[il-talk] Fw: DRS July Community Partner Update

[Robert Gardner]

FYI.  Contains good info, including some on ISVI.


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From: "Zenner, Lori" <Lori.Zenner at illinois.gov>
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2012 3:39 PM
Subject: DRS July Community Partner Update

> Attached is the DRS July Community Partner Update from DRS Acting Director 
> Kris Smith that is going out to DRS providers, CILs, and mandated 
> councils.  Text is below.
>
> Division of Rehabilitation Services
> Community Partner Update
> July 2012
>
> Director’s Office:  In April, Kris Smith, Acting Director, Division of 
> Rehabilitation Services, attended the Counsel of State Administrators for 
> Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) in Washington, DC.  Topics discussed 
> included the current Workforce Investment Act legislation, vocational 
> rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with disabilities, and promising 
> practices and innovations within the field.  During her time in 
> Washington, Kris met with Senator Dick Durbin's office, Senator Mark 
> Kirk's office and Representative Aaron Shock's office to discuss the VR 
> program in Illinois, sharing information and discussing WIA legislation 
> and WIPA/PABBS (Work Incentives Planning Assistance), and protection and 
> advocacy for beneficiaries of the social security program. The Governor's 
> Office staff located in Washington, DC, accompanied Kris on the 
> legislative office visits.
>
> The DRS office, previously located at 1279 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 
> moved to the Humboldt Park FCRC located at 2753 W. North Ave., Chicago. 
> The DRS office, previously located in Carbondale, moved to 342 North 
> Street, Murphysboro.
>
> Education Services:  Marybeth Lauderdale, Superintendent of the Illinois 
> School for the Deaf (ISD) and the Illinois School for the Visually 
> Impaired (ISVI), has announced her retirement effective July 31st.  Ryan 
> Croke, Governor's office, hosted a meeting on Monday, June 25, with 
> members of the ISD and ISVI Advisory Councils and DRS staff.  It was 
> announced that Serena Preston will be the Interim Superintendent at ISVI 
> and Joan Forney will be Interim Superintendent at ISD.  In accordance with 
> PA 097-0625, two superintendents will be appointed by the Governor's 
> office and confirmed by the Senate.  Applications will be accepted until 
> August 1, 2012.
>
> Bureau of Blind Services:  Bettye Odem-Davis, Bureau Chief of Bureau of 
> Blind Services; and Jan Sherburne, Assistant Bureau Chief, attended the 
> National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.  Information was shared 
> among the Directors of Blind state agencies from all over the US including 
> Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Virgin Islands and the Marianas.  The messages were 
> focused on employment for customers who are Blind and visually impaired. 
> Senator Harkin's staff person, Andy Imparato, indicated that a 
> self-employed produce business man who is Blind and from Chicago testified 
> recently at the request of Iowa Senator Harkin on the subject on 
> Entrepreneurship.
>
> Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) Project:  A mid-year report from the 
> Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) Project is showing excellent results 
> in linking migrant seasonal farmworkers with disabilities and their 
> families to DHS/DRS services.  Integral to the success of the MSFW project 
> are its bilingual community-based approach and the close working 
> relationship with DRS, facilitated in large part by DRS leaders Aletha 
> Alexander in Champaign and Lizette Tripur in Peoria.  Among the most 
> notable outreach activities are local health and community resource fairs, 
> which brings together a variety of local and state agencies and service 
> providers for informative and fun events.  We are grateful for the 
> cooperation and support of the Departments of Employment Security, Public 
> Aid, Health, county health departments, as well as many other community 
> and faith-based organizations that are working with the MSFW project. 
> Illinois has been in the forefront of serving this historically 
> underserved population, and demographic and economic trends indicate that 
> the need for the program will continue to grow as the population expands.
>
> Legislation Update:  The Division submitted and filed revisions for HSP 
> rules, Parts 676 – Program Description; Part 679 – Determination of Need 
> and Resulting Service Costs Maximum; and Part 682 – Eligibility.  These 
> rule changes are necessary to raise the Determination of Need score from 
> 29 to 37 for home and community-based services as required by the SMART 
> Act.
>
>
> Senate Bill 1351 passed both Chambers, but has not yet been forwarded to 
> the Governor for approval.  This measure amends the HSP component of the 
> Division’s enabling act and the changes will assist with HSP programmatic 
> changes and rule implementation.
>
> Strategic Planning:  DRS counselors assisted VR customers in achieving 
> 4,953 competitive employment outcomes in FY2012, an increase of 469 
> outcomes or 10.5 percent over FY2011.  The Bureau of Blind Services 
> increased the number of outcomes from 228 in FY2011 to 341 in FY2012, a 50 
> percent increase.  Bureau of Field Services outcomes rose from 4,256 to 
> 4,612, an 8.4 percent increase from the previous year.  DRS appreciates 
> the efforts of its staff and community partners in making this 
