The Arc of Illinois Update

Statewide Transition Plan – Thanks to all those self-advocates, families and community organizations who submitted comments around the draft Statewide Transition Plan to implement the home and community based services settings rule.  Here are our comments.  As a reminder, this is just the first step in implementing the settings rule.  The state will pull themes from all the comments and then re-submit the plan to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for approve.  THEN the state will need to write a final more detailed plan for implementation that we all will need to comment on and submit to CMS for final approval.  This all must be done by 2022 so keep your eyes out for the next opportunity to help inform the state on full implementation of the settings rule.

Legislative Breakfast – Thanks to those who attended the legislative breakfast organized by the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living and co-sponsored by the Arc.  We have 20 legislators stop by and delivered material to others.  The legislators included the following – if anyone of these is your legislators, we would ask you to send them a quick email or post and tag them on social media, thanking them for prioritizing learning more about the critical issues facing people with disabilities and bills that are trying to address our concerns.  Attendees include: Representatives Mussman, Peters, Murphy, Bristow, Mah, Halpin, Unes, Severin, Grant, Swanson, Guzzardi, Yednock, Burke, Bryant, Wheeler, Pappas, Bailey, Hoffman, McClure, and Meyers-Martin.  

Ligas Court Monitor Releases Report – Earlier this week, Ronnie Cohn, the Ligas Court Monitor, released her annual report which included the work that she, CQL and the Bureau of Quality Management did to survey Ligas Class Member’s person centered plan and implementation plans.  Check the report out here.  Attachment 1. Attachment 2.  We will be doing a summary next week.

Rates Oversight Committee was held on Wednesday where Navigant discussed how they are using the provider wages/expense survey to try to determine median rates for different job categories as it compares the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other national points of reference.  Navigant is still on track to give their report and recommendation to the Division in June/July and which will be shared ideally by August more broadly.  In addition, this week a subcommittee talking about the ICAP also met to discuss the use of the HRST to be able to ensure that funding reflects the needs of people especially those with high medical and high behavioral/mental support needs.  

COVID-19 – Attached are two documents in regards to COVID-19. The first was developed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for Long-Term Care Facilities and is appropriate to use in our ICF/DD environments. The second is from IDHS and addresses our community based partners. We hope that these documents provide guidance and support.

Act Now to Urge Congress to Support Bipartisan DSP Bill

Direct support professionals (DSPs) assist people with disabilities to live independently by providing support with daily living needs like dressing, food shopping, job coaching, transportation, and more. The work DSPs do is vital to making sure that people with disabilities can lead full lives in their communities. But DSPs are underpaid, and the value of this professional work is not always recognized. This leads to high turnover and job vacancies – it’s a crisis.

DSPs and people with disabilities deserve more!

Ask your Members of Congress to support S. 3369/H.R. 6045, the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, a bipartisan bill. This bill will professionalize what it means to be a DSP and improve data collection around DSP workforce challenges. This is an important step in solving this crisis.

Right now, the federal government classifies DSPs under the larger category of “home health care aide.” This makes it impossible to track and understand the workforce trends for DSPs and to see what regions and support needs are being hit hardest by the crisis.

This new bill would create a separate classification for DSPs, which will lead to better data collection. Accurate data will give the government the information it needs to:

• fully understand DSP turnover rates,
• identify where the workforce shortages are,
• understand where training programs are needed,

• recognize the important role that DSPs play in supporting people with disabilities, and 
• ensure DSPs get paid a living wage. 

Take action now, then forward this email to three friends and ask them to do the same!

New Factsheet: Counting Group Homes in the Census