2021 Community Living

Community Living

Helping People with Disabilities and Older Adults to Live independently and to Fully Participate in Their Communities

  • Provided outstanding technical assistance (TA) for states expanding their home and community-based services (HCBS). The New Editions team responded to 15 TA requests and received positive survey ratings for the work performed. A few states provided additional accolades which included: 

“The experience and knowledge base demonstrated by the consultants were wonderful. Their intricate knowledge of the system, CMS, and the likely inter-workings of the Division were very instrumental in assisting the work team.”

“New Editions has been fantastic to work with and very, very knowledgeable!”

  • Presented well-received webinars on enhancing state home and community-based services during the Pandemic for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). New Editions developed and facilitated national training sessions highlighting state practices in response to the pandemic and lessons learned that could be applicable moving forward: Beyond the Pandemic: How Technology Influences & Ensures an Integrated Life in the Community (2 sessions), Impact of the Pandemic on the Direct Service Provider Workforce, Innovations in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Disaster Relief: COVID-19 Related Flexibilities, and Finding the Silver Lining: Building on the Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic to Re-Align Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and Ensure Community Integration, State Infection Control Efforts During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
  • Developed training responsive to states needs for implementing the home and community-based settings rule for CMS. New Editions prepared and delivered four State-only trainings related to implementation of the Settings rule. These trainings covered promising practices, implementing the settings rule in light of the pandemic, facilitating informed choice of settings, and other key requirements for implementation.
  • Facilitated communication among states and CMS to share practices and lessons learned implementing the HCBS rule. New Editions continued to conduct small group discussion calls with states. Discussion topics included assessment and validation (progress, challenges, promising practices), ongoing monitoring, systemic remediation progress (regulation and policy updates, challenges, successes), supporting re-integration into the community after PHE restrictions are eased or lifted, considerations for ensuring choice when virtual services are available, strategies for educating guardians on the rule, strategies for supporting rural providers with remediation, and methods to increase engagement of stakeholders and individuals receiving services in the public comment process.
  • Delivered multiple analyses and reports to CMS to identify state practices and progress toward implementation of the settings rule. New Editions conducted 11 data analysis projects to report on state progress of the various aspects of STP implementation, such as site-specific assessments, remediation, and on-going monitoring. New Editions also drafted reports and made recommendations for policy considerations related to heightened scrutiny and presenting informed choice of settings. New Editions conducted extensive data analysis at regular intervals to identify and assist CMS in tracking and trending the flexibilities requested by states to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency, which in turn was used by CMS to respond to requests for information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
  • Provided ongoing support through CMS to states for the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review Medicaid requirement. New Editions responded to 104 TA requests (including extended TA engagements with two states), prepared papers on emerging topics to inform CMS, completed quarterly webinars on relevant topics including the quarterly PASRR 101 series and the quarterly Specialized Services Office Hours series.
  • Continued to develop tools, resources, and educational campaigns that help older drivers remain active and safe in the community. New Editions conducted monthly social media campaigns targeting older drivers, family members and caregivers, law enforcement personnel, medical professionals, and state drivers licensing agencies. The aim of these activities is to increase engagement in older driver safety initiatives that will improve traffic safety in our communities.
  • Convened Grantees and Stakeholders to Advance NIDILRR Goals and Objectives. New Editions supported multiple meetings over the course of 2021, including a large-scale outreach and learning event focusing on building the pipeline for new researchers focused on home and community-based services, a series of webinars on social isolation, a State of the Science meeting on improving outcomes for adolescents and emerging and young adults experiencing serious mental health problems, and a workshop on the accessibility of motherhood that focused on the experiences of women with disabilities during pregnancy and the field of science and research surrounding the topic. New Editions also supported the October 2021 NIDILRR Stakeholder Meeting, which brought together project officers across NIDILRR’s various funding mechanisms to meet the new NIDILRR director and participate in a discussion session.
  • Launched the 2021 Older Drivers Safety Awareness Week Resources to increase awareness of ways to improve older driver safety. Resources include infographics, sample press releases, lobby slides for waiting areas, a poster, resources to assist each target audience (law enforcement personnel, older drivers, caregivers, medical professionals, and state drivers licensing agencies), and a list of suggestions for how to continue to promote older driver safety throughout the coming year.

 

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