> accomplishment possible on behalf of our customers, and looks forward to 
> continued success in FY2013.
>
> Budget:  On February 22nd, Governor Quinn outlined the details supporting 
> the FY13 Introduced Budget.  The General Assembly subsequently made 
> modifications to the budget and it is currently awaiting the Governor’s 
> action.  Medicaid stabilization and pension reform were and continue to be 
> pivotal to the budget process.  Illinois, as well as the rest of the 
> nation, is continuing to grapple with a challenging economic climate.  As 
> such, spending reductions, facility closures, and program and policy 
> changes are going to be required.  For DRS, there was a 4% reduction in 
> state funded grant lines, an approximate 5% reduction in funding for the 
> Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for the Visually 
> Impaired, and the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education – 
> Roosevelt and Wood and match for the federal In Service Training Grant. 
> The revised budget also includes a 1.5% increase for the Home Services 
> Program.  Information below details more specifically the affected 
> programs as well as the known impact.  Some impacts are still being 
> reviewed internally to determine the best way to manage the reductions.
>
> The following grant lines will be reduced by 4%:
> - Match funding for VR Services – DRS will be forced to rely more on third 
> party match in order to fully draw the federal VR grant.
> - Independent Living Centers (CIL’s) – Contracts with CIL’s will be 
> reduced across the board.
> - Migrant Services – The contract established to support these services 
> will be reduced.
> - Match funding for the Older Blind Program – Funding available for direct 
> customer services will be reduced.
> - Supplemental funding for the Community Reintegration Program – Contracts 
> with CIL’s will be reduced across the board.
>
> The following areas will be reduced approximately 5%:
> - Match funding for the Training Grant – Limits on the amount of supplies 
> and materials needed for required training of staff in the Vocational 
> Rehabilitation Program.
> - Illinois School for the Deaf – Impacts are being determined
> - Illinois School for the Visually Impaired – Impacts are being determined
> - Illinois Center for Rehabilitation & Education (Roosevelt) – With the 
> exception of the Contractual line, funding reductions will be managed 
> without impacting services to customers.  Specific impacts to contractual 
> services are still being determined.
> - Illinois Center for Rehabilitation & Education (Wood) – The reduction in 
> the contractual line will be managed without impacting services to 
> customers.
>
> The Home Services Program will be increased 1.5%:
> While the Home Services Program did received an increase over the FY13 
> Governor’s Introduced Budget, the budget modified by the General Assembly 
> still assumes implementation of all the policy and programmatic changes 
> outlined in the Governor’s Introduced Budget.  Implementations of many of 
> these changes are contingent upon rule changes and waiver amendments.  DRS 
> will not be implementing any changes until required rule and waiver 
> changes are approved.
> • The eligibility threshold, as assessed by the Determination of Need 
> (DON), will be increased from 29 to 37. Rule changes and a waiver 
> amendment are required prior to implementation.
> • The Service Cost Maximums for customers with DON scores between 29 and 
> 39 will be decreased to be more consistent with the Department on Aging's 
> Community Care Program. Rule changes and a waiver amendment are required 
> prior to implementation.
> • Individuals with a diagnosis of mental illness or developmental 
> disabilities who do not qualify for HSP based on their physical 
> disabilities will not be eligible for HSP.  This will assure the program 
> is administered as originally intended and in compliance with its Medicaid 
> waivers. Rule changes and a waiver amendment are required prior to 
> implementation.
> • With the exception of Respite, services to individuals under the age of 
> 18 will be eliminated. Rule changes and a waiver amendment are required 
> prior to implementation.
> • Individuals in the Brain Injury Waiver, who do not need a specialized 
> service, will be transitioned to the Persons with Disabilities Waiver.
> • The provider payment process will be tightened by piloting a new time 
> sheet. In addition, payments will no longer be made to providers who do 
> not complete a Medicaid Provider Enrollment Form (1413).
> • The use of Interim services will be limited to emergencies, as was the 
> case until relatively recently, to assure program eligibility requirements 
> are met. Interim eligibility also will be time limits.
>
> In addition, funding of the Home Services Program will be modified. 
> Historically the program has been funded with General Revenue Funds (GRF). 
> The program will now be dually funded (approximately 60/40), with $331.6 
> million of the program’s $577.6 allocation coming from GRF and $246.0 
> million from a newly developed Medicaid Trust Fund.  The Medicaid Trust 
> Fund will be pivotal to the HSP because funding is garnered from the 
> Medicaid reimbursement the program generates from Medicaid eligible 
> expenditures.  This means the program will be tightly enforcing completion 
> of the 1413 in order to ensure enough funding is generated to support the 
> program.
>
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