OPWDD has revised their interim guidance on the delivery of services through telehealth modalities. This is a revision of their guidance originally released on March 14. The revisions are in response to the Governor's 202.5 Executive Order issued March 18 and guidance issued by the Office of Civil Rights ("OCR") at the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") on March 17. Section D has been revised to direct the use of non-public facing technology to provide services to individuals remotely. The use of public-facing applications for service delivery are still prohibited. Section E has been updated to clarify the requirements for licensure of the provider of telehealth services and guidance on what constitutes an approved provider.

OPWDD Webinars 

The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), in collaboration with the Managed Care Community of Practice (MC-COP), is offering a webinar series for providers to assist in understand OPWDD guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first, offered Monday, March 23rd at 1 p.m. will provide an overview of OPWDD guidance to date. Registration for Monday's webinar can be found here.  A second webinar on Tuesday, March 24th at 2 PM will focus on Day Services Guidance and Implementation, including a focus on the closure template details and billing allowances/options. Registration info can be found here. 

To help ensure adequate capacity given the anticipated large number of attendees, OPWDD is requesting agencies call in from a single line or have one representative call-in on behalf of the agency. These webinars will be recorded and shared following the live webinar.

Extension of CPR Certification Requirements 

The American Heart Association has extended CPR certification by 60 days. Guidance on the extension can be found here. To date, neither the National Safety Council nor the Red Cross have issued such extensions. The Arc New York is seeking an amendment temporarily waiving the requirements of CPR/FA recertification for all staff. 

Guidance on Delivery of Service for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has published guidance to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 1915(c) Medicaid Waiver providers. The guidance includes the NYSDOH authorization for TBI providers to deliver services via telehealth in lieu of a face-to face contact. The guidance also details the screening process that providers of TBI services should follow if face-to-face contact is clinically indicated and in response to a life safety-issue.