The Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) is a three-year federal grant-funded program that improves education, training, employment opportunities, and employment outcomes for people who are unemployed, underemployed, and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits. In 2013, Idaho was awarded a Round 4 DEI grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment Training Administration. This will end in 2016.
“The Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published regulations in the Federal Register on January 16, 2014, which became effective on March 17, 2014, implementing new requirements for Medicaid’s 1915(c), 1915(i), and 1915(k) Home and Community‐Based Services (HCBS) waivers. These regulations require Idaho to submit a Transition Plan for all the state’s 1915(c) waiver and 1915(i) HCBS state plan programs. Idaho does not have a 1915(k) waiver. The following Transition Plan sets forth the actions Idaho will take to operate all applicable HCBS programs in compliance with the final rules.”
“Idaho Code 56-255 (3) (e) (ii) describes Medicaid services for people with developmental disabilities. The total amount of Medicaid developmental disability services a person can receive is limited by an individual budget amount, determined by a formula based on individual assessments. In 2011, H 260 added language to this Section which limited individual budget modifications to only those services needed to protect the health or safety of the person. One unintended consequence of this change was that it prohibited budget modifications that would allow the person to obtain or maintain employment. Medicaid can pay for Community Supported Employment (CSE) services or specialized training and support for a person with a developmental disability in a job setting. The effect of this limitation was to reduce the number of people getting on-the-job training and support, from 275 participants in 2010, to 182 participants in 2013. This bill would allow people with developmental disabilities to modify their individual budgets by adding Community Supported Employment services to their plan, when these services are needed to obtain or maintain employment.”
This page contains amendments to the Idaho Aged and Disabled HCBS Waiver.
“Provides adult day health, day habilitation, homemaker, residential habilitation, respite, supported employment, attendant care, adult residential care, chore service, companion services, consultation, environmental accessibility adaptations, home delivered meals, non-medical transportation, personal emergency response system, skilled nursing, specialized medical equipment and supplies, and transition services to individuals ages 65 or older and individuals with physical or other disabilities ages 18-64 years who meet a nursing facility level of care. This waiver operates with a concurrent 1915(a)(1)(a) and 1915(b)(4) authority.”
“Provides residential habilitation, respite, supported employment, financial management services, support broker services, adult day health, behavior consultation/crisis management, chore services, community support services (participant direction), environmental accessibility adaptations, home delivered meals, non-medical transportation, personal emergency response system, skilled nursing, specialized medical equipment and supplies, and transition services to individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, or intellectual disabilities ages 18 or older who meet an ICF/IID level of care.”
Relating to the Council on Developmental Disabilities; Amending Section 267-6704, Idaho Code, To Revise Provisions Regarding Council Membership and to Make Technical Corrections
“67-6704.COMPOSITION.(1) The council shall consist of twenty-three 23) members to be appointed by the governor, at least sixty percent (60%)of whom shall be individuals with developmental disabilities, parents or Guardians of children with developmental disabilities, or immediate relatives or guardians of adults with mentally impairing developmental disabilities who cannot advocate for themselves. These members shall not represent any other category of membership. (2) At least five (5) of the members shall Be persons with a developmental disability, and at least seven (7) of the members shall be parents or guardians of children with a developmental disability”
A field policy manual for all aspects of operation of Idaho’s Vocational Rehabilitation Department “The Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (IDVR) program assists eligible persons with disabilities to prepare for and achieve an employment outcome. “Employment outcome” means entering or retaining full-time, or if appropriate, part-time competitive employment in the integrated labor market to the greatest extent possible.… Competitive employment is work performed in the integrated labor market in which the customer is compensated at or above minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and benefits paid for the same or similar work performed by customers who do not have a disability.” Approved 8/11/2016 Effective 7/1/2017
State of Idaho $2,500,000 Grantees of this year’s awards will use the funds to: •Improve employment outcomes and increase the number of individuals with disabilities who earn credentials. •Provide more and diversified job-driven training opportunities. •Facilitate academic and employment transition among youth. •Incorporate flexible approaches to designing and providing training and supportive services, including customized employment strategies to help jobseekers with significant disabilities. •Build effective community partnerships and collaborations across multiple service delivery systems and the effective blending and braiding of resources. •Promote more active engagement with the business sector.
“This renewal application revises the reimbursement methodology (Appendix I-2-a) for residential habilitation services, environmental accessibility adaptations, and specialized medical equipment and supplies. Additionally, this renewal application makes the following minor changes to the approved waiver: 1. Updates the Public Input summary, Contact Persons, and Attachments #1 and #2 in the Main Application; 2. Designates the Division of Medicaid as the Medical Assistance Unit in Appendix A-1; 3. Revises the Administrative Authority Performance Measure in Appendix A; 4. Updates projections for unduplicated number of participants in Appendix B-3-a; 5. Updates projections for goals for participant direction in Appendix E-1-n; 6. Updates the description of the opportunity for public comment in process to establish new provider rates in Appendix I-2-a; 7. Updates utilization and expenditure projections in Appendix J; and 8. Corrects typographical errors throughout the waiver.”