October 4, 2021
Regional Support for OhioISP Continues October 18-29
Attention: County Board and ICF Plan Authors
Registration for the October gatherings will soon be available. Plan to join other plan authors in your region to take a deeper dive into OhioISP.

What to expect?
  • Plan authors will complete sections of the OhioISP assessment.
  • Common questions will be addressed and new resources will be shared.
  • Options are available to attend in-person or virtual sessions specific to your region.

Check the OhioISP website often, we add content regularly.
Changes to Adult Day Support (ADS) and Vocational Habilitation (VH) Effective 10/15/21
Attention: All Providers, County Boards, Business Managers, CEOs, COG Directors
The following is a summary of changes being made to the ADS and VH rules that will take effect on October 15,2021.

ADS and VH in residential settings

Beginning October 15, 2021, ADS and VH, including on behalf of services, will no longer be allowed to be provided in an individual’s home. CMS has been very clear that AD and VH are not residential services and should be provided in a non-residential setting, separate from the participant’s private residence or other residential living arrangement. Recently, we have provided guidance that services provided in the home are Homemaker/Personal Care and must be provided and billed accordingly.

Virtual ADS and VH Services

The amendments to the rules, that go into effect on October 15, 2021, continue to permit an individual to receive ADS and VH services provided through virtual support in their own home; please see paragraph (D)(5) of rule 5123-9-14 and paragraph (D)(4) of rule 5123-9-17. These virtual services will continue to be reimbursed at the C Acuity rate for all individuals for services delivered through December 31, 2021. Virtual ADS and VH services delivered on or after January 1, 2022, will be reimbursed at the acuity rate of the individual according to their Acuity Assessment Instrument (AAI).

Community-Integrated ADS and VH Services

Beginning October 15, 2021, the STEP service delivery method for Adult Day Support and Vocational Habilitation will transition to Adult Day Support (ADS)-Community and Vocational Habilitation (VH)-Community. This will be a seamless transition that continues to allow for services to be provided in small groups in the community. These small group, community-based services will continue to be reimbursed at the C acuity, and the maximum group size remains at five (5) for services delivered through December 31, 2021. For services delivered on or after January 1, 2022, the maximum group size for ADS-Community and VH-Community will be restored to four (4). Please see Appendix A of rules 5123-9-14 and 5123-9-17 for additional information on the reimbursement rates for ADS-Community and VH-Community. 

Community Integration Add-on

As of October 15, 2021, there will no longer be a Community Integration (CI) Add-on rate for AD S and V H services due to the new ADS-Community and VH-Community services being available to support individuals in small groups in the community. DODD will be in touch with counties that currently have the CI add-on authorized to work through next steps.  
If you have questions regarding any of these upcoming changes, please reach out to the Waiver Policy team by emailing Kelly Schuck at Kelly.Schuck@dodd.ohio.gov
Update on Fee Waiver for Initial Independent Provider Applications
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) will continue to waive the application fee for all initial applications for independent providers at this time. The department will provide advance 30 days notice before the fee requirement is reinstated.
Microsoft Updates to DODD Dynamics 365 Applications Now Live
Attention: All County Boards, COG Directors
The 2021 Wave 2 release for Microsoft Dynamics 365 is now live. Affected applications include, but are not limited to, IDS, imagineIS, LOC, WES, RDS, PAC, PASRR, SFBAO, and OTS. However, changes to functionality and user experience are minimal.

The only significant change is the removal of a footer that included the following demographic information in IDS/imagineIS: DODD Number, Medicaid ID, Reporting County, Date of Birth, and SSN. This data can still be found on the Front Page and Additional Demographics tab of an individual's record.
Several screens also included a link in the footer to the Front Page via the individual's name. Though this has been removed, page-to-page navigation will continue to be available using the Recent and Quick Nav menus, as well as the back arrow.
COVID-19, Variants and the Vaccine: A Virtual Q&A Session with Medical Experts for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities
What is this session about?
  • Medical Experts will share the latest information on COVID-19, variants, testing, and the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Caregivers of children/youth with disabilities can engage with medical experts in a Q&A session to get their questions answered.
  • Caregivers will receive information and resources on how to work with their children on staying safe and healthy during the pandemic.
 
Date: Thursday, October 7, 2021
 
Time: 1:30 PM – 3 PM
 
Questions? Contact Jennifer Walsh, jennifer.walsh@cchmc.org.
Registration for Future is Now Events Available
Attention: All Providers, County Boards, People Receiving Services, Families, and Guardians
Family Webinar: Moving Forward
 
October 6, 2021, 1 - 2:30 PM or 5:30 - 7 PM
 
Planning for a good life for your loved one is a journey. Carolyn Wheeler, who has spent too many hours to count around kitchen tables assisting families to plan for the future, will highlight five areas to figure out as families plan as well as tools that may be useful along the way. Also hear from family members, including siblings, who know the “future is now” and have taken big and small steps to plan for a good life for their loved ones.
 
 
Promising Practices for Professionals Supporting Older Caregivers and Family Members with Developmental Disabilities
 
October 6, 2021, 10 AM - 12 PM
 
Join colleagues in the fields of Aging and DD who have spent the last five years developing practical ways to “cross-walk” systems to better support senior caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. Learn about the Future is Now curriculum adapted for these families to foster focused planning discussions. These conversations are critical to ensuring families' intentions are voiced and captured. Also hear from facilitators who further adapted the series for younger families. Finally, outreach efforts that work best to engage all families in these important conversations will be discussed.
 
CEUs: DODD – SSA, EI, Superintendent
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