event Notification Service (LENS) supplies important information about the driving qualifications of drivers that you employ or regulate. Organizations that use LENS can quickly identify their problem drivers and focus efforts to improve safety and decrease vulnerability. CFS Self Directed Supports (CFS-SDS) will conduct a LENS check on all current and potential self-hired employees who apply for a position where they will be using their personal motor vehicle to transport an individual.

 

 

2. We understand and value the importance of onboarding self-hired employees as quickly and as efficiently as possible. We ask for your support to efficiently onboard you prospective new employees. Please consider checking in at the mark of each phase email sent to the employee(s). All members of the circle of support (COS) are cc'd through the entirety of the onboarding process. Checking in is welcome! We do ask for your support in limiting the number of inquiries to ensure we are putting forth all efforts on onboarding processes versus responding to a high volume of inqueries.

 

Click the below link for a more in-depth overview of the onboarding process and tips you and your future employees can implement for a more efficient process.

 

Self-Hired Employee Clearance Process

 

3. Hiring and Committing to Self-hired employee(s): We understand things may transpire during the onboarding process and are here to help! Please keep us in the loop. Your circle of support can help in making an informed decision before deciding to hire an employee. Consider hiring an employee knowing that both parties can commit for a reasonable period of time. This is to minimize agency costs associated with clearing employees and to minimize inefficiencies when an employee is onboarded then it's determined that a working relationship will no longer be pursued.

 

4. Employee of the Month: The Workforce Committee is excited to announce the re-launch of the CFS Employee of the Month recognition program! Anyone – DSPs, supervisors, managers, or administrators – are eligible to be employee of the month. Anyone can submit a nomination on behalf of anyone, not just the employee’s supervisor.

 

By re-starting this process, we’re looking forward to hearing the innovative ways we’re supporting those we work with and all the great things that are going on across the organization! Winners will be announced each month and will win a $125 gift card. They will also be invited to an employee recognition celebration later in the year. 

 

The nomination form website has all the criteria we’ll be considering when reviewing DSP submissions as well as for other staff. We thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully complete the form so we can best assess each nominated staff member.

 

You can see the Employee of the Month Nomination Form here >>


Maximizing Budget Lines

 

Self-Direction budgets can include Self-Hired staffing or not. If they do include Self-Hired staffing (community habilitation, respite or SEMP), we do request that you work with your Broker and Team to utilize these services. 

 

If you do not wish to utilize the service, please work with your Support Broker to amend the budget to remove Self-Hired Community Habilitation and/or Self-Hired Respite and SEMP. Please note that if your needs change, the budget can be amended to include the service in the future. The budget should be an accurate representation of your current needs/interests and is able to be amended as your needs/interests change. 



As your FI, we have a variety of trainings that can help to address any barriers you are experiencing to identify, hire, and manage self-hired staff.


 

Topics welcome! Please email jsolis@cfsny.org

Sustainability Project


Dr. Laurie Yankowitz hosts a series of video conference sessions geared toward Self-Direction Connection and guided instruction to support relatives and friends of self-directing individuals interested in stepping up when parents are ill or have passed on. This project is designed to ease supporters into more active roles that allows parents to see that others can gradually take the reins.

 

Funding via IDGS Coaching/ education for parent(s), spouse and advocates involved in the person’s self-directed services is possible.



Click Here if Interested in Learning More>>

Policies/Procedures (Reminders)

 

Our policy and procedure manual has been completed and published. We have shared via various platforms with families and brokers (webpage, lifeplan meetings, broker meeting).


Click for a copy of the policy and procedure manual >>

Individual/Families Friendly Reminders to:



  • Review self-hired employee rosters daily

 

  • Please utilize the capability of "raise issue" in your employees rosters if there is an issue so as to not process incorrect sessions. Please contact Workforce for more information on navigating this function.


  • Review self-hired staff activity fees and mileage requests daily, check for accuracy 

 

  • Review support broker invoices

 

  • Review all areas of FI reviews when distributed and follow up with the respective circle of support members needed for FI requested documentation. FI and QA team can enforce the SDS Compliance Protocol.

 

  • Ensure that if applicable, monthly summary notes are completed by the 10th of the following month. Monthly summary notes must be completed for the self-hired community habilitation service regardless if the service did not occur or if there is no staff.

 

  • If you received a request to complete staff's evaluation please click on the evero link in that email request to complete.

 

  • Please attach all justification forms to applicable invoice requests (this includes out of state transportation requests).


eVero


Please click here for:

eVero software release notifications >>

eVero software webinar/trainings >>

eVero Ed Videos >>

eVero App >>

eVero Budget Summary Actions >>


They give users the ability to view, export, and download associated budget details with one simple click. Maximize efficiency and spend less time in the system completing budget reviews with these instant Budget Summary Actions.

Resources & Upcoming Events

 

CFS SDS Webpage >>

 

CFS Advocacy and Events >>

 

Join us for Bingo Friday nights, or our Book Club, our Creative Learning Dance project and many other opportunities to connect at CFS!


Celebrate Women's History Month


New York:

Making Their Mark: Art by Women in the Shah Garg Collection 


Visit Berkeley Art Museum 

548 West 22nd Street, NYC


Free to visit Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm


Learn More >>

 

OPWDD OMBUDS PROGRAM


The new Ombuds program, which operates independently of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), was developed to provide education and help people better understand their rights, to provide advocacy and support for people navigating the OPWDD service delivery system, and to assist people with developmental disabilities and their families to resolve concerns related to service access and quality. As per OPWDD, the Ombuds Program does not replace current ways of accessing services.

 

Ombuds Contact Information

1-800-762-9290

iddony.org

Click Here to Learn More

OPWDD Self-Direction Evaluation

Stay informed! The below is from the OPWDD website.

 

In the months to come Guidehouse will release a Self-Direction Guidance draft for families and providers based on the feedback received in multiple Town Halls and sessions across individuals, families, brokers and FIs. 


Click the link below to learn more and to stay informed.


OPWDD Self-Direction Evaluation

CFS SDS Contacts  


Jennipher Solis - Director of Self-Direction - jsolis@cfsny.org 

Monica Festa -  Asst. Director of Self-Direction - mfesta@cfsny.org 


FI Program Managers 


Fay Simon- Sr. FI Program Manager - fsimon@cfsny.org 

Monica Festa -Sr. FI Program Manager - mfesta@cfsny.org 

Marissa Gessin- Sr. FI Program Manager - mgessin@cfsny.org 

Zahida Ahmed - FI Program Manager - zahmed@cfsny.org 

Lauren Lord - FI Program Manager - llord@cfsny.org 

Maria Balestrieri - FI Program Manager - mbalestrierie@cfsny.org 

Nicasie Fergus - FI Program Manager - nfergus@cfsny.org 


Workforce Distribution List- _DL-SDSWorkforce@cfsny.org


Noemi Galvez - Coordinator of Workforce - ngalvez@cfsny.org 

Suhana Meah - Program Assistant - smeah@cfsny.org 

Jasmine DeLaVega - Support Planning Specialist - jvega@cfsny.org 

Jasmine Pena - Program Assistant -jpena@cfsny.org 


Project Manager 


Grace Chirico-Di Lisi - Program Manager gdilisi@cfsny.org 


Quality Assurance 


Andrea Smith - Quality Assurance Specialist - asmith@cfsny.org

 

Accounts Payable/Finance 


Joseph Loza - jloza@cfsny.org 



**We have many other staff at the CFSNY office in HR, Payroll, Finance and Administration as well.  

 

Thank you!
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