Coastal Bend Council of Governments 3.15.2--Submission Aging & Disability Resource Center Grant Proposal RFP No. 539-16-99719 Coastal Bend Aging and Disability Resource Center Lead Agency: Coastal Bend Council of Governments 2910 Leopard Corpus Christi, Texas 78408 Phone: (361) 883-3935 Fax: (361) 883-5749 betty@cbcogaaa.org Submission Date: July 21, 2015 Hand Delivered To: HHSC Procurement and Contracting Services (PCS) Division Attn: Elizabeth Ward 1100 W. 49th Street, Mail Code 2020 Austin, Texas 78756 ‘Signature: John P. Buckner Coastal Bend Council of Governments Executive Director (361) 883-5743 Proposal Contact Betty Lamb, AAA Director (361) 883-3935,Coastal Bend Council of Governments Business Proposal Response Template Directions: The Business Proposal must not exceed 20 pages in length. Additional pages will be removed and not included in the evaluation. Do not regurgitate the tanguage in the solicitation. Responses should demonstrate a clear understanding of the required deliverables describing a unique and regionally appropriate solution to the proposed task. The following response template mirrors the headings in Section 2 of the solicitation document. Text that is quoted from the solicitation document appears in italics. Scoring: Only free-text response items will be scored. All check boxes represent a contract requirement and are not negotiable. Failure to check any certification check box may result in this proposal being deemed incomplete. The responses will be scored for their completeness in addressing the requirement and questions. Respondent Name: Betty Lamb, AAA/ADRC Director Proposed Service ADRC Region: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio & By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies that the following business proposal will address the needs of and ensure service provision to all counties in the selected ADRC region per section 1.4.2 of the solicitation document. Part 1: ADRC Physi | Location and Community Relationships 4. Hours of Operation and Minimum Staffing Contractor shall provide at least one staff person available to receive walk-ins between 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the local time zone, except on national and state holidays established in section 662.003 of the Texas Government Code. Contractor must also have policies and procedures to accommodate individuals who require an in-person meeting during the hours of 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. The staff person may have other duties, but ADRC walk-ins must be at least one individual's first priority. This individual may be the same staff person as the individual assigned to answer ADRC phone calls. Contractor may use multiple part-time or volunteer staff to meet this requirement. ® By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement.Coastal Bend Council of Governments 2. Computer Equipment Requirements Contractor must have a computer available for public use and the completion of the “Your Texas Benefits” application. The computer may be used by other staff members when not in use by the public. ® By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 3. Community Relationships a. Describe any additional community relationships pertinent to ADRC operations. Please indicate the role the partner will play in the ADRC and if the relationship is new or existing: ‘The CBADRC is physically located within the Coastal Bend Council of Governments (CBCOG) at 2910 Leopard Street, Corpus Christi, Texas and works in close collaboration and integration with the Area Agency on Aging (AAA), a department of the CBCOG. AAA is also an important core partner as is the following: two local authorities - Coastal Plains Community Center and the Behavioral Health Center of Nueces County (BHCNC), Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living (CBCIL) and lastly, the DADS local office and DADS Regional Office. The aforementioned groups are all existing core partners with part time staff from BHCNC and CBCIL being co-located at 2910 Leopard, giving specialized ADRC IR&A support in their respective areas of expertise and building a closer working relationship. Additional existing partners that each play a vital role in the ADRC are the following: two local MCO's - Superior Health Plan and the United Health Care Community Plan of Texas, the BBB, ECI, Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District, Adult Protective Services, Nueces County Veterans Services, DARS, HHSC, Community Action Corporation of South Texas, City of Corpus Christi - PARD, Senior Community Services, Veterans Clinic, 2-1-1 Texas, The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center and Catholic Charities. All second tier partners are members of the ADRC Steering Committee and as such, provide input, guidance, coordination and collaboration in their areas of expertise, thus broadening the functionality of the ADRC. These too, are existing ADRC. partners. b. Contractor must have dispute resolution guidelines, procedures, and rules in place for differences related to the ADRC amongst partners. The contractor shall notify DADS in writing of any ADRC-related dispute and final outcome within 14 business days of the agreed upon resolution, Briefly describe the proposed process for dispute resolution: The following is CBADRC's process for dispute resolution and is written into AAA/ADRC Policy and Procedures:Coastal Bend Council of Governments. 