Below are the questions received and State responses from the April 26, 2007 conference call on Family Resource Home and Non-Medicaid Residential Placement Services Standards. These are the questions asked in regard to the Transitional Living Program and Community Integration Program service standards. These questions, along with those for the other service descriptions that remain under review, will be answered and posted to the Medicaid Training Web site soon.

Q: The new TLP plan calls for the youth’s contribution to rent to be returned to them in full when they leave.  This is not the way it currently operates and will necessitate additional funding.

A: There are current programs that do operate that way.  The daily rate is being calculated with the full cost of rent. It is important for youth to learn to budget and "pay" rent, but as the rent is covered in the daily rate it would be inappropriate for youth to contribute as well.  This also allows for a savings plan that will give the youth necessary funds for CIP or true independent living.

Q: There is confusion regarding the General Requirements for both services.

A: Language and typos have been corrected.

Q: What is the rationale behind the 17 yr old age requirement for services?

A: The age requirement has been changed to 16 for both services.

Q: Concerns expressed regarding the staff ratio for Case Coordinators.

A: Case Coordinator ratios have been changed to 1:16.

Q: Can one person act as the Case Coordinator in TLP and the Community Integration Specialist in CIP?  Can they follow the youth?

A: Yes, so long as adhere to staff ratio, staff responsibilities, and other applicable standards.

Q: The requirement is for youth to have a single bedroom.  This is not current practice and will increase the cost of these services.

A: Requirement has been revised.

Q: Will there be funding to assist providers in complying with the requirement that apartments be furnished in the TLP/CIP services?

A: A separate funding source for compliance will not be available. This will be addressed in the cost analysis/rate setting process for those services.

Q: In regards to providing access to supportive services in TLP/CIP- does that mean simply giving clients a resource book that lists the location and contact information or does it mean that we would have some obligation to either provide this service ourselves and/or ensure that clients have ways/means to attend and/or pay for such services? Will the provider bear any financial expenses associated with the client receiving or participating in the supportive service?

A: The function of the Case Coordinator and Community Integration Specialist is to act as that resource broker for the youth.  Optimally, as many community resources that are available to the general public would be accessed first as the goal is to put those supports around the youth so that they can be self sufficient upon completion of the programs.  The Community Integration Specialist has somewhat the same function but the assumption would be that at that level the youth is plugged into community resources or has learned the skills to do so.  Therefore, the actual brokering function should be less in CIP and more of a monitoring function based on the individual needs of the youth.

Q: Is the provider of TLP services expected to pay all the rent? Can TLP youth live in studio apartments?

A: Yes all rent and other cost to support the youth in the TLP placement must be paid by the provider. A studio apartment is appropriate as long as all of the requirements of the living space can be met.

Q: If youth in TLP have children, will the provider receive a per diem for the child?

A: There will be no per diem for the child of a youth in TLP.  In both TLP and CIP the expectation would be that the youth’s program plan would include accessing the resources necessary to provide for that child.  If the child of the youth in placement is in SRS custody there are specific resources available to the child.

Q: Are TLP/CIP a direct replacement of any current service definition?

A: Both TLP and CIP are new services that do not directly replace any current service definition.  There are components of some current programs that have been incorporated into the new definitions.  The goals for the new service definitions were to enhance the services currently being provided and to fill gaps in the array of services.

Q: What is the staff ratio for Community Integration Specialists in CIP?

A: There is no set ratio.  The responsibilities of the Community Integration Specialist are reduced from the similar position in TLP due to the decreasing needs of the population served.  Providers must staff this position in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of the youth they serve as defined by the service description.