JANUARY 12, 2021 | COMMUNICATION BULLETIN ISSUE 48 IN THIS ISSUE: Provider Advisory Council Monthly Meeting | Changes to the Provider Nomination Process - IMPORTANT | HUD Recommendations for Vaccine Rollout for People Experiencing Homelessness | Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training (New Dates) | Webinar: Accommodating Brain Injury in Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations | Webinar: NC Medicaid Transition to Managed Care | Webinar: Best Practices and Systems of Support for Justice-Involved Veterans | Webinar: Optimizing Care for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Creating Communities of Belonging
Provider Advisory Council Monthly Meeting Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. The Vaya Health Provider Advisory Council (PAC) is meeting on Jan. 13, 2021 instead of Jan. 20 due to the Presidential Inauguration occurring during the PAC’s normal meeting time. All Vaya network providers are encouraged to attend and participate in the monthly PAC meetings. The PAC serves as an advisory body to Vaya on provider-related issues. The PAC operates pursuant to a set of bylaws and is a self-governing committee. Members of the PAC serve as fair and impartial representatives of all network providers for the purpose of advocacy, support and communication. The PAC is designed to facilitate an open exchange of ideas, shared values, goals and visions and to bring forward concerns and solutions while promoting collaboration, ethical operations, mutual accountability and quality services. For more information or to receive PAC communication, email provideradvisorycouncil@vayahealth.com. Join PAC Monthly Meeting via WebEx Meeting number: 628 593 107 Join by phone: 1-510-338-9438 Access code: 628 593 107
Changes to the Provider Nomination Process - IMPORTANT Vaya’s provider nomination process will be offline from Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 until Monday, Jan. 25, 2021. During that time, the nomination request process will move from the FluidReview platform to the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. During the transition, providers will not be able to submit Nomination Request Forms to join Vaya’s closed provider network, add sites or services or make other changes requiring a Nomination Request Form. Any Nomination Request Forms that have not been completed and submitted by a provider before 5
p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, must be recreated after Jan. 25 using SurveyMonkey Apply.
COVID-19 NEWS AND UPDATES HUD Recommendations for Vaccine Rollout for People Experiencing Homelessness The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recommends that Continuum of Care (CoC) Providers prepare for the vaccine rollout as follows: Review North Carolina’s Vaccination Plan. Each state has a vaccination plan which prioritizes groups based on health risks. Review the plan and document any concerns or critical issues that should be discussed with the public health partners responsible for vaccine distribution. Engage Public Health Partners in Planning. Contact state or local public health authorities to determine who is responsible for vaccine planning and coordination. Ongoing dialogue with public health partners will be critical given the fluid nature of the vaccine rollout. Review this list of questions to assist CoCs in planning and preparing for vaccine distribution with public health authorities. Assure Priority Vaccine Access for Essential Staff and People Experiencing Homelessness. If people experiencing homelessness are not prioritized, refer to HUD and the CDC’s guidance to educate public health partners and local decision makers about prioritizing sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in Phase One. This aligns with federal prioritization principles and the federal government’s December 2020 memo , which designate staff and management of outreach programs, homeless shelters and other programs sustaining human life as essential. Engage People Experiencing Homelessness and Identify Vaccine Ambassadors. CoCs should talk to people experiencing homelessness to learn about concerns and other vaccination barriers. Enlist trusted individuals in the homelessness community, including encampment members, case managers and faith leaders. Support them in encouraging people to get vaccinated. Additional resources are available on the HUD Vaccine Planning and Distribution page.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training (New Dates) Multiple dates through July 2021 Two hours of your time could help save a life. Vaya's Provider and Community Education Team will offer free, web-based “Question, Persuade, Refer” (QPR) suicide prevention trainings through July 2021. Trainings will be offered on the second Tuesday (2:30 – 4:30 p.m.) and fourth Tuesday (9 – 11 a.m.) of each month. Each training is limited to 30 participants. Available trainings are listed on Vaya’s online Calendar of Events . To register, email CIT Training Coordinator Melissa Ledbetter at melissa.ledbetter@vayahealth.com
WEBINAR: Accommodating Brain Injury in Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations
Jan. 13, 2021, 3 – 4 p.m. Presented by The Center on Brain Injury Research and Training. Caitlin Synovec, the presenter, is an occupational therapist whose professional experience and research has been with populations experiencing homelessness, psychiatric conditions and health co-morbidities, including traumatic brain injury. She is currently a subject matter expert with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council specializing in addressing the cognitive and functional needs of those experiencing homelessness, with a goal to develop resources and training for clinicians and providers of vulnerable populations. For more information and/or to register , click here. Additional recorded webinars: Screening for Brain Injury in Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health and Addiction TBI and Behavioral Health Challenges Substance Use and Brain Injury
WEBINAR: NC Medicaid Transition to Managed Care Jan. 27, 2021, 3 - 4 p.m. Presented by the N.C. DHHS, the webinar will provide an overview of Medicaid Managed Care, NCDHHS’ vision for whole-person centered, coordinated care and key milestones leading up to the statewide launch of Standard Plans on July 1, 2021. To learn more and/or to register, click here. To submit questions to be covered in the webinar, please email them to Medicaid.Transformation@dhhs.nc.gov no later than Jan. 15, 2021
WEBINAR: Best Practices and Systems of Support for Justice-Involved Veterans Jan. 27, 2021, 1:30 - 3 p.m. Presented by SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans and Family Support Technical Assistance Center, this webinar will provide an overview of emerging best practices and systems of support for justice-involved Veterans from the “front end” or initial point of contact with first responders to the point of reentry and readjustment with support from systems, programs and peers. To learn more and/or register, click here.
WEBINAR: Optimizing Care for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Creating Communities of Belonging Feb. 18-19, 2021 Innovative programs are improving the health and quality of life for North Carolinians living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), yet the majority of adults with I/DD experience significant disparities in health and well-being, which has been especially acute during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. This conference highlights collaborative care initiatives and invites providers to create spaces of belonging that embrace equity. The conference provides clinical updates that equip providers across disciplines to advance health and well-being of adults with I/DD. To learn more and/or to register, click here.
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