Fwd: STORY

[Tom Bird]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tom Bird <tbird...@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 7:23 PM
Subject: Re: STORY
To: <robert
CC: 

You are absolutely right in throwing a red flag. Tom Renwick addressed this fear several years ago when it was first rolled out as an assessment tool. He said that its purpose was for seeing the big picture, not for determining services. It served as a tool for DHHS to gauge the needs of the community at large, not to authorize or deny services. The fear is that it would be used to deny a consumer's wishes for frequency, duration and scope of services as identified in the PCP and allowed in the Medicaid Providers Manual as allowable services.

When Rita served on the LRE and the Ottawa Co CMH Board, this was something that was discussed in depth. her fears were that it would be used to control delivery of services. We may be past this in OCCMH but the rest of the state needs to be aware that services should be based upon the needs of the consumer, not what the counties want to provide. The biggest problem is the position that staffers take. We have met staff in the CMH system who were devoted to supporting th consumers, and others who didn't appear to care so much. When parents are told that this is the best you can get, and they accept it, even when it doesn't supply the needs of the child, that presents a problem.

On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 9:34 AM <robertwrote:

Your thoughts on this? Seems to indicate that at least as it relates to the LRE the SIS will take priority over the service requirements as included in the PCP and IPOS. Also attached a recent memo from MDHHS clarifying use of the SIS.

RLW

ü LRE unveils strategy to identify mental health needs

HollandSentinel.com- Following a year-long process, the Lakeshore Regional Entity (LRE) has identified a new set of guidelines to be used when identifying the needs of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in Community Living Support systems. The LRE is a West Michigan community mental health plan responsible for managing Medicaid benefits for seven counties, including Ottawa and Allegan. Both the Ottawa County Department of Community Mental Health and the Allegan County Department of Community Mental Health are involved in the plan. The new service array guidelines are a framework to identify the support needs, both behavioral and medical, for individuals above 18 that are in Community Living Support systems. The plan has not yet been expanded to individuals in a residential setting. The LRE will use the state-mandated Support Intensity Scale, given every three years, to identify the strengths needs of individuals in the system. There are seven different arrays, each one with a different set of support. Ottawa County CMH has been using the SIS since 2009, but now the LRE will expand it throughout each of its seven counties.

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Thomas Bird

cell-6162041683

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Thomas Bird

359 Waukazoo Dr

Holland, MI 49424 6167385091,fax 7385092,cell-6162041683

[Tom Bird]

Sorry, the attachment was not forwarded with original post. Here it is.....

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <robert
Date: Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 9:19 PM
Subject: Re: STORY

To: <tbird...@gmail.com>

Tom, the Tom Renwick letter you reference was back in 2015. The Arc Michigan worked hard to get a new letter issued by Jeffery Wieferich from MDHHS that reinforced the Tom Renwick letter. I should think that the letter attached below dated March19, 2019 from Mr. Wieferich to all PIHP Director would serve as a good reference to counter how the LRE is using the SIS. I think it would be worth sending a notice to Mr. Wieterich with a copy of his March 19th letter requesting that he contact the LRE and remind them of the guidance issued in his letter.

RLW

In a message dated 6/24/2019 7:23:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, tbird...@gmail.com writes:

You are absolutely right in throwing a red flag. Tom Renwick addressed this fear several years ago when it was first rolled out as an assessment tool. He said that its purpose was for seeing the big picture, not for determining services. It served as a tool for DHHS to gauge the needs of the community at large, not to authorize or deny services. The fear is that it would be used to deny a consumer's wishes for frequency, duration and scope of services as identified in the PCP and allowed in the Medicaid Providers Manual as allowable services.

When Rita served on the LRE and the Ottawa Co CMH Board, this was something that was discussed in depth. her fears were that it would be used to control delivery of services. We may be past this in OCCMH but the rest of the state needs to be aware that services should be based upon the needs of the consumer, not what the counties want to provide. The biggest problem is the position that staffers take. We have met staff in the CMH system who were devoted to supporting th consumers, and others who didn't appear to care so much. When parents are told that this is the best you can get, and they accept it, even when it doesn't supply the needs of the child, that presents a problem.

On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 9:34 AM <rober...@aol.com> wrote:

Your thoughts on this? Seems to indicate that at least as it relates to the LRE the SIS will take priority over the service requirements as included in the PCP and IPOS. Also attached a recent memo from MDHHS clarifying use of the SIS.

RLW

ü LRE unveils strategy to identify mental health needs

HollandSentinel.com- Following a year-long process, the Lakeshore Regional Entity (LRE) has identified a new set of guidelines to be used when identifying the needs of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in Community Living Support systems. The LRE is a West Michigan community mental health plan responsible for managing Medicaid benefits for seven counties, including Ottawa and Allegan. Both the Ottawa County Department of Community Mental Health and the Allegan County Department of Community Mental Health are involved in the plan. The new service array guidelines are a framework to identify the support needs, both behavioral and medical, for individuals above 18 that are in Community Living Support systems. The plan has not yet been expanded to individuals in a residential setting. The LRE will use the state-mandated Support Intensity Scale, given every three years, to identify the strengths needs of individuals in the system. There are seven different arrays, each one with a different set of support. Ottawa County CMH has been using the SIS since 2009, but now the LRE will expand it throughout each of its seven counties.

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Thomas Bird

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