It is the policy of the Department of Disabilities, Aging
and Independent Living to make Vermont the best state in which to grow old or
to live with a disability with dignity, respect and independence. Toward these
ends, the programs of this division are administered in ways which:
b. Enable participants to exercise as much
control as they wish and as they can over the direction and provision of their
services.
It is the policy of the Department to use Medicaid funding to
support attendant services when the applicant or participant is eligible for
Medicaid-funded attendant services and to use available General Fund monies to
support attendant services only when this is not feasible.
ATTENDANT SERVICES PROGRAM REGULATIONS
Section 101 Statutory Basis
These regulations are promulgated pursuant to
33 V.S.A. §
6321(d), relating to the
provision of attendant services.
Section
102 Purpose
While attendant services may not be sufficient, by
themselves, to enable persons with disabilities to gain or retain independence,
they are a necessary component of any service system with that goal. It is the
purpose of the Attendant Services Program to assist individuals to gain or
retain independence by paying, within the limits of available funds, for
attendant services in Vermont for eligible adult Vermonters residing in
settings where such services are not otherwise available. It is also the
purpose of the Attendant Services Program to enable its participants to
exercise as much control as they wish and as they can over the direction and
provision of their attendant services.
Section 103 Definitions
As used in these regulations:
(a) "Action" means an occurrence of one or
more of the following by the Department for which an internal appeal maybe
requested:
1. denial or limitation of
authorization of a requested covered service or eligibility for service,
including the type, scope or level of service;
2. reduction, suspension or termination of a
previously authorized covered service or a service plan;
3. denial, in whole or in part, of payment
for a covered service; or
4.
failure to act in a timely manner when required by state rule.
(b) "Activities of daily living"
(ADL) means the assistance with activities required for eligibility for the
Attendant Services Program, which include:
1.
dressing and undressing;
2. bathing
and showering;
3.
grooming;
4. toileting;
5. transferring;
6. bed mobility;
7. range of motion exercises;
8. positioning;
9. eating; and
10. ambulation and mobility in and around the
home.
(c) "Adult" means
an individual at least 18 years old.
(d) "Agent" means an individual who acts on
behalf of the participant to provide the physical assistance needed to sign
employee time sheets. An agent is not permitted to act in lieu of the
participant to direct his or her own care. If a participant has a power of
attorney but can no longer direct that individual, the individual cannot act as
an agent for the participant.
(e)
"Appeal" means a request for an internal review of an action by the
Department.
(f) "Applicant" means
an individual who has submitted to the Department a completed application for
attendant services.
(g) "Attendant
services" means assistance with personal care (including dressing, bathing,
shaving, and grooming), eating, meal preparation, and ambulation.
33 V.S.A. §
6321(a).
(h) "Department" means the Department of
Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living.
(i) "Designee" means a person who is named or
chosen by the applicant to complete and/or submit the ASP application on the
applicant's behalf, such as a person holding a Power of Attorney, legal
guardian or family member.
(j)
"Eligible for Medicaid" means that an individual meets the requirements for
community Medicaid. Individuals who have a "spend down" requirement are
considered to be eligible for Medicaid for purposes of determining eligibility
for the Attendant Services Program.
(k) "Expedited Appeal" means an appeal in an
emergent situation in which taking the time for a standard resolution could
seriously jeopardize the beneficiary's life or health or ability to attain,
maintain, or regain maximum function.
(l) "Grievance" means an expression of
dissatisfaction about any matter that is not an action, such as the quality of
care or service provided or aspects of interpersonal relationships, such as
rudeness of a provider or employee or failure to respect the participant's
rights. If a grievance is not acted upon within the timeframes specified in
rule, the participant may ask for an appeal under the definition of an action
as being "failure to act in a timely manner when required by state rule." If a
grievance is composed of a clear report of alleged physical harm or potential
harm, the Department will immediately investigate or refer to the appropriate
investigatory body (fraud, malpractice, professional regulation board, Adult
Protective Services.)
(m) "Infant
and child care" means bathing, dressing and feeding a non-Medicaid
participant's infant or child to the extent that and only so long as the child
cannot perform these tasks.
(n)
"Instrumental Activities of Daily Living" (IADL) means physical assistance
with:
1. light housekeeping;
2. household maintenance;
3. laundry;
4. shopping;
5. transportation;
6. meal preparation; and
7. medication management.
