Home and Community Based Services Waiver
Guidance Document
Division of Children and Families

Policy

Single Point of Access (SPOA)

The SPOA’s provide initial intake and screening of referrals and determine appropriate service level. They usually complete the initial Child Assessment of Needs and Strengths (CANS) rating instrument for Waiver applicants. The SPOA assures that if no Waiver slots are available, the applicant’s needs are managed through other services until there is an opening.

Local Department of Social Services (LDSS)

The County Department of Social Services’ Medicaid Unit is responsible for determining Medicaid eligibility and making any necessary changes (e.g., codes) to the system for pre–enrolled children. The County Department of Social Services’ Children’s Services can select to purchase additional, non–OMH sponsored, waiver slots for their counties utilizing local preventive services funding.  The federal government pays 50%, 17 ½ % is paid by the LDSS, and 32 ½ % by the Office of Children and Family Services.

As of 2006, the “preventive–funded slots” are acquired in bundles of six to maintain the six to one client to ICC ratio. They are administered in an identical manner to the OMH–funded Waiver slots and are subject to the same OMH policies and procedures.

Field Coordinators

Field Coordinators are encouraged to be creative in their efforts to support their regional HCBS Waiver programs. Their responsibilities include:

• functioning as the general liaison between OMH, HCBS Waiver staff and ICC Agency staff on an ongoing basis; advocating for county and ICC Agencies to OMH;
• participation in start–up activities of new sites together with the LGU;
• conducting annual program reviews of each ICC Agency through site visits. These must include record reviews, review of program operations, policies and procedures;
• forwarding site visit summary reports within 30 days of the respective site visit to the ICC Agency, LGU, and OMH detailing areas of corrective action using OMH’s Site Visit Summary Report form;
• reviewing each ICC Agency’s Corrective Action Plan, monitoring and following up on its implementation;
• ongoing monitoring of Individualized Care Model in the delivery of HCBS Waiver services and notifying OMH Waiver Program Director of any issues;
• maintaining ongoing contact with the ICC Agency Program Director to troubleshoot any problems that arise or any issues needing attention;
• providing case consultation especially around issues of termination verses continuation of care;
• providing technical assistance, as needed, to the ICC Agencies and LGU regarding program implementation, administrative issues, case specific clinical issues and discharge planning;
• facilitation of network building by assisting in the recruitment of new service providers;
• scheduling and coordination of training events;
• attendance at statewide ICC Agency meetings;
• scheduling and facilitating regional ICC Agency meetings and
• participation in ICC subcontractor meetings (as applicable).

Parent (Family) Advisors

The following list of activities represents roles currently performed by OMH Parent Advisors. Parent Advisors are encouraged to be creative in their efforts to support their local HCBS Waiver programs. Responsibilities include:

• participating in new site start–up activities together with the Field Coordinators;
• advocating for a strong family role in developing policy for the HCBS Waiver sites, preferably through subcontract with local family support programs for services to ICC Agency;
• providing assistance to ICC Agencies in finding staff/advocates for HCBS Waiver Family Support Service.  Providing regular support to staff/advocates (possibly through regular meetings) and involving them in a broader family support arena, including regional meetings;
• providing on–going training, i.e., role of families, family/professional collaboration;
• in collaboration with the ICC Agency, developing a process for coordination of initial contact of family advocate with any child/family applying for HCBS Waiver;
• participating in the annual site visit with specific responsibilities for conducting family satisfaction interviews and supplying relevant information for inclusion in the site visit summary report;
• interfacing with families regarding their concerns or complaints;
• communicating with ICC Agencies, OMH Field Coordinators and/or OMH Waiver Coordinator, as needed;
• assisting in monitoring flex fund expenditures and accessibility to funds to encourage creativity and family self–sufficiency;
• attending Statewide and regional ICC Agency meetings and
• serving as a regional resource to family support staff.