PCPA recently completed 3 half-days of discussion with the Departments of Public Welfare (DPW) and Aging, other trade associations, and advocates about the additional MH/MR funding in the 2001/02 budget for staffing initiatives. The group of approximately 25 persons worked to develop general guidelines to assist providers, counties, and other stakeholders as they attempt to maximize the additional $11.9M in MR funds and $5.6M in MH funds to improve recruitment and retention of low wage staff.
On July 24, PCPA received a revised draft of the Plan Guidelines from DPW. The revision was based on the comments received earlier in the month from PCPA and other stakeholders. It appears that the Department included many of the changes and suggestions that PCPA had suggested, and the draft document is substantially acceptable to PCPA.
During the meetings, the group substantially agreed that this must be a locally-based process that is as simple and flexible as possible. The state presented several "Must Have's" that they required for any process that is developed. The departments stated that the plans submitted by counties must:
- § Be based on the county's allocation for this initiative, not needs-based (PCPA requested the department to collect needs-based data for use in future initiatives, but this is not included in the 7/24 draft document);
- § Show evidence of cross-system discussion and input from providers, consumers, and direct care workers themselves;
- § Reflect studies and research on the issue;
- § Provide an annual accounting for the spending and its impact;
- § Show an accounting of how the COLA was used; and
- § Pass funding on to the direct care worker level with no administrative costs.
Quoted below are some of the details from the draft guidelines (thanks to Mike Chambers at the MH/MR Administrators Association for his summary).
Plan Submission
- § Plans will be accepted from entities that receive funds directly from the state, i.e., counties, CSPPPD prime contractors, and some attendant care providers. The basis on which counties allocate the money can be competitive (in response to individual providers' proposals), countywide (for generic county wide initiatives), or a combination of the two.
- § The plan itself will be reasonably short - 5 to 10 pages. State personnel were very supportive of making the plans and planning as simple and flexible as possible as long as there was adequate accountability.
- § Plans can cover a single county/joinder or a larger area. This may be beneficial for larger, multi-county providers.
- § Plans are due on November 2. It is assumed that allocation figures will be available shortly after November 2.
Scope of the Plans
- § The draft guidelines state, "The plans must be directed at the recruitment and retention of 'direct care workers' and their immediate supervisors. Direct care workers are defined as those who provide 'hands on' care to consumers' [Workers] whose position does not require any formal post-secondary education and who can normally begin work after a short period of on-the-job-training."
- § Providers eligible for the funds are those that receive funds under the community MH and MR appropriations, and those receiving funds from AAA in-home service, PDA waiver, Act 150 Attendant Care, and the CSPPPD appropriation.
General
- § The $17.5M that was included in this year's state budget will continue to be included in future budgets, barring any cataclysmic economic downturns. There is a possibility that the funding could be increased if we can show a significant impact or potential impact with this year's efforts. It would be prudent for providers and counties to make every effort to show that this money can make a difference, even if only a small one, in the first year.
- § The guidelines emphasize the importance of local planning and a recognition that creativity must be used in lieu of any additional funds might become available in future years.
- § We expect the funds to be allocated as an additional percentage(approximately 2%) increase to each county's allocation. Subsequent years of this project may allow for differential funding based on competitive proposals, but the first year's allocation will be consistent across the state.
- § It is left to providers and counties to identify ways to measure the success and outcomes that result from this additional funding for staffing.
When all is said and done, this funding is a significant first step in getting the state to recognize the need to help improve the staffing of community agencies. It is also an opportunity for providers and counties to partner in an effort that can improve the lives of consumers and the direct care workers who work with them. PCPA is pleased to have represented our members in this effort, and we encourage you to maximize this opportunity for creativity and growth.
Contact Lynn Keltz at the PCPA office for additional information.