For the purpose of the Attendant Services Program, IADL also
includes physical help with infant- and child-related tasks such as bathing,
dressing and feeding, to the extent that the child cannot perform these tasks
(this service can be reimbursed under general funds services but cannot be
reimbursed under Medicaid PDAC); care of support animals such as seeing-eye
dogs and hearing-ear dogs; guiding a participant who is blind or visually
impaired from place to place; general care and cleaning of adaptive tools and
equipment; and managing personal finances and mail, including paying bills and
writing checks.
(o) "Participant" means an individual for
whom attendant services have been authorized in accordance with these
regulations.
(p)
"Participant-directed" means services that are managed and controlled by an
individual who is capable of assuming responsibility for, among other tasks,
recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling, supervising and terminating an
employee.
(q) "Permanent and severe
disability" means a physical disability that is anticipated to last the
duration of the individual's life that limits the individual's physical ability
to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and that is directly associated
with a need for physical assistance with ADLs.
(r) "Personal assistant" means a person who,
for compensation, provides attendant services.
Section 104 Applications
Application forms for the Attendant Services Program shall be
available on the Department's website, at any office of the Department, and
shall be made available to prospective applicants at generally accepted sources
of referral for attendant services, such as independent living centers, area
agencies on aging, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and hospital
discharge units. For an individual to be considered for the Program, the
Department must receive an application from the applicant or his or her
designee.
Section 105
Eligibility Criteria
(a) General. To be
eligible for any services, a person must meet specific eligibility requirements
for a category of services (listed in subsections b, c, d and e below), be an
adult resident of Vermont in need of attendant services to gain or retain
independence, and meet the requirements listed in subsection f below.
(b) Personal Services. To be eligible for
services under Personal Services, an individual shall be actively enrolled on
one of the Attendant Services Programs but no longer able to direct his or her
own care and shall:
1. Have a
disability;
2. Be eligible to
receive community Medicaid; and
3.
Need attendant services for at least one activity of daily living or meal
preparation.
(c)
Participant-Directed Attendant Services. To be eligible for
Participant-Directed Attendant Services, an individual shall:
1. Have a permanent and severe
disability;
2. Need attendant
services for at least two activities of daily living;
3. Be capable of directing his or her
attendant care services; and
4. Be
ineligible for any other Medicaid or state -funded programs.
(d) Medicaid Participant-Directed
Attendant Services. To be eligible for Medicaid Participant-Directed Attendant
Services, an individual shall:
1. Have a
permanent and severe disability;
2.
Need attendant services for at least two activities of daily living;
3. Be capable of directing his or her
attendant care services;
4. Be
eligible for community Medicaid; and
5. Be able and willing to employ attendants
other than his or her spouse or civil union partner.
(e) Group Directed Attendant Services. To be
eligible for Group Directed Attendant Services, an individual shall:
1. Have a permanent and severe
disability;
2. Need attendant
services for at least two activities of daily living;
3. Need no fewer than four hours of attendant
services daily;
4. Live as part of
a group of eligible individuals in a group living situation, approved by the
Department;
5. Be capable of
directing his or her attendant care services; and
6. Be ineligible for any other Medicaid or
state-funded programs.
To the extent that funds are available for this purpose, the
Department will support the development of Group Directed Attendant
Services.
(f)
Other available sources of payment. An individual who is eligible for
Medicaid-funded personal care or attendant care services shall not be eligible
to receive services from the following options paid for by the General Fund:
Personal Services, Participant-Directed Attendant Services or Group-Directed
Attendant Services. As a condition of receiving services under General Fund
Personal Services, Participant-Directed Attendant Services or Group-Directed
Attendant Services, an individual shall be required by the Department to apply
and be found ineligible for services from other Medicaid-funded personal care
or attendant care services programs.
1. If a
participant employs his or her spouse, and the spouse lives in the household
with the participant, and if participation in the Choices for Care Medicaid
Waiver Program would mean that the spouse could no longer be paid to perform
IADL services for the participant, the participant may continue to participate
in the Attendant Services Program.
Section 106 Services
Program funds are available to pay for assistance with
activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living
(IADLs) for eligible individuals. Assistance with IADLs shall be limited to a
maximum of 50% of the total award.