1) Purpose: This section sets forth CBADRC’s Dispute Resolution Guidelines regarding any dispute by a partner agency of the CBADRC toward the ADRC. 2) The first step in the dispute resolution process is to file a written notification of the alleged violation to the Coastal Bend Council of Governments Executive Director including the grounds upon which the action by the partner agency is taking place and the name(s) of the individuals and organization(s) involved in the action. 3) The CBCOG Executive Director will then notify the AAA/ADRC Director that a formal dispute has been filed. 4) The AAM/ADRC Director will make contact with the agency who filed the original dispute within 5 working days from the date the AAA/ADRC Director was notified by the Executive Director. 5) Upon mutual agreement a meeting date, time and place will be determined and the AAA/ADRC Director and the agency staff person who filed the complaint will attempt to resolve the issue(s) within 30 calendar days from the date of the notice. 6) If a resolution is agreed upon, the AAWADRC Director will notify the CBCOG Executive Director of the mutual resolution between both entities. The CBADRC will then notify the partner agency by certified mail, return registered receipt, notifying the partner agency formally of the mutual resolution agreed upon. The dispute will end at this point. 7) If the issue is not resolved, the AAWADRC Director and the agency who filed the dispute will seek to have the disagreement heard by a non-biased third party and agreed upon mediator. 8) If the mediator is able to resolve the issue brought forward, then the AAWADRC Director will notify the CBCOG Executive Director of the resolution and a formal agreement determined between the two entities. The agreement will be sent in writing by certified mail, return registered receipt, to the agency staff person who filed the dispute, notifying them of the mutual resolution that was agreed upon and the dispute will end at this point. 9) The CBCOG Executive Director and/or the AAA/ADRC Director will notify DADS in writing of any ADRC-related dispute and final outcome within 14 business days of the agreed upon resolution. 10) If the CBADRC and the petitioner do not formally resolve their dispute, the matter is referred to DADS to conduct a formal hearing. The request for aCoastal Bend Council of Governments hearing is signed by the CBCOG Executive Director and accompanied by the above-referenced documents. 4, ADRC Local Advisory Group Contractor must establish or designate a local advisory group to assist in the development and implementation of the ADRC. The advisory group must include individuals representing all target populations served by the ADRC, as well as partner agencies, service providers, and other stakeholders. a. Describe the composition of the advisory group and the role the group and each group member will play in the operations of the ADRC. Include a statement explaining how the individual's qualifications relate to his or her role on the Advisory group: The CBADRC has an established Local Steering Committee that is comprised of the following agencies: The CBCOG - Area Agency on Aging serves as the fiscal lead agency for the DRC. CBADRC Steering Committee meetings are held monthly at the CBCOG office, the same location as the ADRC. AAA Director has over 35 years of experience in working with and overseeing aging programs. She actively participates in all meetings and serves as the representative for the 60+ population and their caregivers. The CBADRC Coordinator puts the agendas together and leads the meetings. Coastal Plains Community Center is a LA and a core partner of the CBADRC. They collaborate with the ADRC on consumers contacting the CBADRC in need of IDD services in the rural areas of the Coastal Bend. Their Steering Committee member has over 25 years of working with this agency. Behavioral Health Center of Nueces County (BHCNC) is a LA serving Nueces County. Part time IR&A staff is co-located at the CBADRC. Their Steering Committee member has over 7 years experience with the agency as the Director of IDD Services and serves as the representative for this population. Both the DADS local and Regional Offices are core partners of the CBADRC, actively participating in Steering Committee providing updates on Community- Based LTSS. Additional existing partners that play a vital role in the CBADRC are the following MCOs: Superior Health Plan and the United Health Care Community Plan of Texas. Each serve as the CBADRC’s point of contact when consumers contact the CBADRC directly with issues related to their MCO's services. ‘The Better Business Bureau informs the CBADRC and its partners of potential fraud and scams that are operating within the service area. This information is used to educate local consumers and assist them in making smarter decisions.Coastal Bend Council of Governments. Early Childhood Intervention is an active partner linking CBADRC with services for children with disabilities 0-3 years of age. Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District, one of our newest partners, has been awarded funds for the implementation of the 1115 Waiver Program. Plans include cross-training of our staff to enable collaborative projects in outreach and education. Adult Protective Services continues to have a close working relationship with the CBADRC. Their representative, Jennifer Catalani, Resource and External Relations Specialist, has actively participated in the Steering Committee since its inception. During the past year, the CBADRC Coordinator was appointed to the Nueces County Special Task Unit which provides input on difficult APS cases. Nueces County Veterans Services representative has a working relationship with the CBADRC. Both refer to each other for various veteran related services. DARS and the CBADRC have a great working relationship and have worked on joint projects such as the Employment Alliance for Persons with Disabilities which provides onsite interviews with potential employers who are filling open positions. A representative from Health and Human Services Commission is very involved with the CBADRC and was instrumental in the ADRC becoming a Community Partner. CBADRC now has 7 Certified Navigators serving through the CBADRC. and the “Your Texas Benefits” portal. The Community Action Corporation of South Texas is the largest local agency providing multi-faceted services including health clinics in most rural counties covered by the CBADRC. Their target population is low income and minorities in tural, hard-to-reach areas. They joined the Steering Committee in FY15. City of Corpus Christi - PARD, Senior Community Services works in partnership with the CDADRC in making cross referrals for services to persons age 60 and over. In addition, the partnership with the City of Corpus Christi is such that the ADRG is able to utilize space for the A Matter of Balance Fall Prevention trainings at no cost. The AAA and CBADRC partner with the City in Medicare Open Enrollment Events and other annual events targeting seniors and their caregivers. Veterans Clinic, and 2-1-1 make referrals to the CBADRC and assist in reaching veterans with disabilities in need of long term care services and supports, and children and youth, ‘The Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living is pivotal in reaching persons with disabilities of all ages. Itis an asset to the CBADRC that a staff person is co-located at the CBADRC office on a part-time basis.Coastal Bend Council of Governments The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center's partnership provides American Sign Language Interpreter Services at a reduced price. They have also participated in the Employment Alliance for Persons with Disabilities job fair. Catholic Charities is the newest partner, working with CBADRC in a collaborative effort reaching individuals with disabilities and their caregivers through their disability support group. All of the core and second tier partners are members of the CBADRC Steering ‘Committee providing input, guidance, coordination and collaboration regarding the CBADRC. The Steering Committee provides direction to the Advisory Council on Aging on various CBADRC programs and grants. The ACoA more formally reviews and comments on items prior to going to the CBCOG for final approval. 5. Community Outreach Contractor must provide community education and awareness events about services and options for community-based LTSS, including available consumer-directed options. a. Describe the experience the proposed ADRC staff has in providing education and awareness events. Do not put an individual's resume in the space below. ‘The description should be a summation of relevant positions and experiences. ‘The CBADRC Coordinator has well over thirty years of experience in the Health and Human Services Field and will be the key staff person conducting and/or coordinating the educational and awareness events. The CBADRC Coordinator is well versed about the services and options for community-based long term services and supports, including available consumer-directed options. The CBADRC Coordinator is a certified BC | & Il, is well versed in Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, Disability and SSI benefits, QMB, SLMB, LIS and QI1 programs. The CBADRC Coordinator shares the responsibility for training of contracted staff. Contracted individuals are all knowledgeable and aware of services in the community as they have either retired from social services and/or have related field experience. They will continue to be trained on options for Community- Based LTSS, including consumer-directed options. b. How will the ADRC ensure that individuals from all counties within the ADRC region have access to education and outreach events? The CBADRC will work with new and established partnerships in the counties of Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces and San Patricio. Each month, a minimum of two outreach/educational events will take place reaching the most vulnerable populations, their families, and theirCoastal Bend Council of Governments caregivers. Outreach and education will also be targeted to professionals who work with older individuals, individuals with disabilities, veterans, their families and caregivers providing information about options for Community-Based LTSS, Outreach activities will consist of presentations to community partners, social service agencies, hospital groups, support groups, doctor groups, Mayor's Council on Aging and the Mayor's Committee on Disabilities. Other on-going outreach efforts include public presentations, participation in health fairs, wellness events, training symposiums, news releases, occasional TV and radio community education segments and lastly, membership in local networking groups such as the South Texas Social Workers Association, Mayor's Council on Aging, Colonia Initiative, Nueces County Community Initiatives and local Community Resource Coordination Groups for Adults (CRCGA), ‘The CBADRC outreach efforts ensure that information and educational resources will reach those Medicare beneficiaries who might qualify for Low Income Subsidies and Medicare Savings Programs. In addition the CBADRC will support caregivers through a strong relationship with the Family Caregiver Support Program, close working relationship and networking with Alzheimer's