The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is seeking input on a proposed rule to establish the first-ever federal regulations for adult protective services (APS) programs. Instructions for submitting comments and registering for an informational webinar can be found on ACL’s website and below.
APS programs across the country support older adults and adults with disabilities who experience, or who are at risk of, abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation. APS programs investigate reports of maltreatment; conduct case planning, monitoring, and evaluation, and provide, or connect people who have experienced maltreatment to, a variety of medical, social service, economic, legal, housing, law enforcement, and other protective, emergency, or support services to help them recover. Over the past decade, ACL has led federal efforts to support the critical work of APS programs through a variety of initiatives.
First-Ever Federal Regulations for APS
The proposed rule aims to improve consistency and quality of APS services across states and support the national network that delivers APS services, with the ultimate goal of better meeting the needs of adults who experience or are at risk of maltreatment. To those ends, the proposed rule:
ACL has created a fact sheet with highlights of key provisions of the rule, and the full text of the proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register website.
Input Needed
The proposed rule is the culmination of many years of engagement with stakeholders from APS and long-term care ombudsman programs, as well as disability advocates, from across the country. It also reflects input received through several listening sessions, extensive research, and analysis of data from a 2021 survey of 51 APS systems, ACL’s National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System, and policy profiles from APS programs in all states and territories.
ACL now seeks feedback on the proposed rule from all who are interested in improving implementation of APS programs and services. Input from the aging and disability networks and the people served by APS programs is particularly crucial.
Comments will be accepted for 60 days, beginning when the proposed rule is officially published in the Federal Register (which currently is scheduled for Tuesday, September 12). Instructions for commenting, along with the comment deadline, can be found in the Federal Register notice and on ACL’s website.
An informational webinar will be held on Monday, September 18, at 11:30 am ET. Advance registration is required.
For additional questions, contact Fady Sahhar.
A proposed regulation related to Adult Protective Services is currently posted on the Independent Regulatory Review Commission’s (IRRC) website. This proposed regulation “identifies mandatory reporters and prescribes penalties for their failure to report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment; requires consistent and timely investigations of allegations; and when necessary, provides for protective services to mitigate risk to individuals.”
The public comment period has started and will end on May 22, 2023. Please take the opportunity to review the proposed regulation and submit any comments that you may have following the processes outlined within the timeframe allotted. Consider sharing your thoughts with Carol Ferenz or your policy division director by May 19, 2023, for inclusion in RCPA’s comments.
DHS Federal Grant
The Department of Human Services has received a $91 million federal “Money Follows the Person” rebalancing demonstration grant. This grant goes through 2020 to assist in transitioning individuals with disabilities and older adults from institutional settings back into the community.
The Department of Human Services/Bureau of Adult Protective Services is offering trainings/webinars for Adult Protective Services.
Complete online registration at the Survey Monkey LINK below.
Please feel free to share this information with other staff and providers.
With new webinar software we have twice as many logins available and will hopefully be able to accommodate all requests.
Adult Protective Services and Mandatory Reporting Requirements
How: Webinar and In-Person Attendance available
Where: Clothes Tree Building, DGS Complex (former Harrisburg State Hospital Campus)
What: Overview of Act 70, Adult Protective Services Law, eligibility criteria, DHS and Liberty Healthcare Responsibilities; the process for reporting, mandatory reporting requirements, and statutory definitions.
When:
Complete the online registration survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DHS_APS_Training
Information and webinar link will be sent prior to the presentation. Contact Deborah Bender at debbender@pa.gov with any questions or concerns.