Dear Benchmarks' Members, 

See below for important information that has been released so far this week from the LME/MCOs and more.

AND, if you are in need of online training during this time, please take a moment to review Benchmarks' Online Training Portfolio and be sure to reach out to Paige Wiggs (Benchmarks' Online Training Guru Extraordinaire) for any questions you may have!


Take care of each other and stay safe and healthy!

The Benchmarks' Team


Thursday, April 16, 2020, 3 pm.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.




BENCHMARKS' Friday Membership Webinar
Friday Mornings at 8:30 am

Please update the information in your calendar for
Benchmarks' Friday Morning Call with Members 
with the following information!
Topic: Benchmarks' Membership Webinar
Time: Apr 10, 2020 08:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Fri, until May 15, 2020, 6 occurrence(s)
Apr 10, 2020 08:30 AM
Apr 17, 2020 08:30 AM
Apr 24, 2020 08:30 AM
May 1, 2020 08:30 AM
May 8, 2020 08:30 AM
May 15, 2020 08:30 AM
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 626 815 379
Password: 081879

One tap mobile
+19292056099,,626815379# US (New York)
Meeting ID: 626 815 379


DHHS Responds to a Few Questions Submitted

  • Q:  Request to waive the monthly bed assessment fee for ICF Residential. This would help from a financial standpoint until providers can get through this. A:  This request has been shared with the appropriate team in Medicaid.
  • Q:  Transport of medically fragile clients to an alternate facility or an ED, if they become sick with Coronavirus, will be challenging.  Need guidance.  A:  Guidance is forth coming on various topics,
    please check the DHHS COVID website for
     https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/covid19/covid-19-guidance#people-who-have-disabilities .
  • Q:  Need guidance regarding a) quarantining; and b) isolating sick clients in ICF-I/DD Facilities.  Challenging on multiple levels to attempt to isolate an I/DD individual.  Also, they have shared bathrooms that are not conducive to isolation.  A:  Current guidance can be found at  https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/covid19/covid-19-guidance#people-who-have-disabilities. Additional COVID information and guidance is forthcoming and will be can be found at the noted website.
  • Q:  Shared staff scenarios for facility-based care:  need State guidance. Staff qualification waivers, for example?  Other?  The 1135 waiver application provisions related to providers do not address this issue. A: Staff flexibilities guidance is forthcoming.
  • Q:  Can tele-health be used for outpatient services that receive an enhanced rate, for instance, TFCBT? The CPT codes used are: 90837, 90846, and 90847. A:  90837, 90846, and 90847 - these can be done by telehealth  - rate should be the same as f/f.
  • Q:  Related to billing telehealth, 90791, if the client does not have access to video due to lack of equipment OR internet/bandwidth, are we able to bill 90791, if well documented.  Getting mixed messages on how to handle as some of these situations are crisis driven. A:   Right now 90791 has to be done via two way, real time, audio visual.  We're looking at adding telephonic, but we aren't there yet.

NCCDD Seeks Community Input on
Impact of COVID-19

The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities is conducting a brief survey of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, family members, caregivers and other stakeholders to gather perspectives on the impact of the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in daily life.
 
 
Please take a few minutes to answer the survey questions below. The Council staff will compile the responses and share them with policymakers and with you. Your perspective will influence the work of the Council staff as we participate daily in discussions about COVID-19 and its impact across our state and country.

Deadline to complete the survey is April 22, 2020.

MEMORANDUM ON COVID-19 RESPONSE BY FIRST IN FAMLIES OF NC

First In Families has relaxed certain eligibility requirements in response to pandemic. Also, as always, we can assist with MH or SUD matters if they are dually diagnosed with either TBI and/or IDD. 

Protective Factors in Practice: Training Tool for Identifying Family Strengths

 Protective factors can help parents enhance their ability to navigate difficult circumstances, improve the well-being of children, and allow them to parent effectively, even under stress.
Can you identify the protective factors in this  scenario?
Sandra, a mother of two young children, has struggled with substance misuse for almost 10 years. She co-parents with their father and sings to and plays with her children. She successfully completed a treatment program in the past but recently was prescribed painkillers, and her use is increasing.

