Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 52, December 27, 2024
a)
Individuals who are or who will be enrolled in an HCBS Waiver Program,
guardians, ISC agencies, and provider agencies shall comply with
Person-Centered Planning requirements pursuant to
42 CFR
441.301(c)(1) through (c)(3)
and as set forth by the Department. The Person-Centered Planning process:
1) Must be driven by the Individual who is or
who will be enrolled in an HCBS Waiver Program. The ISC agency shall facilitate
the process and the guardian must be included. Other persons invited by the
Individual and agencies currently providing services shall be invited to
contribute to the process.
2)
Provides necessary information and support to ensure that the Individual
directs the process to the maximum extent possible and is enabled to make
informed choices and decisions.
3)
Is timely and occurs at times and locations of convenience to the
Individual.
4) Reflects cultural
considerations of the Individual and is conducted by providing information in
plain language and in a manner that is accessible to Individuals with
disabilities and persons who have limited English proficiency.
5) Includes strategies for solving conflict
or disagreement within the process, including clear conflict of interest
guidelines for all planning participants.
6) Is initiated and overseen by a conflict of
interest-free case management entity as indicated in Section
120.65. Providers of HCBS Waiver
services, or those who have an interest in or are employed by a provider of
HCBS Waiver services must not provide case management or develop the Personal
Plan.
7) Offers informed choices to
the Individual regarding the services and supports that they receive and from
whom.
8) Includes a method for the
Individual to request updates to the plan as needed.
9) Records the alternative home and
community-based settings that were considered by the Individual.
b) ISC agencies shall initiate the
Person-Centered Planning process for each Individual who is or who will be
enrolled in an HCBS Waiver Program by conducting a discovery process designed
to gather information about an Individual's preferences, interests, abilities,
preferred environments, activities, and supports needed.
1) The ISC agencies will be responsible for
facilitating the discovery process, as outlined by the Department, and for
documenting what they gather.
2)
This process should begin with the Individual and then include the guardian,
advocate, family, and others chosen by the Individual. It must also include
information from current providers.
3) The information captured during this
process is used to develop the Personal Plan, which summarizes key and critical
areas of the Individual's life.
c) After the discovery process is complete,
the ISC agency shall develop the Personal Plan. The Personal Plan must reflect
the services and supports that are important for the Individual to meet the
needs identified through the discovery process, as well as what is important to
the Individual with regard to preferences for the delivery of such services and
supports. The written plan must:
1) Reflect
that the setting in which the Individual resides is chosen by the Individual.
The State must ensure that the setting chosen by the Individual is integrated
in, and supports full access of, Individuals receiving Medicaid HCBS to the
greater community, including opportunities to seek employment and work in
competitive integrated settings, engage in community life, control personal
resources, and receive services in the community to the same degree of access
as Individuals not receiving Medicaid HCBS.
2) Reflect the Individual's strengths and
preferences.
3) Reflect clinical
and support needs, as identified through the discovery process.
4) Include individually-identified and
-desired outcomes.
5) Reflect the
services and supports (paid and unpaid) that will assist the Individual to
achieve identified outcomes, and the providers of those services and supports,
including natural supports.
6)
Reflect risk factors and measures in place to minimize them, including
individualized back-up plans and strategies, when needed.
7) Be understandable to the Individual
receiving services and supports, and to those who are important in supporting
the Individual. At a minimum, for the written plan to be understandable, it
must be written in plain language and in a manner that is accessible to
Individuals with disabilities and to persons who have limited English
proficiency.
8) Identify the person
and/or entity responsible for monitoring the plan.
9) Be finalized and agreed to, with the
informed consent of the Individual in writing. The persons and providers
responsible for its implementation shall sign the completed plan.
10) Be distributed to the Individual and
other people involved in the plan.
11) Include those services which the
Individual elects to self-direct.
12) Prevent the provision of unnecessary or
inappropriate services and supports.
13) Include any modification of the
conditions in Section
120.70(d)(6)(A) through
(d)(6)(E). Modifications of these conditions
must be supported by a specific assessed need and justified in the Personal
Plan. The following requirements must be documented in the Personal Plan:
A) Identify a specific and individualized
assessed need.
