Promising Practices

Telemedicine is getting increased attention from lawmakers, payers, health professionals and patients around the country. Policymakers and health care providers seek to reduce health care delivery problems, contain costs, improve care coordination, and alleviate provider shortages. Many state Medicaid plans are using telemedicine to achieve these goals particularly to enhance access to mental and behavioral health services.

In late 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the PASRR Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), to help states improve their PASRR programs, and to help CMS acquire better knowledge about how state PASRR programs operate. In the roughly five years it has operated, PTAC has developed two arms: a technical assistance arm, and a research arm. The goal of this presentation will be to review PTAC's accomplishments in these areas; to explain how all of these efforts are fundamentally connected; and to preview the goals that PTAC hopes to accomplish over the next few years. The webinar will also ask states to contribute what they would like to see PTAC do in the future.

Like many PASRR systems, the PASRR system in Ohio involves many different players and roles. In order to have an effective PASRR system, Ohio has worked to create a collaborative, multi-agency approach. Program leads from several state agencies will discuss different challenges they have encountered in collaboration, and strategies to work around these challenges.

The benefits of respite will be discussed as well as challenges families face in accessing respite. Solutions to addressing these challenges will be discussed, with a focus on the role of federally funded Lifespan Respite programs designed to develop statewide coordinated systems of respite services for family caregivers of children or adults with disabilities or chronic conditions, or the aging. Participants will also learn how they can get involved in state Lifespan Respite activities. In terms of PASRR, respite may be considered as a diversion tactic to avoid unnecessary nursing home admissions.

For the April 8th webinar, representatives from the states of Arkansas and Indiana will be presenting on promising practices within their states.

Led by Nancy Shanley, the November 12th webinar addressed five PASRR conundrums, or issues that are frequently asked about

Led by Pam Raby, the October PASRR webinar "Person-Centered PASRR" focused on important components of PASRR that may be lost in the shuffle of complex rules and competing demands. PASRR was, in fact, well ahead of its time in terms of offering a progressive initiative for promoting the most effective and best possible quality of care for our most vulnerable citizens. This presentation will revisit progressive PASRR requirements and map them to conventional practices for Person-Centered assessment and planning.

The May webinar introduced concepts related to person-centered planning processes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and discussed ways to implement and maintain effective person centered thinking and planning for supported individuals of all ages.

The webinar highlighted collaboration as a fundamental component of a successful PASRR program.