April 28th, 2022

COVID-19 ICF/IID Webinar Recording from April 11 Available

The April 11 recording of the Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Related Conditions COVID-19 Q&A with HHSC Long-term Care Regulation and DSHS is available.

The PowerPoint is updated with information given in the DSHS webinar.

Read the COVID-19 Q&A (PDF).

Listen to the webinar recording here.

Email LTCR Policy for the transcrip

February 27th, 2022

COVID-19 ICF/IID Webinar Recording from Feb. 14 Available

A recording of the Feb. 14 Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Related Conditions COVID-19 Q&A with HHSC Long-term Care Regulation and DSHS is available for those who could not attend.

There have been changes made to the PowerPoint based on the information provided by DSHS during the webinar.

Read the COVID-19 Q&A (PDF).

Listen to the webinar recording.

Email LTCR Policy for the transcript.

February 1st, 2022

HCS, TxHmL COVID-19 Response Webinar Recording: Jan. 27 and Jan. 30

This webinar reviewed information from the revised COVID-19 Response Plan for HCS and TxHmL.

This includes strategies to rapidly identify COVID-19 and:

Prevent its spread
Protect individuals, staff, and visitors
Provide care to infected people
Recover from an outbreak

They also addressed the surge of COVID-19 across the state, address staffing shortages and provide you guidance from the CDC.

. A recording of this webinar is now available as of Jan. 31 at GoToStage.

January 27th, 2022

HCS and ICF/IID providers who attended the webinar from HHSC on 1/19/22.

The webinar below was held in response to discussions between the 3 IDD associations and HHSC regarding the increase in COVID cases, ongoing staff (direct care and nurse) shortages (which have now been exacerbated because of COVID), limited to no access to PPE and testing resources and inconsistent (and at times unclear) rules and policies related to COVID and infection control.

Providers have still not been able to find a resolution as of to date to these issues (i.e. staffing shortages and shortages in PPE, status of ARPA funds).

Below, however, are several actions HHSC has taken to improve communications with providers, streamline current COVID processes and policies and clarify current policies and practices:

** Note: Twogether Consulting does understand that many providers have been unsatisfied with the efforts HHSC has made to assist with staff shortages, especially since even if you do complete the checklist before requesting emergency staffing, it does not mean they will honor your requests. I have informed at least one of the IDD associations about this concern.

Recently HHSC re-issued and, in some cases, issued updated policies and guidance for all IDD COVID-related documents.(1/5/22 and 1/7/22 for HCS concerning guidance booklet updates).
HHSC is working to reorganize the COVID-related information, including COVID flexibilities and Appendix K waivers, on the ICF/IID and HCS home webpages to facilitate ease in access.
HHSC did communicate the above and other changes and policy clarifications with providers via a webinar on January 19th, 2022, however many questions were still unanswered and attendees were told that questions that were not answered should be addressed in an FAQ from HHSC within 2 weeks of the webinar.

Jan. 19 Recording of HCS and ICF/IID COVID-19 Webinar Available

A recording of the Jan. 19 for Home and Community-based Services and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Related Conditions webinar with LTCR is now available.