DSL INFO MEMO 2001-05
November 1, 2001
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Department of Health and Family Services
Division of Supportive Living
To:
Area Administrators/Assistant Area Administrators
Bureau Directors
County Departments of Community Programs Directors
County Developmental Disabilities Contacts
County Departments of Developmental Disabilities Services Directors
County Departments of Human Services Directors
County Departments of Social Services Directors
County COP Coordinators
County Mental Health Coordinators
State Independent Living Council
WI Council on Developmental Disabilities
WI Council on Mental Health
WI Council on Physical Disabilities
From:
Sinikka McCabe,
Administrator
Re:
Grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) entitled
Nursing Facility Transitions
I am pleased to announce that on September 28, 2001, the Department
of Health and Family Services was awarded an $800,000 grant from the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) entitled Nursing
Facility Transitions. This funding may be used over a three-year period
from September 28, 2001 through September 27, 2004 to provide
opportunities for individuals to leave institutions and live in the
community. In addition, Great River Independent Living Services in La
Crosse received a complementary grant to assist Independent Living
Centers statewide to identify and assist individuals who wish to live in
the community.
Major components of the project, to be referred to as Homecoming
II, include:
- Community Partnership grants to local entities to provide housing
resource development.
- Expert consultation on complex relocation issues.
- Relocation start-up support for costs not covered by COP or Home
and Community-Based Waivers.
- Outcome evaluations for consumers relocated through this project.
- Input on program design and implementation from consumers and
other stakeholders.
- Enhancement of Long Term Care workforce development activities in
the Division of Supportive Living.
- Commitment to provide on-going service funding for individuals
relocated under the project.
The Homecoming II project will improve community-integrated
services on two levels—in the short term for consumers who are
currently in institutions and over the long term through systems changes
that will facilitate the relocation of additional individuals in
systematic ways in the future. The original Homecoming project primarily
served individuals with physical disabilities and elderly persons. DHFS
plans to involve additional partners to expand this effort to persons
with serious mental illness living inappropriately in nursing homes, and
to individuals with developmental disabilities living in Intermediate
Care Facilities for Mental Retardation (ICFs-MR).
The Department will work with Independent Living Centers and other
consumer-focused agencies to identify individuals who want to leave
institutions and to ensure that people have the support they need to
live in the community. The Department will make Community Partnership
Grants available to identify or develop resources to meet the housing
needs of people moving from institutions.
The outcomes Wisconsin anticipates for Homecoming II over the next
three years are:
- Up to 400 individuals will be relocated from nursing homes.
- Relocated individuals will have most of their needs and
preferences met, cost-effectively, as determined by consumer outcome
interviews.
- Relocated individuals who need and want peer support in the
community receive it.
- Wisconsin will have a system in place to use available resources
so that people live in the least restrictive setting appropriate to
their needs, including outreach and identification, clinical
expertise, peer support and availability of service funding.
- Wisconsin will have more local partnerships to make readily
available housing opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
- Wisconsin will have an increasing supply of qualified direct care
workers to meet the needs of its people with long term care needs.
This Department will be developing implementation plans for
Homecoming II over the next few months and will provide information
regarding opportunities to become involved in the project. If you have
questions regarding Homecoming II, please contact Gail Propsom at
608/267-2455 or at propsgf@dhfs.state.wi.us.
CENTRAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Gail Propsom
Bureau of Aging & Long Term Care Resources
P. O. Box 7851
Madison, WI 53707-7851
Phone: (608) 267-2455
Fax: (608) 267-3203
propsgf@dhfs.state.wi.us
cc:
Diane Waller
Tribal Chairpersons/Human Service Facilitators
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