Association, collaboration with a local caregiver coalition, active participation in special events such as the Family and Friends Caregiver Festival, Walk for Memory and the AAA/Del Mar College Dementia Collaborative. Caregivers of frail elderly and individuals with disabilities of all ages are targeted through collaboration with the AAA's Caregiver Education and Training, Caregiver Information Services and Caregiver Support Coordination activities. Special outreach and networking with local social workers, discharge planners, local healthcare institutions, home health agencies and other DADS CSOP programs ensure this target group is reached, Each open enrollment period, the AAA, the CBADRC, and the City of Corpus Christi - Senior Community Services collaborate on large Open Enrollment Event held at Del Mar College, Center for Economic Development. This one day event targets Non-Medicaid consumers who are new to Medicare, beneficiaries who have Medicare questions and/or issues, those want to change providers and/or want to make a comparison between what they have and what may be a better selection based on their medical history and the medications they are taking. This is a great opportunity to assist the community at large, walking the beneficiary or future beneficiary through their current and/or future benefits. In addition many smaller open enrollment and outreach events are held throughout the Coastal Bend Service area in this regard, ¢, Describe how the ADRC will create formal linkages with major critical pathway healthcare professionals i.e., hospitals and physicians groups, to assist individuals as they transition from one care setting to another. Please note any existing linkages.Coastal Bend Council of Governments ‘The CBADRC will continue to work with Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital Group in its monthly meetings. The collaborative partnership is a Care Transitions ‘Team working to provide assistance to patients and hospital staff with information about services the patient and family caregiver(s) can use when being discharged from a hospital to another setting. The group works with all of the collaborative partners at the table in hopes that the patient does not go into an institutional setting. If the recommendation is for institutional placement, then the family is educated that it does not necessarily have to be long term and the patient has the option of transitioning back into the community and is provided with the information on the agencies that can provide the assistance whether the patient is Medicaid and/or Non-Medicaid. CBADRC will utlize the healthcare professionals at the table to expand to other physician groups and seek their input as to which other physician groups with similar interests may be contacted. CBADRC will also utilize existing partnerships with Dr. Nestor Praderio and Dr. Blanca Gray seeking their input and assistance in this regard. 6. Performance Measures: ADRC Location and Community Relationships Contractor shall provide the number of community education and public awareness events or activities about options for community-based long term services and supports. Contractor shall also provide the number of professional education and awareness events or activities. By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statements. Part 2: Maintenance of an ADRC Phone Line 1. Hours of Operation and Minimum Staffing for the Phone Line Contractor shall provide at least one staff person answering the ADRC phone line during the hours of operation identified in section 2.1.1. The staff person may have other duties. This individual may be the same staff person as the individual receiving walk-in, Contractor may use multiple part-time or volunteer staff to meet this requirement. Contractor must make every effort to have a staff person answering calls from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, but may use voicemail during these hours. © By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 2. ADRC Toll-Free Phone LineCoastal Bend Council of Governments a. Contractor shall maintain a phone line that can accept transferred calls from the 1-855-937-2372 toll-free phone line. The individual answering the phone must be able to identify the calls transferred from the toll-free phone line and answer the phone with a greeting that includes the name of the ADRC. A dedicated voicemail system must be available to accept messages when other phone lines are in use, i.e., a caller should never receive a busy signal. 1 By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 3. Call Rolling or Call Transferring Contractor shall not transfer the responsibility of answering calls received through the ADRC toll-free phone line to other entities without a subcontracting agreement in place. Contractor must submit the name of the potential subcontractor and the plan to ensure the subcontractor meets the requirements of the contract to DADS Access and Intake staff for approval. 