Documents from the Michigan Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waiver Conference, 10/2017

The Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (now called the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan) sponsored the 2017 Annual Home and Community-Based Waiver Conference last October. The written materials from the conference are available on the Community Mental Health Association (CMHA) Website.

NAME CHANGE: The Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards is changing its name - “…The Association’s new name will be the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan. This new name retains the words ‘community mental health’ to represent the association’s link to the community mental health movement that, fifty years since its genesis, is in robust and continual development. However, you will notice that the name no longer contains the word ‘Boards’. While the Association is still led by the members of the Boards of Directors of the state’s public Community Mental Health centers (CMHs) and public Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs) – with Board members making up 2/3 of the Association’s Member Assembly – the Michigan Mental Health Code (the state law under which the public BHIDD [Behavioral Healthcare and Intellectual/Developmental Disability services] system in Michigan is governed has not, for years, used the term ‘Board’ to describe the local and regional organizations that make up the public BHIDD system. Additionally, none of the Association’s members use the word 'Board' in their names.”

Local CMH agencies serve people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, as well as other populations needing public social, health, and behavioral services. Along with representing the Michigan Community Mental Health agencies, the CMHA represents the PIHP’s (Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans), the regional administrative agencies that, among other things, distribute Medicaid funds to local agencies.

I attended one day of the HCB Waiver conference in October and did not come close to covering all the topics offered. The CMHA has made available all the written materials for the conference sessions. In my experience, families usually find that topics that provide information on the services available in Michigan and how to access them are the most helpful to begin with. I recommend for starters the  written materials on the following topics:

• Children’s Special Health Care Services Program Overview
• Children’s Waiver Program Overview (CWP)
• Use of the Choice Voucher System in the CWP 
• Understanding the Medicaid Administrative Fair Hearings Process and New Managed Care Regulations 
• HSW Waiver Overview (Habilitation Supports Waiver for DD)
• Children’s Waiver Program – Advanced Issues 
• HSW Advanced Issues – Focus on Compliance and Quality 

I sometimes disagree with the interpretation of policies that are part of the discussion on Medicaid Waivers, but at least the written documents from the conference give families enough information to explore these topics further as well as providing state and local contacts that may be helpful in obtaining services for a DD family member.

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A quick reference to acronyms and their meanings:
 

HSW - the Habilitation Supports Waiver, the Michigan Medicaid Waiver for people with developmental disabilites

CWP - the Michigan Children's Medicaid Waiver Program

HCBS - Home and Community-Based Services

BHIDD - Behavioral Healthcare and Intellectual/Developmental Disability services system

CMH - Community Mental Health

PIHP - Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans; regional administrative agencies that distribute Medicaid funds to local agencies

Michigan: Oakland County Town Hall Meeting on future of mental health services, including services for DD

This notice comes from Ed Diegel of Advocates for Persons with Developmental Disabilities in Wayne County at ddadvocates@gmail.com .

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Background

The Michigan legislature approved a revised version of Section 298 as part of Public Act 107 of 2017. Under the revised Section 298, the Michigan legislature directed the department [of Health and Human Services] to develop and implement up to three pilots and one demonstration model to test the integration of physical health and behavioral health services. That work is proceeding.

Open Invitation--You are Invited to one of several open meetings to be held throughout the state. Following is information concerning a meeting to be held October 26 in Oakland County.

Learn Issues and Make Your Voice Heard!!!

Oakland County Mental Health Town Hall Meeting

Thursday, October 26, 2017, 7:00 PM
Beaumont Hospital, Administration Auditorium
3601 13 Mile Road

Royal Oak, MI 48073
Open at 6:30PM

Each county town hall meeting will have a panel of state legislators of that county to hear from advocates, community mental health leaders and concerned citizens regarding their concerns to be addressed by mental health reform.

Purpose:

• To express to policy makers your personal concerns that we properly fund, govern and manage, more and better mental health services, and
• To advocate for a publicly managed and accountable mental health system, that promptly and effectively responds to persons in need of services, ensures that persons can meet their basic needs for housing, food, clothing, transportation and social relationships, and promotes and sustains recovery that enables recipients of services to be the best they can be.