B) Document the
positive interventions and supports used prior to any modifications to the
Personal Plan.
C) Document less
intrusive methods of meeting the need that have been tried but did not
work.
D) Include a clear
description of the condition that is directly proportionate to the specific
assessed need.
E) Include a regular
collection and review of data to measure the ongoing effectiveness of the
modification.
F) Include
established time limits for periodic reviews to determine if the modification
is still necessary or can be terminated.
G) Include informed consent of the
Individual.
H) Include an assurance
that interventions and supports will cause no harm to the Individual.
d) The Personal Plan
must be reviewed and revised upon reassessment of functional need, as required
by 42 CFR
441.365(e), at least every
12 months, when the Individual's circumstances or needs change significantly,
or at the request of the Individual.
e) Provider agencies must comprehensively
address the needs of Individuals enrolled in an HCBS Waiver and for whom they
have signed a Personal Plan through the development of an Implementation
Strategy as it relates to their Personal Plan.
1) Within 20 calendar days of the provider's
signature on the Personal Plan, an Implementation Strategy shall be developed
that:
A) Is based on the Personal Plan
developed by the ISC agency and on the assessment results.
B) Includes the participation of the
Individual and guardian, and the ISC as necessary.
C) Reflects the Individual's and guardian's
agreement, as indicated by a signature on the Implementation Strategy or staff
notes indicating why there is no signature and why the Individual's and
guardian's agreement is not reflected.
D) Describes and directs the activities and
methods used to provide services and supports the areas of an Individual's
Personal Plan for which the provider is responsible.
E) Addresses and accounts for the priorities,
strengths, support needs, and risk factors identified in the Personal Plan for
those areas of the provider's responsibility.
F) Justify and document the restriction of an
Individual's HCBS Waiver rights, which are outlined in Section
120.70(d)(6)(A) through
(E)
G) Addresses outcomes identified in the
Personal Plan that the provider agency agreed to support the Individual
in.
H) Identifies the agencies'
services to support the Individual in attaining skills or achieving outcomes
identified in the Personal Plan, detailing timeframes for completion, staff
positions assigned responsibility, and benchmarks for determining the success
of the strategies.
I) Identifies
the services chosen by the Individual and guardian and indicates the type and
the amount of supervision provided to the Individual.
J) Includes the names and titles of all
employees and other persons contributing to the Implementation
Strategy.
K) Is signed by the
Individual, guardian, and provider agency representatives.
2) The Individual, guardian and ISC shall be
given a copy of the Implementation Strategy and subsequent updates.
3) The Implementation Strategy and subsequent
updates shall become a part of the Individual's record.
4) At least monthly, the QIDP shall review
the Implementation Strategy and shall document, sign, and date in the
Individual's monthly summary that:
A) Services
are being implemented, as identified in the Implementation Strategy.
B) Services identified in the Implementation
Strategy continue to meet the Individual's needs or require modification to
better meet the Individual's needs.
C) Outcomes are being supported as specified
in the Personal Plan and Implementation Strategy.
D) Progress is being made toward outcomes, as
identified in the Personal Plan and Implementation Strategy. In situations when
there is no progress made, provider agencies must document barriers and/or
reasons why progress was not made.
5) Updates shall be made to the
Implementation Strategy as the Personal Plan is modified, or more often if
warranted by a change in functional status or at the request of the Individual
or guardian.
6) All services
specified in the Implementation Strategy, whether provided by an employee of
the agency, consultants, or sub-contractors, shall be provided by or under the
supervision of a QIDP.
7) The
provider agency must ensure that current copies (digital or paper) of
Individuals' Personal Plans and Implementation Strategies are kept at the
provider agency.
8) The provider
agency must also ensure that direct care workers (including employees,
contractual persons, and host family members) are knowledgeable about the
Individuals' Personal Plans and Implementation Strategies, are trained in their
implementation, and maintain records regarding the Individuals' progress toward
the outcomes of the Personal Plans and Implementation Strategies.