Transcript What Is It, Anyway? Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials February 25, 2008

What Is It, Anyway?
Virginia Association of Housing and
Community Development Officials
February 25, 2008
Money Follows the Person is a 4-year
Demonstration program designed to assist
seniors and people with disabilities who
currently live in institutions to transition
to the community if they wish to.
MFP is a Federal Initiative
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Largest investment ever in Medicaid Long Term
Care ($1.75 billion)
• 37,000+ individuals to transition nationally
• Designed to eliminate “institutional bias” in the
Medicaid program
• HUD Secretary Alfonso Jackson contacted
public housing agencies twice last year about
the importance of the Demonstration
MFP is a State Initiative
• Demonstration awarded in May 2007 to
Department of Medical Assistance Services
• Eight state agencies (including VHDA and
DHCD) have been working closely for 10 months
to prepare for transitions to begin in May 2008
• Governor contacted public housing agencies in
Virginia last Fall to underscore importance of the
Demonstration
MFP is a Community Initiative
• Local service agencies have partnered
with state agencies and others to plan the
transition process
– Centers for Independent Living
– Community Services Boards Local
– Area Agencies on Aging
– Departments of Social Services
MFP is a Personal Initiative
• In Virginia, over 1,000 people are projected to
move to the community from nursing homes,
long-stay hospitals and Intermediate Care
Facilities for Individuals with Mental Retardation
• Participation is completely voluntary—each
individual’s choice
• Each person will have an individual plan,
services and supports that they need, and
someone to work with them before and after
they transition
Services and Supports
• Case manager or transition coordinator to plan
and assist in transitions
• Personal assistance services
• Assistive technology
• Personal Emergency Response Systems
• Supported employment
• Home modifications
• Rent during modifications period
• Payment of utility and security deposits and
other up-front household expenses
Where Will People be Living?
• Each individual who transitions must move
to a “qualified residence” in the community
– Home owned or leased by the individual or a
family member
– Apartment leased by the individual or a family
member
– Setting in which no more than four unrelated
individuals reside
Qualified Residences in Virginia
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Homes
Apartments
Group homes (4 or fewer beds)
Sponsored residential settings
4-bed Assisted Living Facilities
Adult Foster Care
Why is Housing Important?
1. For some individuals, renting an apartment
may be the best (or only) option
2. Most of these individuals are expected to have
very low income
3. There are no funds available under the
Demonstration to pay ongoing rental expenses
for these individuals
What Are We Doing to Address
the Housing Challenges?
• Money Follows the Person Housing Task Force
created by Secretaries of Health and Human
Resources and Commerce and Trade
• Diverse membership, including federal, state,
local and private partners
• VAHCDO is represented
• Will develop annual housing action plan this
spring
Annual Housing Action Plan–
Multiple Strategies at Multiple Levels
• Increase affordability and availability of
community housing
• Increase availability of accessible transportation
• Recognize the importance of the link between
housing and transportation
• Education, awareness, and partnership building
among housing and human service agencies
and the individuals they serve
PHAs’ Involvement in Annual
Housing Action Plan
•
Centers for Independent Living will contact you to ask you to partner
with them and other local agencies to support individuals transitioning
under the Demonstration. They will:
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offer assistance to you in understanding community living needs and
preferences of people with disabilities and seniors
assess local housing capacity needs and work with you to develop
strategies to address the needs identified in future plans and planning
processes
document local changes in public housing policy, and work with you to
foster and sustain increased housing options
A directory of services agencies will be developed and disseminated,
along with a Medicaid services primer, to all housing agencies
How Will This Benefit PHAs?
• Existing communication and policy gaps
between some service providers and some
housing agencies can be bridged
• Practical information on housing for seniors and
people with disabilities will be provided
• Medicaid services will be offered not only to
individuals in institutions, but also to individuals
currently using Medicaid “waiver” services in the
community.
What PHAs Can Do Now
• Review housing plans to see if the needs of very low
income people with disabilities and seniors are
adequately addressed
• Help educate local service agencies and organizations,
seniors, and people with disabilities about how to
become involved in future planning processes
• Extend a special invitation to local service agencies and
organizations, seniors, and people with disabilities to
participate in future planning processes
• Assess whether a portion of your agency’s federal rental
vouchers could be made available to individuals
transitioning under the Demonstration
For Further Information
Visit the Money Follows the Person Website
http://www.olmsteadva.com/mfp/
E-mail [email protected]