Provider Blog

Provider News and Updates from MCBDDS

• Vaccination incentives continue: To help providers recruit new direct support staff, MCBDDS will continue to offer the $400 vaccination incentive for direct care staff who are receiving their first series of vaccines. To take advantage of this offer, contact Mitch Snyder.
• Provider grants continue: MCBDDS is continuing to offer grants to day service providers with a specific need for assistance with modifications or equipment. The viability of these grants will be reassessed at the end of each quarter. If you have requests, please contact Mitch Snyder as soon as possible.
• Seeking reimbursement? Providers who are seeking reimbursement for allowed expenditures from MCBDDS must submit their invoice by the cutoff date provided, or the request cannot be honored.
• In-home vaccinations coming: MCBDDS is partnering with Ace Home Products to deliver vaccinations for homebound individuals in late January. These can be for first and second doses or for boosters. If you know of a person served who wishes to be vaccinated but cannot leave their home, please contact Mitch Snyder.
• Pandemic Resource Center remains open: MCBDDS's Pandemic Resource Center at Northview remains open. If you need Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), please review the list of items available at this link and email us with your order. You can pick up PPE on Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. or contact us to make special arrangements.
• January Provider Meeting: If you missed the January Provider Meeting, you can review notes from that meeting here.

Important updates from INHC 

Our friends at Inclusive Neighborhoods Housing Corporation (formerly known as MVIO) have some important information to share:

• As of January 1, 2022, Inclusive Neighborhoods Housing Corporation will operate as a private nonprofit housing corporation.  
• INHC has a new website
• INHC staff have new email addresses:
  • Carri Paschal, CEO
  • Kathleen Ditmer, Office Manager
• Work orders and maintenance emergencies: Providers should continue to contact Nikki Frazier for work orders (nfrazier@mcbdds.org or 937-457-2892) and David Birch (937-657-9201) for after-hours maintenance emergencies.  
• Weapons policy: All firearms or weapons must be registered by the property owner, stored in a locked cabinet, and reported to INHC. Current tenants will receive an addendum to their lease via U.S. Mail addressing this revised firearms provision.  
• Tenant Representative needed: INHC is seeking a tenant to serve on its Board of Trustees. If you know of a person that might be interested, please email Carri Paschal. Resources are available to help them participate in remote meetings, and INHC can also pay for transportation and staff time to assist the person as needed.  
• 2022 Capital Projects: INHC is planning capital projects for 2022. If there are any special requests you would like them to consider, please email Carri Paschal by January 31.   
• Property modifications: INHC asks that providers do not make property modifications without consulting Carri Paschal first at 937-457-2860.

Health and Medical Updates

• Free COVID tests for every home: The U.S. Government is offering four free at-home COVID-19 tests to every home in the U.S. Please make sure that the homes you serve have ordered theirs. To do so, please visit the COVID-19 government website.
• Telemedicine options: The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities is asking County Boards to identify anyone that may be interested in telemedicine options. If you know of anyone that might benefit, please email MCBDDS Assistant Superintendent Kamarr Gage no later than Wednesday, January 20.  
• New COVID-19 guidance: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued new guidance regarding isolation and quarantine for people with COVID-19, as well as information about booster shots. For more information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/  
• Medical marijuana guidance: MCBDDS staff contacted the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities' Nursing Department to request guidance pertaining to the administration of medical marijuana to persons with developmental disabilities. They learned it is a federally-prohibited Schedule 1 drug that personnel with Medication Administration Certification (including Homemaker Personal Care [HPC] staff, independent providers and other staff) are not permitted to administer. Because it is not a prescribed medication, a certified physician recommends the frequency and amount. The individuals must have a registration card that allows them to purchase a limited 90 day supply, and allows for the individual to have up to two registered care providers to assist them with the purchase and administration. These registered care providers cannot be HPC staff. The self-administration assessment will guide the team in determining necessary supports for administration. Those supports must be within what can legally be provided. The determination of safe and secure storage of the medical marijuana would be determined using person-centered concepts. Administration of medical marijuana would not be documented on a Medication Administration Record (MAR). The administration of medical marijuana is controlled by the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. For details, please visit https://www.medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/

DODD Updates

• New Director shares priorities: Ohio DODD's new Director, Kim Hauck, worked in both direct support and in leadership for a county board before joining the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. There, she most recently served as the deputy director for the Division of Policy and Strategic Direction. She recently shared her thoughts about the future of the DD system in an interview with outgoing Director Jeff Davis.
• STEP Services and Community Integration Add-on are no longer billable: On October 15, 2021, ADS Community Integration and Voc/Hab Community Integration became effective. These new services ended both the Community Integration Add-on and STEP services, which are no longer billable. Details concerning this change can be found at https://bit.ly/3Kabso1
• Provider Relief payments: On January 7, DODD announced that the Ohio Department of Medicaid would be submitting documentation on its behalf to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval for provider relief payments. Details about these payments can be found at https://bit.ly/3GCo5Gs
• Waiver Rate increases for 2022: Rate increases for Shared Living services, Homemaker Personal Care (HPC)/Personal Care On-Site-On-Call services, and Adult Day Waiver Services have been posted. For details, please visit https://bit.ly/3qvV5Kw
• Tax information for Independent Providers: DODD does not send or have access to the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Tax Form 1099. These forms are produced and sent by the Office of Shared Services (OSS), which is a division of the Office of Budget and Management. To check and see if your address is current in the OSS system, please visit the DODD Supplier Portal at https://bit.ly/3fnZZD8

Upcoming Trainings

• January 27, 2022– The Compliance Review Process 
  • https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7580210602375392525
• February 24, 2022– Background Checks & Training
  • https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8277843033617964047
• March 31, 2022– Personal Funds
  • https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6635573983464770318
• April 28, 2022– Service Delivery Documentation
• https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8399926207696502288  
  
  

Trainings continue at Montgomery County Madison Lakes
MCBDDS continues to provide free trainingfor provider staff at Montgomery County's Madison Lakes  Learning and Conference Center at 581 Olive Road in Dayton. Courses offered include: 

• Provider Certification Training - Mandatory Orientation and Annual Renewal
• CPR and First Aid
• Medication Administration - initial
• Medication Administration - renewal

For a list of courses offered by date, or to register, please visit the Provider Trainings tab on the calendar on the MCBDDS homepage at www.mcbdds.org

How to keep up with critical state updates and information

Every week, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities sends electronic updates with information about a variety of topics that are critical to providers. If you are not registered for these updates, we recommend that you do so.

To subscribe, visit https://dodd.ohio.gov/compliance/oisp/Subscribe/Subscribe