Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) were developed to offer support to individuals in community settings, as an alternative to institutional care. In 2014, new federal rules were released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), requiring homes and programs where HCBS are delivered to meet new criteria. The Department and its partners, including DDS and California’s 21 Regional Centers are working to implement the requirements for home and community-based settings in accordance with this Final Rule.
Everyone who receives, or provides, HCBS services may be affected by the CMS Final Rule. Activities are happening now to help California meet these new requirements.
VMRC Hosted HCBS Trainings
The HCBS Final Settings Rule applies to all vendors who provide services in a setting that serves more than one regional center consumer. The intent of the Final Settings Rule is to ensure that people with developmental disabilities receive services that integrate them fully into the community to the same degree as people without developmental disabilities. It ensures quality of life! They also ensure that the residential settings that services are received in are home environments rather than institutional environments. All settings must optimize and enhance choice rather than regimenting it. The HCBS Final Settings Rule protects consumers rights including the right to privacy, dignity, respect and freedom from coercion and restraint. The Final Settings Rule goes into effect March 17th, 2023, all providers with the service codes listed below, must be compliant by that date.
VMRC will continue hosting trainings for Residential Providers, Day Type Services Providers and Employment Services Providers. Service providers under the following service codes are strongly encouraged to sign up for one of the trainings provided. It takes time and effort to implement these requirements. Eligible service codes are
Residential: 096, 113, 904, 905, 915, 910, 920
Employment Services: 950 and 954
Day Type Services: 028, 055, 063, 475, 505, 510, 515, 855
The attached flyers have registration links on them for the following trainings. You must register to take the training. Once you have registered you will receive a link for the zoom session on the date you have chosen. For attendance purposes please have each staff taking the training register with their own contact information including their email address. Any last-minute changes to the scheduled trainings will be communicated to the registered individuals by email at the email address they have provided.
VMRC has hosted many trainings for Residential, Day Program and Employment Program Providers. Copies of the Power Point Presentations are linked below:
- HCBS for Day and Employment Providers Power Point pdf updated May 2022
- HCBS for Residential Providers Power Point pdf updated May 2022
HCBS Compliance Assessment Information – Validation and Remediation Process Has Been Announced by DDS – Provider Validation Forms and Supporting Documents are Due June 30th, 2022 and Remediation Forms and Supporting Documents Will be Due No Later than July 22nd, 2022!
DDS in cooperation with Regional Centers is preparing for the implementation of the HCBS Final Settings Rule by assessing vendor settings that provide services to more than one individual in the same setting. This includes providers of residential, day program and employment programs. Between January and August of 2020 vendors were asked to complete an HCBS compliance self-survey. Then in 2021 DDS contracted with Public Consulting Group (PCG) to complete a full HCBS assessment for a representative sample of regional center vendors. VMRC had 60 providers who received this full assessment. Those reports have been received back from DDS and were emailed to providers on May 2nd, 2022.
DDS has released a directive to regional centers on the validation and remediation process that our vendors with these eligible service codes will need to complete. Emails will be sent to providers to advise whether they are to complete the validation process or the remediation process. Vendors will have 30 days to complete the process that they are assigned to complete. Validation forms and all supporting documentation are due back to VMRC no later than June 30th, 2022. Remediation plans and supporting documents are due to VMRC no later than July 22nd, 2022, this date is a change from the original information shared with vendors during the May 31st training.
- DDS Directive – HCBS Compliance Validation and Remediation Process dated 5/20/2022
- Enclosure 2a – Validation Template – Non-residential
- Enclosure 2b – Validation Template – Residential
- Enclosure 4a – Remediation Template – Non-Residential
- Enclosure 4b Remediation Template – Residential
VMRC hosted two trainings on the validation and remediation process on May 31st and June 3rd, 2022. Providers can access the Power Point Presentation below and includes the updated due date for vendors assigned to remediation:
VMRC will also be hosting virtual office hours for our vendors to drop in via Zoom to ask questions related to the validation and remediation process.
- June 6th – 10th every day from 1:00-2:30pm
- June 13th -17th every day from 9:00-10:30am
- June 21st – 24th every day from 1:00-2:30pm
Please do not wait to get started on your validation and remediation plans. An email will be sent to providers advising them of what step of the process, validation or remediation, they will be starting on. All documentation must be submitted electronically through email. Paper copies and handwritten documents will not be accepted! Your vendor # must be included in the file name of every document you submit, documents that are not named with the vendor number will be rejected.
HCBS Compliance Grant Funding Information
2021/2022 FY HCBS Compliance Funding has been awarded! We are so happy to announce how well our vendors did in securing grant funding for their programs. VMRC’s vendors have been awarded a combined total of $1,014,027. A total of $9,033,692.00 was awarded statewide amongst the 21 regional centers. VMRC’s vendors secured 11% of awarded funds and we are so proud of the hard work our vendors put in to secure this grant funding. Congratulations to the awardees! VMRC is looking forward to partnering with you to increase quality of services for the individuals we all serve.
An additional grant funding opportunity has been presented by DDS and VMRC Needs Your Help!
VMRC needs your input on the implementation of the HCBS Final Settings Rule and Person-Centered Practices! Please share your feedback with us through our new survey. This survey is open to all VMRC stakeholders, including persons served and their families, vendors and their staff, VMRC staff, VMRC Board Members and local advocacy groups. DDS has offered a new HCBS grant funding opportunity meant to encourage HCBS and Person-Centered Planning implementation for our catchment area and your input is vital to the planning process for this grant opportunity!
VMRC’s HCBS/PCP Grant Funding Survey
All available documentation related to the grants are available on DDS’s webpage:
https://www.dds.ca.gov/initiatives/cms-hcbs-regulations/hcbs-compliance-funding/
HCBS Resources
HCBS information from DDS: https://www.dds.ca.gov/initiatives/cms-hcbs-regulations/
Training video done by DDS and PCG regarding HCBS compliance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azBUcK8zRzo
DDS and PCG training regarding providing services that are in alignment with the HCBS Final Rule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GYBdMOstmk
DDS and Support Development Associates (SDA) training on the HCBS Final Rule and how it is supported by Person-Centered Planning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUWmXyydTbo
HCBS Advocacy Coalition https://hcbsadvocacy.org/
Contact Anna Sims, SCSL, HCBS Program Evaluator with questions: (209) 955-3353, asims@vmrc.net