Delaware Association Of Rehabilitation Facilities Corporat

ACCORDING TO THE AMENDED BYLAWS ADOPTED IN OCTOBER 2019, THE PURPOSE OF DELARF (DBA ABILITY NETWORK OF DELAWARE) REMAINS TO SUPPORT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER DISADVANTAGES.

POLICY INFORMATION DISSEMINATION AND TRAINING: EACH YEAR, THE A.N.D. STAFF AND MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDES TESTIMONY DURING THE HEARINGS OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET (OMB) AND THE HEARINGS HELD BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLYS JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE (JFC). IN BUDGET TESTIMONY PROVIDED BY A.N.D. AND ITS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE STATE FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET, WE REITERATED THE NEED TO PROPERLY FUND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND FOR PEOPLE WITH TREATMENT NEEDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. MUCH OF THE TESTIMONY CITED THE EROSION OF EARNINGS BY FRONT-LINE WORKERS PROVIDING THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES DUE TO THE HIGH RATE OF INFLATION THAT WAS EXPERIENCED IN 2022. ADDITIONALLY, A.N.D. AND ITS MEMBERS TESTIFIED ABOUT THE NEED TO ADDRESS THE INEQUITY BETWEEN PAYMENTS MADE UNDER THE A.N.D.S JANITORIAL SET-ASIDE CONTRACT TO JANITORIAL PROVIDERS THAT SUBCONTRACT WITH A.N.D., WHICH REQUIRE THAT 75% OF THE LABOR BE PERFORMED BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND PAYMENTS MADE TO JANITORIAL CONTRACTORS THAT ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HIRE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AT THE FALL MEMBERSHIP RETREAT HELD IN OCTOBER 2022, THE FORMER HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE DELAWARE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, REPRESENTATIVE VALERIE LONGHURST, WHO WAS RECENTLY ELECTED AS THE HOUSE SPEAKER, WAS PRESENTED WITH A LEGISLATIVE CHAMPION AWARD FOR HER SPONSORSHIP OF HB 303, WHICH ESTABLISHED A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WELL CHECK INSURANCE BENEFIT. ALSO AT THE RETREAT, MARISSA CATALON, THE FORMER DDDS DIRECTOR, MADE A COMMITMENT TO FUND THE START-UP ACTIVITIES OF AN A.N.D. HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE CENTER. THESE ACTIVITIES BEGAN IN JANUARY 2023, WITH SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS BEING MADE ON CREATING A CAREER PIPELINE THAT WOULD TRAIN HIGH SCHOOL AND VO-TECH STUDENTS ENROLLED IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO PREPARE THEM FOR ROLES AS FRONTLINE WORKERS IN THE HUMAN SERVICES PROVIDED BY A.N.D. MEMBERS. THE PROJECT TEAM HELD AN IN-PERSON MEETING AND SEVERAL WEBINARS TO INTRODUCE A.N.D. MEMBERS TO SUCCESS COACHING, WHICH IS PROVIDED THROUGH EMPLOYER RESOURCE NETWORKS (ERNS), AND WHICH ASSISTS ORGANIZATIONS IN RETAINING STAFF. AT THE END OF FY 2023, A.N.D. BECAME A CHAPTER IN THE NATIONAL ERN. A.N.D. HOSTED A SAVE OUR SERVICES (SOS) FORUM AT THE BUENA VISTA CONFERENCE CENTER ON FEBRUARY 13, 2023, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM FAMILY ADVOCACY GROUPS; THE CHILDCARE ASSOCIATION; THE HOME CARE ASSOCIATION; THE NURSING FACILITIES ASSOCIATION; THE NONPROFIT ASSOCIATION; PROVIDERS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, DISABILITY, AND SENIOR SERVICES; ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS; AND STATE LEGISLATORS TO DISCUSS UNMET HUMAN SERVICE NEEDS IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. A.N.D. IS NO LONGER HOSTING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS DAYS DUE TO ISSUES WITH STAFF CAPACITY AND THE PREFERENCES OF A.N.D. MEMBERS TO HOLD EVENTS THAT RECOGNIZE THEIR STAFF MEMBERS.