Section 107 Extent of Services
(a) Maximum. The Department may authorize
payment for up to 13 hours of attendant services per day every day of the year,
to the extent they are determined by the Department to be needed by the
applicant or participant.
(b)
Flexibility. A participant may, within each two-week period, adapt to his or
her variable needs the total number of hours for which attendant services are
authorized.
(c) Duration. Subject
to the availability of funding, individual participants may continue to receive
attendant services as long as they remain eligible.
(d) Insufficient program general funds. If
program general funds are insufficient to meet the needs of all eligible
applicants for general fund services, the Department shall maintain applicant
waiting lists for each general fund service, by date of submission of completed
application, and shall determine eligibility and admit eligible applicants to
the program, as general funds become available, in the order in which they
apply.
(e) Absences from the State.
Program funds may be used to pay for attendant services for participants who
are absent from Vermont for a period not to exceed six weeks. When an absence
from Vermont exceeds six weeks, the Department may consider the specific
circumstances of the participant in deciding whether to continue such
payment.
(f) Special Circumstances.
Depending on availability of funds, a temporary increase in hours may be
approved for a participant to meet an immediate need for additional attendant
services caused by events such as recovery from an illness or a sudden change
in other services and supports.
Section 108 Participants
(a) Oversight of personal assistants.
Participants, except for those receiving services under Personal Services,
shall direct the provision of their attendant services.
1. A participant in Participant-Directed
Attendant Services or Medicaid Participant-Directed Attendant Services shall
accept personal responsibility for all of the requirements listed below
regarding his or her personal assistant.
2. A participant in Personal Services shall
designate another person as an agent to carry out some or all of the
requirements listed below regarding the personal assistant. If the participant
has a guardian, the Department shall require the guardian to accept personal
responsibility for all of the requirements listed below regarding the personal
assistant(s). If the Department has reason to believe the participant or the
person designated to carry out these requirements is unsuitable to do so, it
may require someone else to be designated to do so.
3. With respect to Group Directed Services,
the group itself shall incorporate these requirements in accordance with its
own governing rules.
4.
Participants are responsible for carrying out all of the following tasks:
i. Hiring, training, supervision, and filing
of personal assistants;
ii.
Establishing work schedules;
iii.
Approving personal assistant time reports and submitting them to the Department
or the designated payroll agent;
iv. Assuring that all benefits to which the
personal assistant is entitled are provided;
v. Keeping payroll records; and
vi. Maintaining any other records as
determined by the participant or as required by the Department.
(b) Payroll reports.
Participants shall submit payroll reports as required by the established
payroll procedures and schedule,
(c) Department requests. Participants shall
provide all information requested by the Department, including surveys of all
program participants conducted for planning and evaluation purposes.
(d) Compliance with laws. Participants shall
comply with all federal and state laws affecting employment relationships,
including but not limited to such matters as hiring, benefits, insurance,
conditions of work, and firing.
(e)
Notice of changes. Participants or their agent or guardian, if applicable,
shall notify the Department as soon as possible about any of the following
matters:
1. Changes in name, address,
telephone number, personal assistant, amount of attendant services needed, or
guardianship, or agent, if any;
2.
Plans to leave the State temporarily or permanently; or actual absences from
the State for more than six weeks;
3. Hospitalization;
4. Stays in residences (such as residential
care homes or nursing homes) where attendant services are available to
residents;
5. Changes in Medicaid
eligibility;
6. Changes in the type
or amount of assistance services received through any other source or program
(such as a home health agency service, or a homemaker service);
and/or
7. Changes in need for
attendant services (including changes in disability status, functional
capacity, medical condition, or living situation that have a substantial impact
on the need for attendant services).
(f) Program agreement. Participants shall
indicate their agreement with the conditions of their participation in the
program by signing an Attendant Services Program Agreement.
Section 109 Personal Assistants
(a) Who. A participant may choose his or her
personal assistant(s). More than one person may provide attendant services to
the same participant, within the amount of services authorized by the
Department Restrictions:
1. A spouse may not
be reimbursed for attendant care through Medicaid services.
2. An attendant whose name appears on a
Registry for the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child or a vulnerable
adult or who has a criminal conviction as set forth in the Department's
Background Check Policy shall not be reimbursed for attendant care
services.
3. An attendant shall not
be permitted to provide attendant services to a participant for more than eight
hours a day.