 Read the full scenario. What protective factors can you see?
Train yourself and your staff to better identify protective factors with these six vignettes on the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website.

Use these vignettes as a learning tool for new family support workers, when working virtually with parents, or to stimulate discussion during an online parent or community café.


Make your voice heard tomorrow, 
WEDNESDAY APRIL 15 for a TweetStorm

Thank you for your support of vulnerable children and families. We hope you will join child welfare advocates in making some noise for emergency #ChildWelfareCOVID relief.
 
Make your voice heard tomorrow, WEDNESDAY APRIL 15 for a TweetStorm: urge federal action to strengthen families and support our strained child welfare system. Join child welfare advocates across the country at 2:00 pm ET, April 15 for a TweetStorm in support of vulnerable children and families.

Below, please find some sample tweets or posts for you to share on Wednesday, April 15, particularly between 2 and 3 pm ET. There are tweets and additional social media images that on the childwelfareCOVID.org website's social media page .  The links for contacting members of Congress through Twitter, Emails and Facebook for your easy reference below.
 
Contact Information for Senators and Representatives
House zip code look up 

Call to Action Tweets/Posts - use these tweets to encourage your networks to participate in the #ChildWelfareCOVID TweetStorm

Immediate help needed for families in crisis
Tweet at your Sens and Reps today and let them know that you want to see an increase in #ChildWelfareCOVID funding to support the most vulnerable children + families.  Everything you need to tweet:  https://www.childwelfarecovid.org/federalsocialmedia 

Make your voice heard: Tweet at your Sens/Reps today and let them know that you want to see an immediate increase in #ChildWelfareCOVID funding to support the most vulnerable children + families during the #COVID19 crisis. Everything you need to tweet:  https://www.childwelfarecovid.org/federalsocialmedia

Sample Tweets & Posts
Nearly 600 national, state & local partners have come together to urge Congress to act immediately to approve #ChildWelfareCOVID funding to strengthen families and protect children during this crisis. 
 
#ChildWelfareCOVID response must be comprehensive and include child maltreatment prevention, strengthening child welfare's response to crises, supporting older youth who are particularly vulnerable & helping older caregivers access critical necessities. 
 
Congress must provide crucial supports to children & families facing the stress and disruptions resulting from the #COVID19 pandemic, by equipping prevention and child welfare systems with the tools they need to keep children safe. 

Foster families are struggling to meet children's needs during this epidemic. They need better technology, crisis support, and targeted financial assistance to weather this national emergency  #KeepFosterFamiliesStrong Ask #Congress for emergency #ChildWelfareCOVID funding 

Foster families continue to step up for children in crisis, but the COVID crisis creates major challenges. They need up to date information to help kids stay connected to families and supports #KeepFosterFamiliesStrong Ask #Congress for emergency #ChildWelfareCOVID support.

Many children in foster care are waiting to return home to families; #fosterfamilies provide safe havens but court closures can cause reunification delays. Ask Congress for increased #CIP funding to keep court hearings on track #ChildWelfareCOVID

Today's #fosterfamilies and #kinshipcaregivers are working hard. We're always recruiting to meet new need. Child welfare agencies need new tools and resources to support existing #fosterfamilies and recruit and train new families #ChildWelfareCOVID

Help #childwelfare agencies stabilize families & prevent an influx of children entering #fostercare. Tell your Sens/Reps: Congress must increase #ChildWelfareCOVID funding to the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program.
 
Local #prevention services/programs are critical during times of crisis to ensure parents have the tools to manage stress and keep their children safe. Tell Congress that we must #preventchildabuse and increase #ChildWelfareCOVID funding to CAPTA Title II now. 
 
Prevention services are the most cost-effective way to make sure parents feel supported and keep children stay safe. Tell Congress that we must increase #ChildWelfareCOVID funding to CAPTA Title II now and #preventchildabuse. 
 
Additional stress from #COVID19 will increase the risk of child abuse, but we can support families with prevention services. Tell Congress that we must increase #ChildWelfareCOVID funding to CAPTA Title II now and #keepfamiliesstrong. 

With this #COVID19 Epidemic, we need to move quickly to help #KeepFamiliesStrong and children safe from #childabuse and neglect. Ask #Congress for emergency #ChildWelfareCOVID funding.