Capitol Correspondence - 10.11.21

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Invites States to Participate in State Medicaid Learning Collaborative on Supporting Adults with I/DD

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Elise Aguilar

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is hosting Supporting Adults with I/DD and Their Aging Parents & Caregivers: State Medicaid Learning Collaborative in November.

The event details from CMS are below:

Supporting Adults with I/DD and Their Aging Parents &Caregivers: State Medicaid Learning Collaborative

Date: November 9, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT

Learning Collaborative Registration  Please complete by October 29, 2021.

The learning collaborative is an opportunity for states to develop new solutions and identify promising practices to improve the delivery of supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their aging caregivers.  CMS has long supported initiatives to expand access to home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities.  State Medicaid agencies can leverage these initiatives to address the current and future needs of adults with I/DD and their aging caregivers.

The learning collaborative will consist of six monthly virtual learning sessions between November 2021 and April 2022. The duration of each event is not expected to exceed 90 minutes.  Participants will actively engage and share experiences and challenges among their peers, identify promising practices, and support the implementing of promising strategies in their states.  Each event will have a pre-identified topic with accompanying resources for states to reference at a later time.

Participants of the June 28-29, 2021 summit on this topic identified topics of interest that have informed the learning collaborative.  These topics include:

  • Building interagency partnerships and relationships;
  • Person- and family-centered supports;
  • Outreach strategies;
  • Cultural and linguistic competence; and
  • Future planning and supported decision-making.

State Participation

All interested state Medicaid agencies and partner agencies involved in the delivery of services and supports for people with I/DD and their aging caregivers are welcome to participate in the learning collaborative by designating up to three people to attend per state.  Partner agencies are encouraged to include Medicaid colleagues among the states’ participants.  CMS encourages states that meet the following characteristics to participate:

  • Commitment to supporting adults with I/DD and their aging caregivers under the Medicaid program;
  • Interest in actively participating in the learning collaborative by sharing experiences and learning from other states engaged in similar efforts;
  • Initiatives focused on improving services for adults with I/DD living with and cared for by aging caregivers already underway or in the planning stages; and
  • Support of the State Medicaid Director with specific staff designated for participation.

Next Steps

The first learning collaborative session will take place on November 9, 2021, from 1:00-2:30 PM ET.  If you are interested in applying, please complete the form found here.  Each representative from your state will need to submit the form.  If you have questions, please email [email protected].  We would appreciate all those interested to respond by October 29, 2021. 

 

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