Advisories

Other News & Announcements

• APD is enhancing the Questionnaire for Situational Information (QSI); it will be called the Next Generation QSI (NG-QSI). During the next several months, APD will be conducting field tests on the new protocol. In addition, FSU will be conducting a reliability validity on the data obtained. Based upon the results of the study, refinement of the protocol may be made. APD will hold a series of stakeholder meetings to present the study results. In addition, a replication study will be conducted to further review and confirm that the NG-QSI serves its five purposes:

  • Identify support needs
  • Assess and promote social integration
  • Provide an alert component to help identify concerns to address
  • Help with allocating resources to meet support needs
  • Assist with statewide trend analysis and planning

  The agency’s goal is to begin using the NG-QSI for everyone in 2021.

• On December 5, a federal judge dismissed a case filed against the Agency for Persons with Disabilities by Disability Rights Florida, saying it contained speculation and complaints about practices that are not occurring. APD is happy with Judge Robert Hinkle’s decision because it supports the agency’s efforts to serve people in the community.
  APD wants to work with all stakeholders to provide the best services to Floridians with developmental disabilities.
  Click here for the judge’s ruling

• Mainstream (Section 811) Vouchers - Notice of Funding Availability - April 18, 2018

• Important Notice on Agency for Persons with Disabilities Regarding Security Breach

• Important Notice to Agency for Persons with Disabilities Customers Regarding Security Breach

• Aviso importante para la Agencia para Personas con Discapacidades Clientes con respecto a la violación de seguridad

• Avi enpòtan pou Ajans pou Moun ak Andikap Kliyan konsènan vyolasyon sekirite

• Be sure to visit the Bright Expectations website. The site is dedicated to provide resources and information on several developmental disabilities. Pregnant women, health care providers, and families can learn how to help individuals with developmental disabilities through evaluations and intervention services.

• The Disability and Health Program (DHP) is funded by a five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The goals of the program are to include Floridians of all ages with disabilities in all the Department of Health’s programs and activities for health promotion, disease prevention, wellness, and disaster preparedness. The DHP also works with individuals with disabilities, their families, their health care providers, other state agencies, and interested stakeholders to meet its goals. Learn More Here...

• The Agency for Persons with Disabilities is looking for top quality employees. If you are interested, be sure to check out jobs.myflorida.com/go/Agency-for-Persons-with-Disabilities.

• The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and its partners are currently working to implement the federal Home and Community-Based (HCB) Settings Rule (CMS-2249-F) that was finalized in January 2014. The Agency has published the latest draft of Florida’s Statewide Transition Plan on its Web site.
  In order to ensure compliance with the HCB Settings Rule, the State has been conducting on-site reviews of residential and non-residential provider settings. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services established criteria that states should use to determine if residential and non-residential settings are presumptively institutional. Florida’s Statewide Transition Plan includes a list of settings that the State has verified meet the presumptively institutional criteria. As specified in the Statewide Transition Plan, the State has until March 2019 to fully implement the HCB Settings Rule. The Agency plans to use the remainder of the implementation time period to work closely with providers to help them achieve compliance with the rule; this includes providing technical assistance to providers in the development of supporting evidence packages that may be submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for review.

• Home Care Rule Update - The federal Department of Labor adopted the Home Care Rule extending minimum wage and overtime protections to most home care workers. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is responsible for having a process available for any person whose service hours would be reduced as a result of the rule and is at risk of institutionalization. Waiver Support Coordinators must notify APD immediately if they encounter a customer whose service needs are not being met. As part of this process, APD will determine if there are other waiver services which would help the individual remain in the community. APD will continue to monitor this process to ensure that our customers are receiving the care they need.
  

  The legislature will determine if rates will change for the types of services affected by the DOL rule. To learn more visit the DOL website at: http://www.dol.gov/whd/homecare.

• If you are an active duty military service member and are interested to learn more about applying for services, please read this PDF for more information on how to apply.

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