Persons wishing to share their stories are encouraged to bring written statements which will be collected and shared with other policy makers following the event. Public comments will be limited to 5 minutes each to enable many people to express their concerns. If you choose not to speak or you can’t attend, you may e-mail your comments to fred.a.cummins@gmail.com

Everybody is welcome.

Current Sponsors and Growing:

Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Oakland County
Mental Health Association in Michigan
Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service
Michigan Disability Rights Coalition
Parents Alliance of Metro Detroit
ARC of Michigan
ARC of Oakland County
MICHUHCAN
Michigan Nurses Association
UAW Region 1
UAW Region 1A
UAW Region 1A, Retiree chapter
UAW Local 412
Mich. AFSCME Council 25
Michigan State AFL-CIO
Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans
South East Michigan Jobs with Justice
Michigan Alliance to Strengthen Social Security and Medicare
Michigan United
Alliance for Retired Americans
Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards
Detroit-Wayne Mental Health Authority
Oakland Community Health Network
Macomb County Community Mental Health

For more information, call 248-203-1998.

Michigan: Action Alert from CMH Board Association

May 25, 2017

The following is an Action Alert from the MACMHB regarding budget negotiations that affect Community Mental Health services for people with DD and other vulnerable populations:

Action Alert from the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards

May 2017

As you know, both the House and Senate have passed their FY18 budget recommendations. Now legislative leaders will come together to mold their two separate budgets into one compromised budget bill for FY18. These discussions will begin to heat up again this week and should be finalized sometime over the next three weeks.

Now is not the time to ease up, we must have a strong finish to our advocacy efforts. Thanks to your help our last two ACTION ALERTS generated over 2000 emails to House and Senate offices – we need to do even better with this next one!!

REQUEST FOR URGENT ACTION: Please contact your House and Senate members urging them to make sensible changes to the final 298 boilerplate language. Timing is critical, we have roughly three weeks to put pressure on lawmakers as they finalize the FY18 budget. We are asking that you reach out to your lawmakers between now and June 2, urging them to remove the Senate language in Section 234 and to not include health plan run pilot programs in the final version of section 298.

We also need you to ask that the members of your Board of Directors, your staff, and your community partners make those same contacts – SIMPLY FORWARD THEM THE ACTION ALERT. These contacts are critical, legislators must hear from us in order to counter the efforts by others opposed to the public management of the state’s publicly sponsored behavioral health and intellectual/developmental disability services and supports system.

Below are quick talking points: 

REMOVE LANGUAGE – Section 234 of the Senate DHHS budget, specifically language referring to total Medicaid benefit and financial integration by 9/30/20, which would transfer all Medicaid resources to Medicaid Health plans.

This language predetermines the outcome of the process without any input from pilots or other measurables and completely ignores the 298 workgroup process and the will of the people.

INCLUDE LANGUAGE – Ensure that the policy and management role for Michigan’s Medicaid behavioral health and intellectual/developmental disability services and supports system remains public.

Concerns Regarding a Health Plan Run Pilot 

• Health Plans do not have a good track record managing behavioral health services 
• Mild/moderate services track record 
• Duals initiative 
• Less money available for services 
• Higher overhead cost 

What are we trying to accomplish? 

What are we measuring? Outcomes/metrics? 

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/3lZEXfKTU-pwR2WYUbnwpg 

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This is from an email I received with the names of specific legislators who will be making decisions as to changes in proposed wording for the FY18 budget:

Senate-Health and Human Services
Appropriation Sub-committee

Dave Hildenbrand (R), Full Appropriation Committee Chair, 29nd Distric-Conference Committee

Jim Marleau (R) 12th District-Conference Committee

Vincent Gregory (D), Minority Vice Chair, 11th District-Conference Committee

Peter MacGregor (R), Vice Chair, 28th District-Conference Committee ?

