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Corrections for: Community Supports for Children and No Paid Services Caseload
Dear DDA Stakeholder,
The 2022 legislature convened on March 10, 2022 and submitted Senate Bill 5693 concerning the 2022 operating budget to Governor Jay Inslee for signature. Governor Inslee is expected to sign the budget by April 2, 2022.
This year’s budget will create opportunities to reinvent our service delivery system in our state in many ways. DDA will be very busy in the coming months hiring staff and building capacity to implement what will be a robust and far reaching range of investments. In addition to what will likely be extraordinary growth and expansion of our service delivery system we are also hopeful that this year will put the COVID pandemic era behind us. Look for more on these efforts in the coming months.
I am delighted to share the budget’s highlights for DDA below:
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Concurrent Services – Funding is provided to implement Substitute House Bill 1980 (concurrent services), which removes the prohibition on eligible DDA clients access employment services and community inclusion services concurrently. ($13.6M total funds; $8.4M GF-State; 1.0 FTE)
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Community Supports for Children – Funding is provided to expand Intensive Habilitation Services (IHS) and Enhanced Out-of-Home Services (E-OHS) options for children and youth aged eight to 21 who are DDA clients. Two, three-bed facilities will be phased in to provide short-term (up to 90 days) IHS placements for children and youth aged eight to 21. An additional six three-bed facilities will be phased in for long-term E-OHS so support youth aged 12 to 21 who have discharged from inpatient care. ($2.3M total funds; $1.3M GF-State; 2.9 FTE)
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Enhanced Case Management Program – Funding is provided to expand access to the Enhanced Case Management Program (ECMP) from 700 to 1,500 clients in FY 2023. A total of 50.0 FTEs are phased in and are assumed to be fully in place by the fourth quarter of FY 2023, including case managers, nursing consultants, and supporting staff. Funding is also provided to create an automatic nursing referrals system for ECMP clients in the Comprehensive Assessment Reporting and Evaluation system. ($4.0M total funds; $2.0 GF-State; 15.7 FTE)
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Transitional Care Management – Funding is provided to phase in a total of 35 FTEs through June 2023 to create transition coordination teams to coordinate transitions of care for clients who move from one type of care setting to a new one. The Department shall submit a preliminary report in December 2022. The Legislature intends that an annual report be submitted thereafter that describes the outcomes associated with client transitions before and after implementation of these transition coordination teams; a description of lessons learned since the teams were implemented, including an identification of what processes were improved to reduce the timelines for completion; and recommendations for necessary changes to improve stability of client placements. ($3.8M total funds; $2.2M GF-State; 14.1 FTE)
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Financial Eligibility Staff and Reporting – One-time funding is provided to improve the timeliness and accuracy of eligibility reviews, application processing, case maintenance, and updates for DDA clients. This funding will improve DDA’s ability to meet the 45-day application process requirement specified in WAC 183-503-0060. ($2.5M total funds; $1.4M GF-State; 11.2 FTE)
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Enhanced Community Residential Rate – Funding is provided to increase rates for contracted Supported Living and other community residential service providers effective July 1, 2022, with the intent of providing hourly wage increases for employees of community residential services contractors providing direct care to DDA clients. The rate increase equates to a 23 percent increase in the instruction and support services portion of the rate. ($154.5M total funds; $77.3M GF-State)
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Targeted Provider Rates – Funding is provided to continue the COVID -19 rate enhancements for contracted providers. The temporary rate add-ons in effect in December 2021 will continue through June 2022 and then will be adjusted to reflect base rate increases funded in the 2021-23 biennial budget before being phased out by June 2024 by reducing them 20 percent every two quarters. ($151.4M total funds; $72.0M GF-State)
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DDA No-Paid Caseload – Substitute Senate Bill 5819 requires the Department to hire two, permanent FTEs to regularly review and maintain the no-paid services caseload and to provide case management services to individuals on the no-paid services caseload at a ratio of one case manager for every 300 clients to contact and respond to clients to discuss their needs and explain service options available through the Department or other community resources. ($4.6M total funds; $2.6M GF-State; 18.8 FTE)
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the incredible volume of requests associated with legislative session this year. The senate and house representatives truly recognized the needs of the people we support this year, effectively passing bills that will make a real difference in the lives of the people we support. The budget the Governor ultimately signs off on is sure to be a tall order for all of us. So, please be prepared to roll up your sleeves; it’s going to take an ambitious and collaborative effort to execute the legislative package this year. Stay tuned for more.
If you have questions regarding the 2022 supplemental operating budget or other results of the legislative session, please contact Luisa Parada Estrada.
Sincerely,
Debbie Roberts
Assistant Secretary
DSHS: Transforming Lives
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