1 By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 4. Voice Mailbox Contractor shall maintain a voice mailbox dedicated to the ADRC toll free line. The voicemail message shall state the name of the ADRC receiving the call and a statement about information and access to LTSS. The message shall not include the name of an individual. All voice mails shall be retumed within two business days. DADS reserves the right to determine the voicemail system message script. ( By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 5. Call Volume Contingency If the call volume increases to a level that the contractor cannot return voicemails within two business days, or if the contactor fails to meet performance metric target outlined in 2.4.2 for ten consecutive business days, contractor must notify DADS: staff within five business days and the contractor must provide a plan fo address the issue that is acceptable and approved by DADS. ® By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 6. Performance Measures: Maintenance of an ADRC Phone Line The contractor must track and report data regarding the percent of calls terminating at the ADRC going to a voicemail or other electronic answering system. Describe the method for collecting and ensuring the accuracy of the data:Coastal Bend Council of Governments. ‘The CBADRC will track all incoming calls coming into the dedicated CBADRC Toll free line and terminated into a voicemail. The calls will be tracked onto an excel spreadsheet on a daily, weekly then monthly basis and then compiled quarterly. Each call coming in, whether answered by a live person or returned after a message was left on a voicemail, is entered into the SAMS Harmony System. Each call entered will indicate if it was a live call or a return call from a message left on the voicemail. This in turn will be compared to the excel spreadsheet to ensure that all calls are being entered and that all voicemail messages are being returned. In addition this tracking system will enable the CBADRC to ensure that at a minimum 70% of all calls are answered by a live person. Additionally the CBADRC will have a live person who will answer incoming calls during the noon hour, 12:00 pm — 1:00 pm, to further insure all attempts are being made to capture all incoming calls by a live person at every opportunity. Part 3: Provision of Information and Referral 1. Contractor Database As part of providing information and referral services, the contractor must have access to at least one resource database and must develop a system for monitoring the quality of the information and referral service. a. Describe the resource database the ADRC will use and the process for updating listings. If the contractor intends to subcontract for the database service, the contractor must include a letter of commitment indicating the intent to enter into a formal agreement or the formal contractual agreement. The description of the database must include a breakdown of the number of resources available by county in the ADRC region. It must also describe any private-pay or sliding scale resources included within the database and the availability of family caregiver's, children’s and veteran's resources within the database. Currently, the Information, Referral and Assistance (IR&A) does not utilize a electronic database of resource information. The current source of information provided to consumers for all incoming calls and walk-in's is the Aging and Disability Resource Directory which is formally updated every two years. Each IR&A staff update their copies as changes occur and share the information with all pertinent staff. This information is then updated at the time the Aging and Disability Resource is updated. Currently the directory has 73 different categories with a breakdown of resources for consumers by county as follows: Aransas County ~ 283, Bee County - 304, Brooks County - 189, Duval County - 192, Jim Wells County - 477, Kenedy 40Coastal Bend Council of Governments. County - 225, Kleberg County - 387, Live Oak County - 207, Nueces County ~ 1,039 resources and San Patricio - 298. In addition, there are approximately 362 private-pay and/or sliding scale resources included within our resource of information, 78 for family caregivers, 62 for children’s resources and 59 for veteran's services. ‘The Aging and Disability Resource Directory (added value service) is utilized by over 200 agencies (non-profit, for-profit, doctor's offices, social workers, churches, home health agencies, counties, cities, health departments, DADS, DARS, CPS, APS, nursing facilities, ADRC partners, COG and ACoA board members and LA's). Distribution is accomplished by over 100 agencies and/or individuals throughout the 11-counthy Coastal Bend Region. Over 85,000 copies are printed and distributed to consumers and professionals as well. In addition, the Aging and Disability Resource Center utilizes an Aging and Disability Resource Library (value added service), located within the CBAAA/ADRC, and maintained by the CBAAA/ADRC front line staff and one volunteer. Library resources provide information on social service agencies, governmental entities, for-profit organizations and caregiver's resources. Information from the library is often mailed to the consumer to further assist with the services they are seeking. Each caller and/or walk-in seeking services through the ADRC's single door entry into Long Term Care Services and Supports is greeted with the name of the Coastal Bend Aging and Disability Resource Center ensuring the consumer has indeed reached the agency they have sought. Need(s) of the caller (or walk in) are assessed and evaluated for appropriate resources and options. Callers are then provided enough information to make an informed decision and/or make contact with the agency and service they are seeking. Follow-up contacts are made as deemed necessary to confirm that needs were met with a minimum of 10% of calls being followed. As appropriate, more ‘complex calls are transferred in-house to other Access and Assistance staff, CBADRC staff, partners co-located and/or other CBADRC partners not located within the CBADRC. The CBADRC standard for retuming telephone calls from consumers is within 24 hours. After hour, weekend and