Beginning the Year with SHARS

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texas education agency
Texas HHSC Logo

School Health and
Related Services (SHARS)

August 2019

Plano Bus

Starting SHARS on the Right Foot

August is our time to prepare for a new school year.   This is also the time to ensure effective SHARS procedures  are in place.  Below are general tips to keep in mind as you implement the SHARS program:

Targeted Parent Consent and Notification

The parental consent form may not be provided to all parents of children with disabilities... The parental consent requirement … is only applicable to a parent of a child with a disability who is enrolled in a public benefits … program and from whom a public agency seeks to access that parent’s or child’s public benefits...

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Districts can ask parents if the student receives Medicaid benefits. Once a district has reason to believe a child receives Medicaid, consent can be requested.  Enrollment can be verified through the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP).

District Procedures

- Review requirements for parental consent and notification documents. Guidance is located on the TEA website. 

- Develop systems to enroll returning and new students. SHARS consent forms are only effective in the originating district.

- Identify SHARS documents.  Ensure staff know what  documents are required for SHARS and where they are stored.

- Revisit district procedures to ensure compliance. Review SHARS compliance documents [Texas Medicaid Providers Procedures Manual (TMPPM), FAQ, and PowerPoints] for implementation expectations. They can be found on the HHSC and TEA websites. 

- Schedule monitoring activities. Once staff are trained, compliance can be assured through regular monitoring practices.

Third Partly Billing

All SHARS districts and charters are expected to notify parents of the HHSC Third Partly Billing policy.

 

HHSC and TEA staff are available to answer questions as they arise.  Contact information is located in the banner on the right side.

Table of Contents

Additional info

Additional Information:

TEA Program: SHARS

TEA Financial: SHARS/ MOE

HHSC Rate Analysis: HHSC Rate Analysis - Acute Care

TMHP Website: Tx Medicaid

 

Contact info icon

Contacts:

HHSC - SHARS Help Line
(512) 730-7400
ra_shars@hhsc.state.tx.us

 

TEA - Angela Foote          Financial Compliance Division
(SHARS Program)
(512) 463-6639
angela.foote@tea.texas.gov   

 

TEA - Federal Fiscal Compliance and Reporting Division
(IDEA_B MOE)
(512) 463-9127
compliance@tea.texas.gov 

Integrated Therapy/ Co-Therapy

San Antonio therapy

In integrated therapy, a student's related service needs are planned, provided, and assessed ecologically, in natural settings, across disciplines. Skills are found and thus addressed in the clusters which serve functions in a student's real life. The IEP is collaboratively written and priority skills are determined for student participation, functional independence, and overall benefit from the educational program... The IEP team works collaboratively to write all objectives, which address motor, language, mobility, sensory, or physical needs integrated throughout various subjects and settings.

Hazelgrove, Judy. What is Integrated Therapy? [Article]. https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/consultcollaborate/integratherapy/index.php

 

Integrated therapy requires joint responsibility for services.  At this time SHARS does not address integrated therapy in billing guidelines.  It is expected to be included in the SHARS guidance document described in Frequently Asked Question (FAQ).

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

FAQ

 When is the revised FAQ being released?

For many years, the SHARS FAQ has provided specific guidance for program implementation. Providers often request the ability to locate all SHARS information in one location. Currently, HHSC is working on a single document that will combine SHARS guidance from a variety of sources.  This may be available during the 2020-21 school year.

How can a district monitor student documents for compliance?

The SHARS Self-Monitoring Tool has been revised.  Currently, TEA's website is going through technical revisions. At the end of the process (in a couple of weeks), the revised tool will be available on the TEA SHARS website page. A TETN is planned for the fall to review it.

 

National Alliance for Medicaid in Education, Inc. (NAME)

The NAME Annual Conference is a national forum for professionals working in education and/or health care and related fields. The conference provides a unique opportunity to network with colleagues and similar professionals in the field of school-based health at the local, state and federal levels.

17th Annual NAME Conference
October 2 - 4, 2019
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Albuquerque, New Mexico 

2019 NAME Conference Information

 

 

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