DELARF D/B/A A.N.D.S STATE USE PROGRAM: THE TWO SET-ASIDE CONTRACTS THAT A.N.D. HOLDS FOR JANITORIAL AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE TRADITIONAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS, BUT RATHER ARE AWARDED THROUGH ACTION OF SEVEN VOTING MEMBERS OF A GOVERNOR-APPOINTED COMMISSION, WHICH ALSO SETS PRICES FOR THE SERVICES. IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE STATES CERTIFIED CENTRAL NONPROFIT AGENCY, A.N.D. WORKED WITH THE COMMISSION TO INCREASE REIMBURSEMENT FOR SERVICES IN FY 2023, DUE TO THE INCREASE IN THE STATES MINIMUM WAGE THAT TOOK PLACE ON JANUARY 1, 2023. WE ALSO ASSISTED THE JANITORIAL SUBCONTRACTORS IN OBTAINING PRICE ADJUSTMENTS, ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. DURING FY 2023, THE 280 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO WERE EMPLOYED IN THE SET-ASIDE CONTRACTS EARNED $3,079,270 IN WAGES, WORKING 225,469 TOTAL LABOR HOURS AT AN AVERAGE WAGE OF $13.66 PER HOUR. ON APRIL 18, 2023, AN E-MAIL WAS SENT BY A.N.D. TO ALL STATE AGENCIES TO PROMOTE THE USE OF THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SET-ASIDE POSITIONS. THE MARKETING MESSAGE DEVELOPED BY A.N.D. INCLUDED THE NEW PAY AND BILL RATES FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, AS WELL AS A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION DOCUMENT TO PROVIDE STATE AGENCIES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT HOW GALT AND GOODWILL SOURCE CANDIDATES & ONBOARD THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, AND HOW A.N.D. PRODUCES INVOICES BASED ON WEEKLY TIME SHEETS THAT ARE APPROVED BY THE STATE SUPERVISORS.

MEMBER RELATIONSHIPS: DELARF D/B/A AS THE ABILITY NETWORK OF DELAWARE (A.N.D.) IS A NONPROFIT ASSOCIATION OF DISABILITY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS. AS OF THE DATE OF THIS FILING, A.N.D. HAS 36 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, ALL OF WHICH SERVE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND/OR PEOPLE WHO NEED TREATMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. A.N.D.S DD COMMITTEE CONTINUED TO MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK BY ZOOM DURING FY 2023. ONE MEETING ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS THE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS HAD WITH THE I/DD SERVICE SYSTEM, WHICH WERE COMMUNICATED TO MARISSA CATALON, THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF DELAWARE DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES (DDDS) IN NOVEMBER 2022. ONE OF THE MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE DD COMMITTEES MEMBERSHIP DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD WAS TO WORK WITH A CONSULTANT UNDER A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL EXPANSION OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES NETWORK (NEON) WHO PROVIDED A.N.D. WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN FORMULATING A PROPOSED UPDATE TO THE DDDS LONG-TERM SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT GUIDELINES. DD COMMITTEE MEMBERS ALSO PROVIDED INPUT TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION REGARDING THE AGENCYS CONTRACTING PROCESSES.A.N.D.S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COMMITTEE MET MONTHLY VIA ZOOM DURING FY 2023. MUCH OF THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR FOCUSED ON COORDINATING THE PROVIDERS RESPONSES TO THE CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC (CCBHC) PLANNING GRANT THAT WAS AWARDED TO THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ALSO USED THE MEETINGS TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY BEING DONE BY HEALTH MANAGEMENTS ASSOCIATES, WHICH IS COMPLETING A RATE STUDY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN DELAWARE.