State/Agency Information

Vermont’s Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living is seeking a candidate for the position of State Unit Operations. As a leader in the Sate Unit on Aging (SUA), this job requires working with the federal government, community partners, and supervising two team members. This role includes overseeing and monitoring OAA nutrition and disease prevention programs. The application is open to any State employees and external applicants. Candidates must be a registered dietician or a registered nutritionist in order to be considered for this position. Candidates should also have experience in mental health, aging populations, disability programs, and/or other related areas.

The United States Senate has released a report titled "Uninspected & Neglected: Nursing Home Inspection Agencies are Severely Understaffed, Putting Residents at Risk." The report highlights the investigation conducted by the Majority staff, prompted by Chairman Casey's previous concerns regarding the Special Focus Facilities (SFF) program. Findings reveal that State agencies responsible for monitoring nursing homes’ are grappling with significant staffing shortages and insufficient funding, resulting in delayed inspections and potential harm to residents. The report addresses the historical awareness of these issues, the use of third-party contractors, the impact on quality ratings, the utilization of CARES Act funding during COVID-19.

Each edition of the AARP Public Policy Institute's Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard has measured state performance against an objective, data-driven set of metrics that illustrate how states were doing with their LTSS systems at a given time. This paper discusses the approach to the 2023 edition of the Scorecard, reflects on what has changed since the Scorecard was first published, and considers the possibilities of future editions.

States are often exploring ways to effectively support direct care workers, who are often times women, people of color, and living at or near the poverty level. This blog post explores four key recommendations for states to strengthen their direct care workforce, with an emphasis on state Medicaid agencies. The post draws from a CHCS report which focused on strategies used in the state of Michigan.

St. Cloud State University is seeking survey responses from individuals working in aging services. The university is seeking perspectives from organizations working with or considering working with gerontology and geriatric interns. These responses will help to design policies, procedures, and opportunities to better meet the needs and interests of aging services.

This guide synthesizes the findings of a series of NGA Center for Best Practices action labs focused on state policies to increase disability employment. During the labs, state teams developed plans to better coordinate services to support workers with disabilities. This resulting document provides best practices on state policies and actions to improve employment opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities.

NASHP has published an Appendix K interactive map, supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, to track each state’s new flexibilities in modified 1915 (c) and 1115 waivers. States are using these waivers and amendments to ensure that their older adults and family caregivers are receiveing the LTSS services they need during the pandemic.

The wave of federal funding from programs like the American Rescue Plan and Consolidated Appropriations acts can be overwhelming to comprehend. Many state leaders are wondering how best to invest these funds while keeping future needs in mind. This panel of state-level experts will provide considerations for funding topics including: • Understanding current funding initiatives • Considering the range of options states have to use funds • Implementing innovations like private-pay programs

This publication from Health Management Associates analyzes the approaches that Medicaid programs in DC, Idaho, Maine, Washington and Alabama used to coordinate Medicare and Medicaid services without standalone Medicaid MLTSS programs. The paper focuses on Medicaid and Aging agencies overseeing programs that provide long-term services and supports fee for service and explores effective methods to coordinate and integrate care with Medicare Advantage Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) serves over 18,000 elderly and disabled members though its Medicaid waiver program. Oklahoma’s previous paper-based system caused wait times for consumers to enroll and to receive services. With the implementation of WellSky Human Services, Oklahoma took advantage of the system’s conditional logic capabilities to capture additional information on an assessment form when needed.