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BCDSS Team:
We are excited that the Governor has announced an incentive for State employees to take the necessary steps to become fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. This incentive will be a $100 one-time payment that will be made after the employee provides proof of full vaccination and agrees to receive any subsequent booster shots that may be required by the vaccine’s manufacturer within a period of 12 months from the date of full vaccination.
Reminder: When applying for the COVID Incentive Program, you must submit the employee acknowledgment form and a copy of your vaccination record card. Please carefully follow the below instructions. Paper copies should not be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources.
The following are details of the program:
- The incentive program applies to both State merit positions and to State contractual employees.
- The program will be available through June 30, 2022, and is retroactive to include all previously fully vaccinated employees.
- In order to receive the incentive bonus employees must provide a copy of their vaccination record and complete the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Incentive Employee Acknowledgement form. CLICK HERE to make a copy of the form that you can complete.
- Employees who have a documented medical or religious reason that prohibits vaccination will be eligible for the program, but must complete the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Incentive Religious Exemption Request form. CLICK HERE to make a copy of the form that you can complete.
- Employees who choose not to be vaccinated on philosophical or other grounds will not be eligible for this voluntary incentive. All unvaccinated employees may be required to submit to COVID-19 testing more frequently and wear PPE. The State reserves the right to give vaccinated employees priority consideration for selection for certain assignments if, in the appointing authority’s judgment, to do so would place the employee or others at less risk for infection.
Your request to receive a COVID Vaccination Incentive Bonus MUST be made by fully completing the COVID Vaccination Incentive Program form which you can accessed by clicking below:
NOTE: All links in this communication must be opened using a maryland.gov account. Access will not be granted to individuals attempting to open the documents with a non-maryland.gov account.
If you have questions, please contact your Local Human Resources Office or, if you are a Central Office Employee, contact HRDT at 410-767-2400.
Anette Lofton, Adult Services
This week we are celebrating several members of the Adult Services and Finance teams for their dedication to excellent customer service and our W.E. C.A.R.E values!
Our first spotlight goes to Sean Bloodsworth and Anette Lofton of Adult Services. The following statement was submitted by a constituent to the Governor's Office on behalf of Sean and Anette:
"Good afternoon Governor Larry Hogan, I hope that you are doing well. About a couple of weeks ago, I reached out to Mr. Sean Bloodsworth & Ms. Anette Lofton at Baltimore City Department of Social Services, Adult Services, regarding a 77 year old senior needing assistance. Governor Hogan, they did an outstanding job in assisting & providing world class customer service. Thank you Mr. Bloodworth & Ms. Anette Lofton!! They definitely need to be recognized for the great work they do."
Our next spotlight goes to Mr. Ignatius Nwankwo of Finance. The following statement was sent on behalf of Ignatius from Lisa King, Social Worker in Adult Services:
"I wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge Mr. Ignatius Nwankwo for his dedication and commitment to excellence. I have worked in Adult Services for quite some time and often process ECRAS requests for vulnerable adults. Each time I had a question/concern Mr. Nwankwo has been available to provide clarity, direction and insight. He promptly returns telephone calls and replies to emails quickly. He is extremely knowledgeable, kind, patient and professional. I am extremely grateful and appreciative for the great work that he has done to provide needed resources/services to the population that we serve. Mr. Nwankwo is an asset to the Finance Department and an exemplary employee; it has been a pleasure working with him."
Nickol Weaver, Adult Services
Our final Staff Spotlight goes to Nickol Weaver, Program Manager in Adult Services. The following statement was sent in behalf of Nickol from Sean Bloodsworth, Deputy Director of Adult Services:
"Congratulations to Nickol Weaver, Program Manager, for graduating on May 13th from George Washington University with her Master of Science degree in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner. Nickol’s new advanced degree will strengthen the knowledge and practice of servicing our Adult Services population."
We are so proud of our entire BCDSS team for their commitment to pursuing Excellence on behalf of the adults, children, families, and communities we serve. Keep up the great work, Anette, Ignatius, and Nickol!
To nominate a staff person you admire for a future Staff Spotlight, please send an email to bcdss.communications@maryland.gov.
May 30-Day Step Challenge
Kudos to all employees participating in this month's 30-day Step Challenge! This month's participants obtained a total of 791,945 steps this week. Great job!
Congratulations to Latarsa MacKenney, District Manager of the Harborview FIA Center, for being this week's highest earning stepper with 88,448 steps! Keep up the great work Ms. MacKenney!
Would you like to join the 30-Day Step Challenge? It's not to late to register! Click here to begin your path to wellness.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released data today highlighting the continued impact the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is having on Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries and utilization of health services. The data show that, from March through October 2020, beneficiaries have foregone millions of primary, preventive, and mental health care visits due to the COVID-19 PHE, compared to the same time period in 2019. Specifically, the results demonstrate a 34% decline in the number of mental health services utilized by children under age 19, compared to the same time period in 2019, and 22% decline in the number of mental health services utilized by adults aged 19 to 64, compared to the same time period in 2019. This translates to approximately 14 million fewer mental health services for children and approximately 12 million fewer mental health services for adults, for a total of nearly 26 million fewer mental health services utilized across both groups.
To help close this gap in services, CMS is emphasizing mental health care in its recently launched Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign, a national outreach and enrollment initiative funded under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) and the Affordable Care Act, that reaches out to families with children and teens eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. Click here to view details about the campaign and messaging you can share to spread the word about mental health care services provided by Medicaid and CHIP.
CJAMS Circles: Pay/Close
Join the Office of Learning every Thursday at 1 p.m. for CJAMS Circles! The topic for next week will be "Pay/Close". Staff will receive credit for participating in the training. Check out the flyer below for more details, and click here to register for your next session.
Community Events
The following programs are being held this month to address the needs of members in our community. Please feel free to share these resources with adults, children and families who can benefit from these events.
“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn't as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing.”
 Brandi Stocksdale
Director
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