Current through Vol. 42, No. 1, September 16, 2024
(a)
Policy. In order to receive or continue Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
designation, the applicant agency must develop an Area Plan for a two, three,
or four year period as determined by the State Agency, with annual adjustments
as may be necessary. The format for the Area Plan is predetermined by the State
Agency and includes, at a minimum:
(1) a
mission statement of the AAA;
(2)
an overview of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the aging network;
(3) a listing of the AAA advisory council
members and their responsibilities;
(4) a summary of the needs and priorities of
older persons in the planning and service area (PSA) and in each respective
county within the PSA;
(5) goals
and measurable objectives that reflect the identified needs and priorities of
older persons in the PSA and comply with state and federal mandates;
(6) a financial management plan;
(7) a description of emergency preparedness
efforts in the PSA;
(8) a listing
of all designated focal points in the PSA;
(9) all provisions and assurances required by
the OAA, related regulations, and State Agency policy; and
(10) a summary of the public hearing
conducted on the proposed Area Plan.
(b)
Authority. The authority for
this Section is Section 306 of the OAA of 1965, as amended.
(c)
Procedures. To implement the
policy for the Area Plan development, the AAA staff:
(1) obtains the Area Plan guide and format
from State Agency;
(2) outlines the
Area Plan development timeline;
(3)
develops a data profile on older Oklahomans in the PSA through the use of
census data and other appropriate information;
(4) conducts needs assessment and service
evaluation activities in the PSA, including an annual evaluation of outreach
services and periodic evaluations of activities carried out under the Area
Plan. Specific needs assessment and service evaluation methodologies include,
but are not limited to:
(A) public hearings;
or
(B) administration of survey
instruments to older consumers, service providers, advocates, and other
interested persons;
(5)
analyzes the results of needs assessment activities, and outlines identified
priority needs in the PSA;
(6)
evaluates special targeting needs and program initiatives, considering all
state and federal mandates;
(7)
designates and lists community focal points;
(8) outlines and evaluates the existing
service delivery system, including services, coordination, advocacy, and
training activities;
(9) presents a
summary of needs and priorities to the AAA advisory council and solicits input
for Area Plan goals and objectives;
(10) develops the draft summary of the Area
Plan, including:
(A) summary of the OAA of
1965, as amended;
(B) profile of
older persons in the PSA;
(C)
listing of the identified priority needs of older persons in the PSA;
(D) description and evaluation of the current
service system;
(E) Area Plan goals
and objectives;
(F) AAA advisory
council membership and responsibilities; and
(G) financial management plan that includes:
(i) a resource allocation plan that outlines
the allotment of Title III funds for administration, direct services, and
subgranted services as outlined in OAC
340:105-10-95;
(ii) an outline of the amount of funds
expended for Title III-B priority services during the fiscal year most recently
concluded as outlined in OAC
340:105-10-96;
(iii) a budget justification;
(iv) the AAA funding formula as outlined in
OAC
340:105-10-100;
and
(v) a summary of the process
used to award funds as outlined in OAC
340:105-10-40,
340:105-10-100,
and
340:105-10-101;
(11) submits the Area
Plan summary to State Agency, AAA advisory council, board of directors, and
other interested entities at least two weeks prior to conducting a public
hearing(s) on the Area Plan;
(12)
arranges to hold the public hearing(s) in a facility that is accessible to
persons with disabilities, and secures the services of interpreters as needed
for persons who are hearing impaired and for other languages spoken in the
PSA;
(13) publicizes the public
hearing(s) at least two weeks prior to holding it, outlining dates, times, and
locations, and ensures that older persons, public officials, and other
interested persons have reasonable opportunities to participate. Publicity
efforts must include:
(A) a variety of media
utilized in order to reach all persons in the PSA, with particular emphasis on
reaching minorities, rural residents, and persons with disabilities;
(B) media notices that are repeated, where
feasible, to ensure that all persons in the PSA are reached;
(C) written notification posted in places
frequented by older persons, such as nutrition sites, banks, post offices,
grocery stores;
(D) media notices
that include information concerning availability and location of the complete
Area Plan for review by interested parties prior to the public hearing(s);
and
(E) media notices that include
information regarding the availability of interpreter services, upon
request;
(14) conducts
the public hearing(s) in a manner that allows a reasonable number of persons,
if not all, to comment on the proposed Area Plan verbally or in
writing;
(15) incorporates written
and verbal comments from the hearing(s) into the revised Area Plan, as
appropriate;
(16) submits to the
AAA advisory council for approval the revised and completed Area Plan,
including all parts outlined in the Area Plan guide;
(17) submits the revised and completed Area
Plan to the AAA board of directors for approval and signatures; and
(18) submits the final and completed Area
Plan to State Agency for approval at least two months prior to its effective
date.
(d)
Cross
references. See OAC
340:105-10-31(a)(2),
340:105-10-34,
340:105-10-35,
340:105-10-36,
340:105-10-40,
340:105-10-95,
340:105-10-96,
340:105-10-100,
and
340:105-10-101.
Added at 11 Ok Reg
673, eff 11-29-93 (emergency); Added at 11 Ok Reg 2771, eff 6-13-94; Amended at
19 Ok Reg 1170, eff 5-13-02; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 1325, eff
6-1-07