House-Health and Human Services
Appropriation Sub-committee

Laura Cox (R), Full Appropriation Committee Chair, 19th District-Conference Committee

Edward Canfield (R) Committee Chair, 84th District-Conference Committee

Sue Allor (R) Majority Vice-Chair, 106th District-Conference Committee

Pam Faris (D) Minority Vice-Chair, 48th District-Conference Committee

Michigan's Bipartisan Disabilities Awareness Caucus

This is from the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (MACMHB):
 
Bipartisan Disabilities Awareness Caucus Formed

Friday, February 5, 2016
 
Late week, State Representative Frank Liberati (D-Allen Park) and state Senator Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) announced the formation of the Disabilities Awareness Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral effort that will focus its attention on policy issues facing those with a disability.
 
“I serve as a board member of the Special Olympics Michigan. Many concerns of special needs children and adults have been brought to my attention over the years, and I hope to work on some of these concerns with this caucus,” said Jones, a co-chairman of the caucus.
 
“We have brought together a great group of legislators who will bring disability issues to the forefront of policy discussions in Lansing,” said Liberati, who will also serve as co-chairman of the legislative caucus. “It is time we put words into action.”
 
Other members of the caucus include; Senators Curtis Hertel Jr. (D – Lansing) and Margaret O’Brien (R – Portage), and Representatives Hank Vaupel (R – Fowlerville) and Christine Greig (D – Farmington Hills).
 
On Thursday, MACMHB staff met with Representative Liberati to discuss MACMHB’s interest and potential partnership with the caucus. Rep. Liberati has a tremendous amount of passion around these issues as he is a parent and advocate of a 19 year old son with an intellectual/developmental disability.


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I do not have email addresses for these legislators, but here are websites for the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate . As you might imagine, legislators can be swamped with emails, especially when big issues are being decided. They are always willing to hear from constituents in their own districts, but it may be difficult to get through if you are not in the legislator's district. A phone call to a legislator's office might help you to find an email address for a legislative aide who is willing to pass on messages from you or to put you in touch with people dealing with a specific issue.

Go forth and exercise you democratic perogatives. Big budget battles are coming.

 Happy birthday, A. Lincoln 

Michigan: HCBS Waiver Conference - 11/18-19/2014

This is a conference on Home and Community Based Medicaid Waivers sponsored by the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (MACMHB).

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The Michigan Department of Community Health & The Michigan Association of CMH Boards Present:

ANNUAL HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED WAIVER CONFERENCE

November 18 & 19, 2014
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center
55 South Harrison Road, East Lansing 48823

FEATURED PROGRAMS
Children s Waiver Program (CWP)
Habilitation Supports Waiver (HSW)
Autism Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Benefit

Conference Objective: This conference will provide technical assistance and training on the implementation and maintenance of the Children s Waiver Program (CWP) and the Habilitation Supports Waiver (HSW), clinical issues, and administrative functions relevant to these waivers. Additionally, this conference will provide training in ASD, evidence based services, highlight programs across the state, and provide technical assistance on implementation of the Medicaid/MIChild Autism Benefit.

Technical assistance and training on implementation and maintenance of the Waiver for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SEDW) will now occur as a part of the annual Wraparound Conference to be held at Shanty Creek Resort on August 18-20, 2014.

Who Should Attend: Case managers, supports coordinators, clinicians, behavior analysts, administrative staff, providers, autism coordinators, people receiving services and family members.

Special Rate: A special $20 conference rate will be offered for people receiving waiver services and their family members. A limited number of scholarships are available to people who receive services and their families. Scholarships may cover registration fees, overnight rooms, travel expenses, meals and child care. Deadline to request scholarship: September 12, 2014. To request a scholarship form, contact Chris Ward at cward@macmhb.org or 517-374-6848.

Continuing Education Credits for Licensed Social Workers: The Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (MACMHB), provider #1140, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. MACMHB maintains responsibility for the program. ASWB Approval Period: 11/10/13-11/10/16. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval. Exact hours are pending.

Overnight Accommodations/Directions: The Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center is located in East Lansing adjacent to Michigan State University. Our special guestroom rate is $75 per night. For specific directions or to reserve a room, please call 517/432-4000 and mention that you are attending the C-Waiver Conference.

Conference Brochure & Registration Materials: Conference details and registration will be available on our website, www.macmhb.org; if you have any questions, please call (517) 374-6848.

Christina Ward, Administrative Executive Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards
426 S. Walnut Street, Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 374-6848 phone
(517) 374-1053 fax
www.macmhb.org