JULY 15, 2020
RESOURCES FROM JULY 10 Q&A WEBINAR FOR VAYA HEALTH NETWORK PROVIDERS Benchmarks President and CEO Karen McLeod presented the following topics during the Q&A Webinar for Vaya Network Providers on July 10, 2020: HHS Announces Enhanced Provider Portal, Relief Fund Payments for Safety Net Hospitals, Medicaid & CHIP Providers (Includes Behavioral Health Providers) To be eligible for this funding, healthcare providers must not have received payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution and either have directly billed their state Medicaid/CHIP programs or Medicaid managed care plans for healthcarerelated services between January 1, 2018, to May 31, 2020. Close to 1 million healthcare providers may be eligible for this funding. More information about eligibility and the application process is available online. Two bills that passed the House and Senate and were vetoed by the Governor are:
House Bill 918 – Expedite Permanency/DHHS Report SNAP/TANF. The intent of this bill is to move children born with illegal substances in their system (as a result of a mother using illegal substances) to permanency more quickly. The changes this bill seeks to drive permanency are controversial: Amends the definition of “non-relative kin” to include a presumption that a foster parent with whom a juvenile under 3 years of age has lived for at least nine months is non-relative kin and adds a definition for "relative" to include an individual directly related to the juvenile Clarifies that the term “abused juvenile” includes minors whose parents expose them to illegal drugs while in utero Adds to the criteria for non-secure custody a condition providing if a juvenile is an infant who: 1) was born drug-exposed, and the drug exposure was not medically based; 2) the parent is unable to discharge parental responsibilities due to a history of chronic drug abuse; and 3) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the parent's substance abuse will continue for a prolonged or indeterminate period based on the opinion of a licensed healthcare provider with substance abuse disorders experience, then the court will issue an order for non-secure custody Adds the requirement that once a child under age 3 has lived with a foster parent for at least nine months, the foster parent is deemed to be non-relative kin
House Bill 612 – DSS Review of Procedures/Criminal History/OAH. This bill requires the
Social Services Commission of N.C. DSS to review policies, guidelines and other interpretive statements (usually disseminated through the “Dear County Director Letters”) and submit a report to the Office of Administrative Hearings to identify any that meet the requirements of “rule” and must go through the rulemaking process with the Rules Commission. Any interim rule authorized by this section shall become void July 1, 2022, if the Commission has failed to adopt that interim rule as a permanent rule by that date.
NORTH CAROLINA K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO REQUIRE KEY SAFETY MEASURES TO ALLOW IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION Gov. Roy Cooper and N.C. DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen were joined Tuesday by education and health leaders to announce health and safety plans for K-12 public schools for the new school year. Schools will open for in-person instruction under an updated Plan B that requires face coverings for all K-12 students, fewer children in the classroom, measures to ensure social distancing for everyone in the building, and other safety protocols. The Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit outlines the updated requirements for Plan B. Districts may choose to operate under Plan C, which calls for remote learning only, and health leaders recommend schools allow families to opt in to all-remote learning. Modifications have been made to Plan B since it was released in June to make it more protective of public health. Read more: News release from the Governor’s Office
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED AREAS WITH HIGH COVID-19 CASELOADS DHHS has issued a Request For Proposals for an initiative that will send up to 250 community health workers to historically underserved areas with high COVID-19 caseloads. Click here for more information.
WEBINAR: COVID-19 AND NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTIONING Wednesday, July 22, 2020 , 2 p.m. This webinar will address the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 on neurological functioning. Emerging data on COVID-19 is noteworthy for several risk factors for both peripheral and central nervous system dysfunction. Webinars are recorded. If you cannot attend live, please register to receive a link to the recording afterward. Register online: COVID-19 and Its Impact on Neurological Functioning
WEBINAR: SUPPORTING SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CONTEXT OF RACIAL VIOLENCE July 31 – Aug. 7, 2020 (two sessions) This series from the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network is intended for students, families, educators and school mental health professionals who are
navigating the impact of racial violence on student mental health. Session 1: Learning From and With Students, Caregivers, Advocates and Systems Leaders , July 31, 2020, 1-2:30 p.m. Session 2: Learning From and With the School Mental Health Workforce (School Counselors, Psychologists, and Teacher Educators), Aug. 7, 2020, 1-2:30 p.m.
ADDRESSING THE INTERSECTION OF SUBSTANCE USE AND SUICIDE: STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT Aug. 4, 2020, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Deaths by overdose and suicide continue to increase despite state and national efforts. This webinar describes suicide risk among people who use substances and details multiple strategies for joint prevention, intervention and treatment in the community and in various service settings. Register online: Addressing the Intersection of Substance Use and Suicide
DHHS COVID-19 INFORMATION AND RESOURCES UPDATES WATCH the new video featuring Dr. Tilson: "How to Properly Use a Cloth Face Covering" PRESS RELEASE: NCDHHS Reports Highest One-Day Increase of COVID-19 Positive Tests PRESS RELEASE: NCDHHS to Send Community Health Workers to Underserved NEW GUIDANCE in Long-Term Care: NCDHHS Guidance for Point-Prevalence Surveys (PPS) in Skilled Nursing Facilities NEW TESTING SITES added to the Community Testing Events page ( previously called “the Pop-up Testing” page) UPDATED "Requesting Specimen Collection Supplies" includes updated specimen collection link UPDATED reports for Ongoing Outbreaks in Congregate Living and School Clusters are now available UPDATED Prevent and Protect toolkit; the Know Your Ws social media is on this page, now available in separate zip files for ease of access to each of the different images (more still to come) UPDATED: General Flow Chart: Hospital to Skilled Nursing Facility in Long-Term Care Guidance UPDATED: CLI Surveillance Report UPDATED: Schools Toolkit in Spanish
WNC COVID-19 REGIONAL REPORT Vaya is proud to be a key partner in the weekly WNC COVID-19 Regional Report from the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in conjunction with eight other WNC health and social services organizations. Together, we’re committed to providing WNC’s medical community with timely information on COVID-19 through weekly updates on regional trends, needs, resources and training opportunities. Read more: WNC COVID-19 Regional Report (July 10, 2020)
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