holiday calls are handled through voice mail, Calls are then replied to upon return to the office, but within 24 hours. All CBADRC staff persons are trained to respect the opinions, preferences, rights, values, dignity, Privacy and individuality of individuals with disabilities, their families and /or caregivers as well as each other. CBADRC fosters these principals through participation in professional IR&A training such as Texas Alliance for Information and Assistance Conference, DADS Access and Assistance training and local training events often led by the 2-1-1 Texas Coordinator or the CBADRC. "1Coastal Bend Council of Governments To date, the lead IR&A CBADRC staff member is a Certified Information & Referral Specialist (CIRS) through the Alliance of Information and Referral Services. The goal is to have IR&A staff attain and maintain the Certified Information and Referral Specialist (CIRS) designation. CBADRC and AAA alike use the Harmony’s IR&A software for recording all incoming calls and walk-ins. Currently, the Information, Referral and Assistance (IR&A) activities are provided by one full-time and four part-time Information and Referral Specialists allocated between AAA (1.15 FTE) and CBADRC (1.53 FTE). This includes two front line IR&A staff from our CBADRC core partners (.70 FTE). b. Contractor will gather and manage individuals’ personal and health information in a way that ensures confidentiality. The individual-level data will be used to track intake, needs assessment, service plans, utilization, referrals between agencies, and costs. The management information system will support ongoing program analysis, planning, budgeting, quality assurance, program evaluation, federal reporting requirements and continuous improvement, as well as state and local policy development. ® By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 2, Ensuring the Appropriateness of the Information and Referral Services Contractor must develop a system for monitoring the quality of the information and referral service. The plan for monitoring the quality must be submitted to DADS staff for approval on an annual basis. Contractor must be able to indicate the quality of the information and referral provided to veterans and provided to children and youth as a component of the performance monitoring plan. a. Describe the key components of the monitoring plan. Be sure to include a component related to services for family caregivers, veterans and children. Ata minimum, identify the risk mitigated by each component and how the component will be implemented. The CBADRC will utilize a survey instrument and survey at a minimum 10% of all incoming calls on a monthly basis. Results will be compiled monthly and reported quarterly to monitor for accuracy of information and services, and referrals provided. The survey will target callers and/or walk-in consumers that sought services related to long term care services and supports with special emphasis on family caregivers, veteran's services and services for children and youth with disabilities of all ages. 12Coastal Bend Council of Governments The information will be compiled monthly to ensure the assistance was received and reported quarterly, ensuring that those individuals seeking long term care services and supports were assisted. The survey will also indicate if the caller spoke with a live person, left a message, or if the call was returned within 24 hours if left during the week. If call was left on week-end or a holiday, the survey will indicate if the call was returned the first business day back at work. Survey will also indicate whether staff was courteous, knowledgeable, was the consumer asked to participate in the LTSS screening and/or was referred to a partner agency, and if so, was the referred agency helpful, were services received and if not, why not? The risk for each targeted area (family caregivers, veterans and children and youth services) is the risk of non-return of the survey. In the case that not, enough surveys are retumed in each or all categories, then the consumer will be called and surveyed over the phone following the aforementioned format. . Contractor shall implement the use of person-centered thinking and participant- directed service concepts and methodologies. The contractor will encourage this approach among partner agencies through cross-training and participate in state- level trainings as prescribed. By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement (b). 13Coastal Bend Council of Governments 3. Performance Measures: Provision of Information and Referral Contractor will report to DADS the number of complaints it receives each quarter. & By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. Part 4: HHSC Community Partner 4. HHSC Community Partner Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is partnering with community- based organizations to help people lean how they can get the most out of HHSC's online eligibility portal, YourTexasBenefits.com. Contractor must become a Community Partner of HHSC within three months of the initiation of any contract resulting from this RFP. B By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 2. Performance Measure: “Your Texas Benefits” Portal Application Assistance Contractor will assist individuals seeking services with Medicaid applications submitted through “Your Texas Benefits” portal and provide the number of Medicaid applications the organization helps submit through “Your Texas Benefits”. ® By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. Part 5: Administration of the Long Term Service and Support (LTSS) Screen 41. LTSS Screen Administration Contractor must use the LTSS screen to assist individuals seeking services and ‘supports. Contractor will adhere to any LTSS standards put forth by DADS or HHSC. Contractor staff must obtain the specific training mandated by DADS. ® By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 2. Ensuring Client Access to the Screen Contractor will ensure all individuals who meet the criteria for screening, as prescribed by DADS guidelines for determining when to perform a screen, shall receive information regarding screening options with the self-service portal or assistance from ADRC staff. 