(b) Legal
obligations. The participant, guardian or agent shall ensure that all personal
assistants are employed in compliance with all applicable State and Federal
laws affecting employment relationships.
(c) Training. Personal assistant training is
the sole responsibility of the participant. The Department is available to
provide technical assistance as requested, within the limits of available
resources.
(d) Payment schedule.
The Department or the designated payroll agent shall establish a standard
payment schedule for all personal assistants, and shall distribute this
schedule to all participants.
(e)
Special circumstances.
1. Change or hiring of
a personal assistant. When there is a change in personal assistant or the
hiring of a replacement assistant for a participant, the Department may pay for
the incoming personal assistant as well as the outgoing personal assistant for
up to three days of the daily awarded time for the purposes of training. In
order to obtain such payment, the participant shall provide to the Department
prior written notice that the personal assistant has either resigned or been
fired and specifying the day or days involved.
2. Participant hospitalization. To ensure
continued availability of attendants for participants who will return home, the
Department will use General Funds, if available, to continue payment of a
personal assistant for a period of up to 30 days during which a participant is
hospitalized. The Department thereafter will consider the specific
circumstances of the participant in deciding whether to continue such
payment.
Section
110 Confidentiality
To the extent required by law, the Department shall protect
the confidentiality of all program records relating to individual applicants
and participants and shall ensure the identity of participants is not disclosed
to the public. Records may be disclosed with the written consent of the
applicant or participant in the context of an administrative or judicial
proceeding involving the applicant or participant, or upon order of a
court.
Section 111 Appeals
The Attendant Services Medicaid Programs are part of "Global
Commitment to Health," which is an 1115(a) Demonstration waiver program under
which the Federal government waives certain Medicaid coverage and eligibility
requirements found in Title 19 of the Social Security Act. The Department of
Vermont Health Access, as a Managed Care Entity ("MCE") under the Global
Commitment 1115(a) waiver, is required under 42 C.F.R. Part 438, Subpart F, to
have an internal grievance and appeal process for resolving service
disagreements between participants and Department employees and representatives
of the Department. An applicant or participant may request an internal review
by the Commissioner and a fair hearing before the Human Services Board.
A managed care entity (or MCE) means
1) the Department of Vermont Health Access
("DVHA");
2) any State department
with which DVHA has an Intergovernmental Agreement under the Global Commitment
1115(a) waiver that results in that department administering or providing
services under the Global Commitment waiver (i.e. Department for Children and
Families, Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, Department
of Health, Division of Mental Health);
3) DA/SSA; and
4) any contractor performing service
authorizations or prior authorizations on behalf of the Department.
(a) Internal Appeals. An applicant or
participant may use the internal Commissioner's review while a fair hearing is
pending or before a fair hearing is requested, except when a service is denied,
reduced or eliminated as mandated by federal or state law or rule, in which
case the applicant or participant cannot use the internal review by the
Commissioner and must appeal the decision by requesting a fair hearing before
the Human Services Board. The Department is not required to provide a new
service or a health service that is not a Medicaid-covered service while an
appeal or fair hearing determination is pending. If an appeal is filed
regarding a denial of service eligibility, the Department is not required to
initiate service delivery.
(b)
Commissioner's review. An applicant or participant who wishes to appeal a
decision of the Department may request, orally or in writing, within 90
calendar days after the date of the written notice of decision, a formal
internal review of that decision by the Commissioner of the Department. Within
five calendar days, the department shall notify the applicant or participant
that it has received the request. If the issue is resolved within the five-day
time frame, a single decision notice may be sent; a separate receipt
acknowledgement is not required.
1. The
internal appeal process shall include assistance by staff of the Department, as
needed, to the applicant or participant to initiate and participate in the
appeal. Applicants and participants shall not be subject to retribution or
retaliation for appealing Commissioner's decision.
2. If an applicant or participant files an
appeal with the wrong department, the Department shall notify the applicant or
participant in writing in order to acknowledge the appeal. The written
acknowledgement shall explain that the issue has been forwarded to the correct
department, identify the department to which it has been forwarded, and explain
that the appeal will be addressed by that department. This does not extend the
deadline by which appeals must be determined.
3. Applicants or participants may withdraw
internal appeals orally or in writing at any time. If an internal appeal is
withdrawn orally, the withdrawal shall be acknowledged by the Department in
writing within 5 calendar days.
4.
