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Children and Families Specialty Plan to Launch in December 2025
The new Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP) will go live on December 1, 2025. The Children and Families Specialty Plan is a single, statewide NC Medicaid Managed Care health plan designed to support Medicaid-enrolled children, youth and families served by the child welfare system in receiving seamless, integrated and coordinated health care. Blue Cross NC was awarded the contract for the Children and Families Specialty Plan in August 2024. To implement the Plan, NCDHHS will work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), who will manage it under the name Healthy Blue Care Together. Read more here: https://medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/children-and-families-specialty-plan
New Data Available on the Innovations Waiver Waitlist Dashboard
The Innovations Waiver Waitlist Dashboard was updated in December 2024 to include data on:
- Demographics: Information on age, gender, race, and ethnicity
- Diagnosis: Details on diagnoses and which ones qualify for the Innovations Waiver
- Locality: A look at where people on the waitlist live across NC to help target resources and services
View the updated Innovations Waiver Waitlist Dashboard HERE.
In case you missed it:
Navigating Your Pathway: Unlocking Support Systems for
Individuals with IDD and Their Families
In December, ECAC partnered with Meet The Need NC and others to present this webinar on the new Innovations Waiver Pathway tool. If you missed it, you can view the recording HERE. You can see the Innovations Waiver Pathway tool and resources HERE.
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New Fact Sheet
Medical Condition/Clinical Diagnosis vs.
Special Education Eligibility & Identification
Parents are often surprised to learn that their child’s medical condition or diagnosis, such as Autism, Dyslexia, Hearing Loss or muscle related disorders does not automatically qualify them for an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Understanding the differences between a medical diagnosis and an educational determination of eligibility for special education services can help families become better advocates for their children.
To access the fact sheet, click HERE.
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Connect and Empower Caregivers: Improving Outcomes for Black Children with Medical Complexity | |
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ECAC is happy to announce that Christy Moore and Triahnna Miles are partnering with Dr. Michelle White and her study team at Duke University School of Medicine to collaborate on a study to improve the experiences and care for Black families who have children with complex health needs. Funded by the Lucille Packard Foundation, this study will include analyzing the experiences of Black caregivers and using that data to create an intervention which will focus on enhancing two components of care for Black children with medical complexity:
- Caregiver access to health resources and
- Two-way communication between caregivers and healthcare providers/staff.
Read more here: https://lpfch.org/grant/empower-black-caregivers-children-with-medical-complexity/
ECAC is assisting with the recruitment of Black caregivers of children with complex health needs for this study. To ensure diverse representation among the Black community, Black fathers, grandparents raising their grandchildren and families who live in rural areas are strongly encouraged to participate! All involvement can be done virtually and/or over the phone. Participants will be compensated.
Please contact Javier Rodriguez at javier.rodriguez2@duke.edu or 919-620-4732
if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity.
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Free Training for Family Navigators & Support Personnel
NCNC Family Navigation Guide
This free 1.5-hour training will provide an overview of a new online resource tool for family navigators and other professionals. It is primarily designed to assist families who have children with or at risk for developmental delay or disabilities answer common questions and find resources. Other families may find useful information, too.
The interactive workshop will provide an overview of an enhanced family navigation service for NC and introduce the interactive NC Family Navigation Guide using website demonstrations and case examples. Although this tool was develped for navigators to use in collaboration with families, it is family-friendly and easy to use so families may also use it on their own.
You are invited to attend one of the workshops to learn about this new tool.
Upcoming training dates:
February 4, 2025, 11:00-12:30pm
Registration Zoom link: https://bit.ly/4geW0qc
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Inclusion Connects
Inclusion Connects is excited to announce the new Community Living Guide. This guide connects individuals with I/DD to resources across North Carolina.
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The North Carolina Black Youth Wellness Advisory Board
is Currently Recruiting New Members
The North Carolina Black Youth Wellness Advisory Board invites young adults ages 18-24 with a passion for mental health to serve as leaders on the advisory board. Board members advocate for youth mental health, promote suicide prevention, provide peer perspectives, and support community engagement. Stipends are provided for participation. Applications will be accepted through February 1, 2025.
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Family Voices Launches “My Language, My Care”
Many people know language services are available in the health care setting, but often they do not understand the legal requirements for language access or how to advocate for high quality services. Family Voices is offering a free online course for families to learn more about their rights to language access services and how to advocate for high quality services. The self-paced course is available in English, Spanish, American Sign Language, and Chinese. Please share this information with families you know and with people who work with families whose preferred language is not English. Learn more about My Language, My Care at www.familyvoices.org/mylanguagemycare . Find resources that support language access at www.familyvoices.org/languageaccess/resources .
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What is Changing Spaces?
The Changing Spaces Campaign is a coalition of advocates raising awareness about the necessity of Adjustable-Height Universal Changing Tables in public family restrooms. The mission is to foster community inclusion, access, and equality for individuals with disabilities who cannot safely use standard accessible restrooms.
“Without accessible restrooms equipped with height-adjustable adult changing tables, caregivers are often forced to change loved ones on unsanitary public bathroom floors. This not only compromises dignity but also poses health risks due to unhygienic conditions. Additionally, the lack of appropriate adaptive equipment increases the risk of injury for both the caregiver and the individual needing assistance, which can lead to liability concerns for venue owners.” - Leslie Renkens, Indiana Chapter of Changing Spaces
How can families get involved? Is there a place where members of your community could benefit from a universal changing table? Are you a business owner who wants to learn more details about universal changing tables? Do you want to educate your elected officials by sharing your story? Changing Spaces provides a comprehensive Advocacy Toolkit, where you can find advocacy scripts and emails to help you get started.
More information on the NC Chapter of Changing Spaces HERE.
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Free Virtual and In Person Digital Skills Training for People with Disabilities
The Arc and AT&T are partnering on a nationwide program that is bringing digital skills training to people with disabilities and their families. Digital literacy is critical in today’s world to learn, apply for jobs, be socially connected, and more. The Arc, The Arc San Francisco, and AT&T have collaborated to create safe and accessible digital skills trainings that accommodate the different learning styles of people with disabilities. Training modules cover a wide range of topics including:
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- Getting started with a computer
- Introduction to email
- Navigating a website
- Using a mobile device
- Online safety, passwords, fraud, and scams
- And more
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Read more information about the free digital skills training HERE
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The Family-to-Family (F2F) Health Information Center within ECAC is here to provide health related information, resources and support to families and professionals in NC. Some commonly discussed topics are:
- Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers, such as the Innovations Waiver, Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C), Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) and Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Grants for families to cover the cost of therapy, equipment, respite care, educational expenses, etc.
- Guardianship and alternatives to guardianship and other questions related to the transition to adulthood
- New to the state or new to the diagnosis and just don't know where to start
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Give us a call at
1-800-962-6817
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ECAC is providing this newsletter as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the ECAC. ECAC is not a legal services agency. We cannot and do not provide legal representation or advice, and information contained in this newsletter should not be used or considered as such. This newsletter is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $89,140 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov. | | | | |
