CFS Self Directed Support October Newsletter

Greetings CFS SDS Families!

Tis' the season to be grateful!

We are grateful everyday for your trust in us and ongoing support in truly empowering individuals, families and their circles of support with our mission of rendering "Personalized Support for a Meaningful Life".

Warm wishes to all this upcoming Thanksgiving and holiday season.

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

Highlights!

Shoutout to Oscar!

Oscar, a talented filmmaker with IDD, will share his inspiring journey toward independence through his film “My Independent Life.”

The evening will include a discussion on Supportive Decision Making, featuring advocacy and insights from an expert – Oscar!

This is a great event for individuals, staff, and families to attend. Click this link to RSVP – Oscar's Life.

Shoutout to Jeff!

Thank you Jeff! Jeff is a Self-Directing individual whom shared his wonderful story of how his Circle of Support has supported him in such a positive way.

When Jeff joined our agency, he was looking for a place where his wants and needs would be heard. In talking to Jeff, he shared that once joining CFS he was able to achieve the life goals he wanted.

With the help from his Circle of Support team he has been able to achieve the goals of living on his own, working part time, and doing volunteer work. During his Circle of Support meetings, he leads the meetings and feels comfortable with his team and knows that they are always there to support him when needed.

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

Workforce Team Updates

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

1. Important!: Annual Refreshers Self-Hired Employees: Please ensure all employees have completed the OPWDD mandated annual refresher series of trainings. November will be the final month for employees to complete the past due trainings. Following, self-hired employees who have not completed the mandated trainings will be placed on a suspension list. Please contact your FI Program Manager and the Workforce team if you have any questions. More importantly, please encourage your self-hired employees, to complete their trainings and contact Workforce if they have any questions. _DL-SDSWorkforce@cfsny.org

2. Future News: Stay tuned for more information regarding our License Event Notification Service (LENS) which will supply important information about the driving qualifications of drivers that you employ or regulate.

3. Self-Hired Staff YouTube Videos/Trainings: Watch Now >>

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 >>

Housing Recertifications

For individuals/designees that receive an OPWDD housing subsidy please work with your broker and FI Program Manager on the timely submission due this month of your OPWDD housing subsidy annual recertification by November 15th. Please note that if the recertification involves changes to the budget your FI team needs all submitted budget changes and recertification documentation prior to November 15th.

Please refer to the guidance below on pages 15-16 for annual recertification requirements.

OPWDD Housing Subsidy

Any questions regarding the process contact your Support Broker and FI Program Manager.

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!

Eighth Annual Coat Drive

Please donate new or gently used coats to help someone stay warm this winter. Any questions, please reach out to Innovativeteam@cfsny.org.

8th Annual Coat Drive Drop Off Locations

Creative Learning Dance Project

Join Keoni Movement Arts – a key CFS partner – for a 10 week series of movement art classes!

Keoni Movement- Creative Dancing

Autism Spectrum Disorders Board Advisory Board Meeting

OPWDD holds quarterly public meetings to share new information about services and supports, and to provide the people we support, their family members and the people who support them the opportunity to provide feedback.

https://www.cfsny.org/events/autism-spectrum-disorders-advisory-board-meeting/

OPWDD Self-Direction Evaluation

Stay informed! The below is from the OPWDD website.

In order to deliver a more consistent and sustainable self-direction service model, OPWDD has selected Guidehouse to conduct the Self-Direction Program Evaluation. Throughout 2024, Guidehouse will analyze similar successful self-direction models used by other states, identify service gaps, with a particular focus on the needs of children who are using OPWDD’s self-direction model, and identify potential efficiencies and areas of inconsistency in Fiscal Intermediary practices and geographic regions. The project will also examine how OPWDD can improve access to self-direction for historically under-represented populations and ways the program can assist people to self-direct their services when their parents can no longer help them to navigate the program model.

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

OPWDD Self-Direction Evaluation

SIDDC

The Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council (SIDDC) was established in 1969 to assist in the planning, promotion, and development of supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families throughout their lifespan.

Visit https://siddc.org/about/ to learn more.