The applicant or participant has the right to participate in person, by
telephone or in writing in the Commissioner's internal review. Applicants or
participants may submit additional information that supplements or clarifies
information that was previously submitted and is likely to materially affect
the decision. They will also be provided the opportunity to examine the case
file prior to the review.
5. The
applicant or participant shall be notified as soon as the Commissioner's
internal review is scheduled. Commissioner's reviews shall be held during
normal business hours and, if necessary, the review shall be rescheduled to
accommodate individuals wishing to participate. If scheduling or re-scheduling
results in exceeding the 45 calendar day limit (see below), an automatic 14
calendar day time extension is effective. If a review cannot be scheduled
within the 45 day time limit and 14 day extension, a decision will be rendered
by the Commissioner without a meeting with the applicant or
participant.
6. Internal appeals
shall be decided and written notice sent to the applicant or participant within
45 calendar days of receipt of the appeal. The 45 day period begins with the
receipt of the appeal. If an internal appeal cannot be resolved within 45 days,
the time frame may be extended up to an additional 14 calendar days by request
of the applicant or participant or by the Commissioner if the extension is in
the best interest of the applicant or participant. If the extension is at the
request of the Commissioner, it must give the applicant or participant written
notice of the reason for the delay. The maximum total time period for the
resolution of an appeal, including any extension requested either by the
applicant or participant or the Commissioner is 59 calendar days.
(c) Expedited Appeal Requests. An
applicant or participant may request an expedited appeal in emergent situations
in which the participant indicates that taking the time for a standard
resolution could seriously jeopardize his or her life or health or ability to
attain, maintain, or regain maximum function.
1. Requests for expedited appeals may be made
orally or in writing with the Department for any Department actions subject to
appeal. The Department shall not take any punitive action against a participant
who requests an expedited resolution.
2. If the request for an expedited appeal
does not meet the criteria and is denied, the Department shall inform the
participant that the request does not meet the criteria for expedited
resolution and that the appeal will be processed within the standard 45 day
time frame. Notice of the denial for an expedited appeal shall be communicated
orally to the participant within three (3) working days and followed up within
two (2) calendar days with a written notice.
3. If the expedited appeal request meets the
criteria for such appeals, it must be resolved within three (3) working days.
The written notice for any expedited appeal determination shall include a brief
summary of the appeal, the resolution, the basis for the resolution, and the
participant's right to request a fair hearing if not already
requested.
(d) Financial
Eligibility Determinations. If an applicant or participant files an appeal
regarding only a Medicaid financial eligibility, patient share or premium
determination, the Department shall forward it to the Department for Children
and Families ("DCF"), Economic Services Division. The Department shall then
notify the applicant or participant in writing that the issue has been
forwarded to and will be resolved by DCF.
(e) Notices, Continuation of Services,
Participant Liability for Service Costs. In cases involving a termination or
reduction of service(s), the notice of decision must be mailed at least eleven
(11) days before the change will take effect. Where the decision was adverse to
the applicant or participant, the notice shall inform the applicant or
participant when and how to file an appeal. In addition, the notice must inform
the participant that he or she may request that covered Medicaid services be
continued without change as well as the circumstances under which the
participant may be required to pay the costs of those services pending the
outcome of any Commissioner's internal review or fair hearing.
1. If requested by the participant, Medicaid
services shall be continued during an appeal or fair hearing under the
following circumstances:
i. The appeal or
request for fair hearing was filed in a timely manner, meaning before the
effective date of the proposed action;
ii. The participant has paid any required
premiums in full;
iii. The appeal
or fair hearing involves the termination, suspension or reduction of a
previously authorized service plan; and
iv. Any applicable annual plan of care or
Medicaid service authorization has not expired at the time the appeal is
filed.
2. Where properly
requested, a Medicaid service must be continued until any one of the following
occurs:
i. The participant withdraws the
appeal or request for fair hearing;
ii. Any limits on the cost, scope or level of
service have been reached;
iii. The
Commissioner issues a decision adverse to the participant, and the participant
does not request a fair hearing within the applicable time frame;
iv. A fair hearing is conducted and the Human
Services Board issues a decision adverse to the participant; or
v. The original Medicaid service period has
expired.
3. Participants
may waive their right to receive continued services pending appeal or fair
hearing.
