Chief Patron: Sickles
Joint Task Force on I/DD Services (language only)

Item 284 #2h

Language

Page 232, at the beginning of line 8, insert "A."

Page 232, after line 32, insert:

"B.1.  The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education shall appoint an interagency task force to make recommendations to expand statewide capacity to delivery services and supports in integrated community settings for individuals with intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD).  Recommendations shall address: (i) revisions in state statutes, regulations, administrative policies and interagency agreements deemed necessary to facilitate more effective interagency planning and financing of health, education, rehabilitation, housing and long-term services and supports across existing departmental boundaries; (ii) legislative and administrative specifications for establishing a statewide, quasi-governmental School-to-Work Transition Institute charged with creating and supporting the work of local, cross-agency collaborations. These specifications must detail the proposed institute's organizational structure, funding sources, reporting requirements and oversight responsibility to ensure public accountability; (iii) the steps necessary to create an integrated data platform for tracking, planning and synchronizing cross-agency services to youth and young adults who are likely to require specialized health, behavioral health and long-term supports as adults. This data platform shall be capable of linking special education, physical and behavioral health, rehabilitation, housing and long-term service providers with health care coordinators, Community Services Board case managers and vocational rehabilitation counselors, thereby supporting cross-system planning, joint financing and service delivery initiatives; (iv) the component parts of a comprehensive, long-range plan to create a seamless, multi-agency response to the health, education, housing and long-term support needs of youth and young adults with I/DD that harnesses and coordinates the efforts of local school districts, vocational rehabilitation, health, housing, employment and residential and day support agencies as well as Community Services Boards in localities across the state. In addition, the plan shall specify the timelines, roles and inter-related responsibilities of all involved parties; and (v) a permanent mechanism for facilitating joint, cross-system planning, service and financing initiatives among the state agencies represented on the task force.  

2. The interagency task force shall: (i) be appointed no later than July 1, 2016; (ii) include representatives of the following state agencies: the Departments of Education (DOE), Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Labor and Industry and the Virginia Housing Development  Authority (VHDA); (iii) hold hearings in at least five geographic areas of the state to obtain input from disability stakeholders, including disability advocates, services providers, Community Services Boards, local officials and other interested citizens; (iv) issue for public comments an interim report summarizing its findings, conclusions and recommendations on or before July 1, 2017. Interested members of the public shall be given 30 days to submit written or electronic comments on the interim report; and (v) issue a final report that summarizes the public comments received and the task force's response to such comments.

C.1. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources shall require the Commissioners of the DBHDS, and DARS to convene a joint, public/private study group to recommend: (i) revisions in existing policies and practices aimed at eliminating barriers to cross agency planning and financing of residential, day and employment services for adolescents and adults with I/DD; (ii) the essential components of a quasi-public Institute on Community Inclusion with statewide responsibility for: (a) furnishing providers of segregated day and residential services with the training and technical assistance they need to transition to community agencies capable of supporting individuals with I/DD in fully integrated community settings; (b) assisting the DBHDS in recruiting high-quality out-of-state provider of integrated daytime and residential services; (c) gathering and disseminating best practice information gleaned from the experiences of exemplary in-state providers as well as providers in other states and nations; and (d) reporting annually to the Governor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the General Assembly on the Commonwealth's progress in developing capacity to support individuals with I/DD in integrated living, employment, social and recreational settings; and (iii) The component parts of a joint, cross-agency plan to eliminate the state's present reliance on sheltered workshops and other segregated employment programs by no later than July 1, 2020. The plan shall set forth cross-agency roles and responsibilities and well as the timelines for achieving stated goals.

2. The public/private study group shall: (i) be appointed no later than July 1, 2016; (ii) include representatives of the following state agencies: DOE, DARS, DBHDS, DHCD, Labor and Industry and the VHDA, along with representatives of non-governmental organizations and individuals representing advocates and providers of community I/DD services as well as Community Services Boards.  State agency representatives shall constitute no more than one-third of study group members; (iii) hold hearings in at least five geographic areas of the state to obtain input from disability stakeholders, including disability advocates, providers of disability services, Community Services Boards, local elected and appointed officials and other interested citizens; (iv) issue for public comments an interim report summarizing its findings, conclusions and recommendations on or before July 1, 2017. Interested members of the public will be allowed 30 days in which to submit written or electronic comments on the interim report; and (v) issue a final report that summarizes the public comments received and the study group's response to such comments by no later than October 1, 2017.

3.  The Secretary of Health and Human Resources shall direct the Commissioner of the DBHDS to: (i) update the department's existing I/DD community housing plan,  in collaboration with DHCD and the VHDA, to ensure that it is consistent with the requirements of the federal home and community based services settings rule, as promulgated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on January 17, 2014, and the statewide transition plan designed to ensure compliance of these regulatory provisions by no later than March 17, 2019; and (ii) transfer funds from the DBHDS Trust Fund to cover the cost of capacity building activities, including the amounts necessary to: (a) support the activities of the proposed Institute on Community Inclusion; (b) award time-limited, bridge funding grants to I/DD provider agencies that are developing and strengthening their capacity to provide day and/or residential services in integrated community settings; and (c) implementing the statewide plan to reduce the state's reliance on sheltered workshops and other segregated day and residential services. Such transfers shall be subject General Assembly approval as part of the department's biennial budget. Bridge fund grants shall be carried out in accordance with a time-sequenced plan submitted by a community provider agency and approved by DBHDS."