1 By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 14Coastal Bend Council of Governments 3. Quality Assurance — LTSS Screen Contactor will develop a procedure to ensure individuals who meet the criteria for receiving the LTSS screen are offered the LTSS screen. Contractor will develop a ‘method for determining whether individuals who meet the criteria for the LTSS screen are provided the option for assistance with the LTSS screen and provide DADS with quarterly updates. The procedure and method must be approved by DADS. ®& By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above statement. 4. Performance Measures: Administration of the LTSS Screen Contractor shall offer the LTSS screen to individuals who contact the ADRC and ‘meet the criteria for screening as prescribed by DADS guidelines for determining when to perform a screen. £2 By checking the box to the left, certifies agreement to the above statement. 5. LTSS Referrals Contractor will receive referrals from the LTSS portal. Contractor must contact the individual referred within five calendar days after receiving the referral. Contractor must acknowledge receipt of the referral in the LTSS portal within an average of five calendar days. By checking the box to the left, contractor certifies agreement to the above ‘statement. Part 6: Service Provision to Special Populations 1. Resources for Special Populations The contractor must maintain a plan and resources to address the needs of individuals who fall into the following special populations: Family Caregivers; Veterans; Children and youth with disabilities; and, Non-Medicaid eligible clients. The contractor must develop a comprehensive plan for ensuring these populations receive services. At a minimum, the plan must identify the ADRC region specific challenges and solutions that take into consideration local demographic data. 15Coastal Bend Council of Governments Please indicate the resources that will be utilized to serve these populations. ‘The CBADRC in coordination with the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), provides a multifaceted system of support services for family caregivers including grandparents or other older individuals, children and youth with disabilities, veterans and non-Medicaid eligible consumers and who are caregivers. Caregiver Information Services include a caregiver lending library (value added service), a caregiver newsletter reaching more than 1650 non-duplicated caregivers and professionals monthly, a grandparents newsletter that reaches more than 400 non-duplicated individuals quarterly, monthly support groups, group presentations and training events on caregiving topics, information on community resources and outreach to access to those services through health fairs and mass media outreach. The CBAAW/ADRC Resource Library (value added service) includes specialized sections on caregiving for caregivers of victims of Alzheimer's disease, as well as resources available for grandparents and other relatives raising children and youth. NFCSP/ADRC has been particularly successful at coordination with other local groups, both public and private. These collaborative efforts include planning the annual Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children Conference (attended by 400 grandparents and/or professionals annually) in close partnership with the City of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi ISD, Community Action Agency's Head Start Programs (children’s services), Nueces County Human Services, local HHSC, Texas A&M Agri-Life, Methodist Children’s Home and local universities. Other examples of NFCSP/CBADRC agency collaborations include the Del Mar College Dementia Collaborative, annual Building a Bridge Symposium for Families and Professionals, annual Alzheimer's Symposium (geared toward both professionals and family members), local Walk for Memory raising funds for caregiver respite, Alzheimer's Memory Walk, family caregivers training involving the Schmieding care provider training, local caregiver's coalition and the FUMC Oasis Respite Project (volunteer respite program). CBAAA/ADRC also houses a caregiver's assistive aides lab and caregiver supply room (value added service) with donations coming from durable equipment companies, other local agencies and individuals. Plans are to continue and expand local collaborations such as these. ‘The CBADRC also works with Veterans groups and partner agencies that provide services to veterans, children and youth of veterans with disabilities and Non- Medicaid eligible clients who are Veterans and/or caregivers of children and youth with veterans. All applicable local resources are utilized in reaching and providing assistance to Veterans including the following: Area Agency on Aging of the Coastal Bend, CBADRC, Corpus Christi Vet Center, Corpus Christi Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs Caregiver Program, Housing 4 Texas Heroes, Housing VA Homeless, Paralyzed Veterans, Veterans Health Clinic, 16