4. Continuation of
Medicaid or other services without change does not apply when the appeal or
request for a fair hearing is based solely on a reduction or elimination of a
service required by federal or state law or rule affecting some or all
participants, or when the decision does not require the minimum advance
notice.
5. The Department is not
required to provide a new service or any service that is not a Medicaid-covered
service while an appeal or fair hearing determination is pending. If an appeal
is filed regarding a denial of service eligibility, the Department is not
required to initiate service delivery.
(f) Participant Liability for Cost of
Services. A participant may be liable for the cost of any services provided
after the effective date of the reduction or termination of service or the date
of the timely appeal or request for fair hearing, whichever is later.
1. The Department may recover from the
participant the value of any continued services paid during the appeal period
when the participant withdraws the appeal before the relevant Department or
fair hearing decision is made, or following a final disposition of the matter
in favor of the Department. Participant liability will occur only if a
Commissioner's review, fair hearing decision, Secretary's reversal and/or
judicial opinion upholds the adverse determination, and the Department also
determines that the participant should be held liable for service
costs.
(g) Fair hearing.
An applicant or participant may use the internal Commissioner's review and be
entitled to a fair hearing before the Human Services Board. Appeals to the
Human Services Board are conducted pursuant to
3 V.S.A. §
3091 and
rules adopted by the Board.
1. A participant
who wishes to obtain a fair hearing must request it within 90 days of the
initial decision, or, if an internal review is requested, within 30 days of the
date of the Commissioner's notice of decision.
2. If the participant's original request for
an appeal was filed before the effective date of the adverse action and the
participant has paid in full any required premiums, the participant's services
will continue consistent with subsection (e), above.
3. Applicants and participants have the right
to file requests for fair hearings related to eligibility and premium
determinations. DCF shall retain responsibility for representing the State in
any fair hearings pertaining to such eligibility and premium
determinations.
Section 112 Grievances
A participant may file a grievance orally or in writing. A
grievance must include a clear statement by the participant that a written
response is requested from the Department.
(a) A participant or his/her representative
must file any grievance within 60 days of the pertinent issue in order for the
grievance to be considered. Staff members shall assist a participant or his/her
representative if the participant requests such assistance.
(b) Written acknowledgement of the grievance
shall be mailed within five (5) calendar days of receipt by the Department. If
the Department decides the issue within the 5 day time frame, it need not send
separate notices of acknowledgement and decision. The decision notice is
sufficient in such cases.
(c)
Participants or their representatives may withdraw grievances orally or in
writing at any time. If a grievance is withdrawn orally, the withdrawal shall
be acknowledged by the Department in writing within five (5) calendar
days.
(d) All grievances shall be
addressed within 90 calendar days of receipt. The decision maker must provide
the participant with written notice of the disposition. The written notice
shall include a brief summary of the grievance, information considered in
making the decision, and the disposition. If the response is adverse to the
participant, the notice must also inform the participant of his or her right to
initiate a grievance review with the Department as well as information on how
to initiate such review.
(e) If the
grievance is decided in a manner adverse to the participant, the participant
may request a review by the Department within 10 calendar days of the decision.
The review will be conducted by an individual who was not involved in deciding
the grievance under review and is not a subordinate of the individual who
decided the original grievance.
1. The
Department shall acknowledge grievance review requests within five (5) calendar
days of receipt.
2. The grievance
review will assess the merits of the grievance issue(s), the process employed
in reviewing the issue(s), and the information considered in making a final
determination. The primary purpose of the review shall be to ensure that the
grievance process has functioned in an impartial manner and that the response
was consistent with the issues and/or facts presented. The participant shall be
notified in writing of the findings of the grievance review.
3. Although the disposition of a grievance
may not be appealed to the Human Services Board, the participant may request a
fair hearing for an issue raised that is appropriate for review by the Board,
as provided by 3 V. S. A. § 3091(a).
4. The Department shall be responsible for
resolving grievances initiated under these rules.
Section 113 Program Evaluation
(a) Annual survey. Participants and personal
assistants will be surveyed annually to help the Department identify program
strengths and weaknesses, including training needs.
(b) Annual meetings. The Department will meet
informally with participants and stakeholders, on at least an annual basis to
assess how to improve ways of providing attendant services.
(c) Advisory Committee. The Department will
meet a minimum of two times a year with a participant/stakeholder advisory
committee. One purpose of the committee will be to review and provide feedback
on an anonymous sample of eligibility determinations.