March 2017
March Edition at a Glance

In this month’s edition, you’ll learn more about how participation in poverty simulations positively impacts biases, awareness and perceptions about poverty. W e also include information about the release of cl inic safety net payments and a summary of our Cultural Competency team's experience at the Association for Community Health Improvement Conference.   Additionally, you'll find links to webinars, events, project and program news, and other resources.


March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, NYS OPWDD “is highlighting six New Yorkers, who show us that commitment, passion and community support bring positive change, not only to them, but to our state and all our lives.”  https://opwdd.ny.gov/disabilities-awareness-month-2017
Welcome Ted Vaczy
Our new Chief Information Officer
We are extremely pleased to welcome Ted Vaczy, who joined CCSI earlier this month as Chief Information Officer.  In his role as CIO, Ted is responsible for the development of CCSI’s technology strategy and leading all aspects of its successful deployment and evolution.  Ted brings to CCSI significant expertise in the field of health information technology (HIT), including more than 30 years of experience at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC).  While at URMC, Ted led a number of significant systems deployment and integration initiatives, including the design of a new data center developed to support the use of IT in the provision of clinical care.  He played a key role in the implementation of the medical center’s electronic health record (EHR) and in supporting the institution’s research enterprise through the deployment of high performance computing platforms that supported molecular modeling, gene sequencing, data visualization and big data analytics.

Following his time at URMC, Ted founded a healthcare analytics company which focused on using transactional data, in real time, to assist clinicians in decision-making for improved patient care.  Ted received both his Bachelor and Master degrees from the University of Rochester.  
CCSI Welcomes Our Newest Customer!
We are delighted to begin working with NAMI-NYS in their efforts to deliver Medicaid Managed Care reimbursable Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) through their affiliates beginning in 2017.  Click here  to learn more about how NAMI-NYS provides support to family and friends of individuals with mental illness and persons living with mental illness through more than 37 affiliates statewide.



Cultural Competency and Health Literacy


CLC Team Attends Association for Community Health Improvement Conference 
The 2017 Association for Community Health Improvement conference kicked off with more than 700 participants (record breaking attendance) on a gorgeous afternoon in Denver, Colorado. Lenora Reid-Rose, CCSI Director of Cultural Competence and Diversity Initiatives and Nancy Sung Shelton, CCSI Senior Consultant - Cultural and Linguistic Competence, along with community partners like Finger Lakes Performing Provider System (FLPPS) and the United Way, and other diverse individuals from around the country gathered to learn from health experts and exchange ideas through robust conversations and presentations.  Social determinants of health, the importance of data collection and analysis, and cross-sector collaborations were themes throughout the many workshops.  The information gleaned will be used to support and enhance the critical products created by the Cultural Competence Team as they work to improve health equity, reduce disparities and give a voice to those often unheard. 


System Transformation
 
Center for Collaboration In Community Health Webinar Series

March Webinar - Clinic Readiness in a Value-Based System
CCSI’s Center for Collaboration in Community Health is hosting a webinar series developed to share insight about approaches for succeeding in the new Medicaid Managed Care service delivery system. We invite you to join us! 

Clinic Readiness is a multifaceted concept that includes the use of technology to produce data-driven management of services through reliable reports, the use of person-centered collaborative clinical approaches, and the establishment of a link between Clinic and Finance to track fiscal viability.

This webinar provides an overview of CCSI’s collaborative effort with a County Clinic provider who is actively putting all of these pieces together to function well in a Medicaid Managed Care and value-driven environment. It will include an emphasis on how Clinics define and measure the value of the services they offer; answering key questions like: What do you do well, How do you positively affect the population you serve, and How do you use technology to measure it?

Presenter:

David Eckert, LMHC, NCC, CRC - Senior Consultant | CCSI, The Center for Collaboration and Community Health     
    To view any archived webinar, visit:

Trauma Informed Systems and Other Practice Transformations
Trauma-Informed Webinar Series 

In 2016, CCSI’s Training and Practice Transformation Team completed a six session webinar series for The Community Technical Assistance Center of New York (CTAC) on trauma informed care.  By creating a conversation with attendees, the team took a more engaging approach with this series, compared to the traditional straight power point lecture.  The co-facilitators on the video asked questions throughout the webinar.  Attendees’ typed their responses into the webinar chat box so a moderator could read them back to the facilitators in real time.  There was a very positive response to this type of approach, so this webinar format is now used with other customers as well.  Click here to access the trainings to learn more about trauma informed care, as well as see the type of approach the training team took with the webinar series.

Trauma Informed Care Webinar Series:
  • Trauma-Informed Care 101
  • Creating a Trauma Informed Environment: Promoting Physical & Emotional Safety
  • Trauma-Informed Collaboration
  • Trauma-Informed Supervision
  • Building a Resilient Workforce
  • Creating a Path for Resiliency
   

Financial Services and Fiscal Business Practices

Clinic Safety Net Payments Released 

On January 4th, the Executive Directors of all OMH licensed free-standing clinics were individually notified of the imminent Safety Net distribution.  Eligible clinic providers are receiving the safety net payment in one installment, and some providers have already received their payments. For the remaining providers waiting for payment, the Clinic Safety Net distribution will be included in cycle 2063 with a check release date of 3/22/2017.

Social Determinants of Health
Poverty Simulation Workshops Shown to Have Positive Impact

CCSI recently completed an evaluation of the local implementation of the “Walk in My Shoes” poverty simulation workshop.  The Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF) provided Coordinated Care Services, Inc. (CCSI) with a grant to develop the local capacity to facilitate these simulations.  The results of this evaluation suggest that RACF’s goals of helping to create greater awareness of and sensitivity to the challenges faced by individuals living in poverty were achieved.  Survey findings indicate that attitudes and biases about people in poverty, especially those associated with stigma and the role of systems and structure in causing or sustaining poverty, changed in a more positive direction immediately after the simulation. Findings related to a reduction in stigma were maintained and even improved slightly among participants responding to a six month post-survey. These changes in attitudes suggest that the poverty simulation may contribute to reducing stigma, increasing the understanding of how systems and structures contribute to poverty, and raising overall awareness of the experiences faced by people living in poverty in the short-term.  To read more about the evaluation, click here to read a summary of the results.


Finger Lakes Performing Provider System (FLPPS) Hosting Regional Poverty Simulation Workshops

In its March 20, 2107 Newsletter, FLPPS announced they will be hosting Poverty Simulation Workshops throughout April and May.  A Poverty Simulation is an interactive experience designed to reproduce the challenges of a typical low-income family as they work to navigate their environment. In the simulation, participants assume the role of family members living in poverty, and volunteers assume the role of service providers and other resource providers (i.e., healthcare provider, bank, employer, landlord, law enforcement, etc.). Simulations have been adapted to the cultural dimensions within the FLPPS region. Each workshop is approximately 3.5 hours. Dates and locations will be announced soon.

If your organization is interested in hosting one of the upcoming Poverty Simulations, please contact Juanita Lyde at Juanita_lyde@flpps.org.

Center for Collaboration In Community Health Webinar Series

April Webinar -  Connecting the Dots: Caring for a Loved One with Mental Health Issues

This webinar will provide an overview of how to coordinate sustainable supports for an individual with mental health issues, as well as help webinar attendees gain an understanding of government benefits and services and how to maximize them.

Presenter: 
James Traylor, CLU, ChFC, ChSNC
President, Upstate Special Needs Planning

Date and Time:  Tuesday, April 4, 2017 from Noon–1:00pm  
Want to hear more?  If you haven’t yet had the chance, we hope you’ll check out our Facebook page for more CCSI news and resources.  
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