DDES Memo Series
2004-15
ACTION MEMO - due by 11/1/04
September 24, 2004
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Department of Health and Family Services
Division of Disability and Elder Services
To:
Area Administrators/Human Service Area Coordinators
County Departments of Community Programs Directors
County Departments of Human Services Directors
County Departments of Social Services Directors
County/Tribal Aging Unit Directors
Lead Elder Abuse Agency Contacts
From:
Sinikka Santala
Administrator
Re: Elder Abuse Direct Service Funds for CY 2005
Document Summary
This memo provides information on the availability of elder abuse
direct service funding for CY 2005, clarifies whether it is permissible or
allowable to use elder abuse direct services funds for a given individual
over the course of several years, identifies performance expectations and
requests counties to respond to their area agency on aging by November 1,
2004 of their intent to secure their allocation.
This memo provides information on the availability of elder abuse
direct service funding for CY 2005. In CY 2005 a total of $2,050,000 will
be allocated by formula to lead elder abuse agencies to continue provision
of services to victims of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Additionally, $75,000 will continue funding grantees selected in CY 2004
to provide programming for victims of domestic violence in later life. No
match is required for these funds.
Lead Elder Abuse Agency Formula Allocations
Counties will receive in 2005 the same funding level as they received
in 2004. However, area agencies on aging are authorized to reallocate
funding from counties that have under spent more than $5000 in elder abuse
direct service funds two years in a row (2002 and 2003). Redistribution of
CY 2005 funds will be at the discretion of each area agency on aging, but
may include awarding funds to counties in the region which express an
interest in receiving additional funds.
Therefore, any county (other than those counties that have a pattern of
underspending), which is willing to accept an amount greater than the
amount that is listed on Attachment
A and has the capacity to expand elder abuse services beyond its
allocation, should notify its area agency on aging of its willingness to
accept additional funds when making its initial request. However, counties
interested in requesting increased funding in CY 2005 must recognize that
additional funds may not be available in CY 2006 if other counties expend
their full allocation in CY2005.
A county must notify its area agency on aging NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER
1, 2004 of its intent to secure its allocation to pay for elder abuse
direct services delivered in its county for the period January 1- December
31, 2005. See Attachment B for
the application form to be used when requesting funding.
If a lead elder abuse agency fails to notify its area agency on aging
by November 1, 2004 it will be assumed that the agency is unable to use
the funds. A county choosing to decline funds for CY 2005 will continue to
be eligible for its full allocation in subsequent years, unless the county
shows a pattern of underspending.
Elder Abuse Direct Service Dollars and the Community Options Program
(COP)
The intent of the elder abuse direct services allocation is to fund
services that are typically of a short duration to stabilize a given
situation and address immediate concerns. Counties have sought
clarification on whether it is permissible or allowable to use elder abuse
direct services funds for a given individual over the course of several
years, particularly under two scenarios.
- Waiting for long term support (LTS) services: An elder abuse victim
receives services funded by elder abuse direct service dollars.
However, long term support needs are identified, the person is
determined waiver eligible and the county has a LTS wait list. Can the
county use elder abuse funds to provide LTS services for several years
until waiver funding is available?
- Elder abuse funds as waiver match: Elder abuse funds are used for
several months to address an emergency need, e.g., self-neglect. Upon
determining the person is waiver eligible and needing long term
support services, a county uses elder abuse funds as match for those
on-going services. Can this continue indefinitely or only until the
person comes to the top of the wait list?
Elder abuse funding is intended for short term needs to stabilize a
situation and address immediate concerns. This funding is not intended to
be used for supplementing long term care service dollars. LTS programs
define long term care need when a condition or disability will last more
than six months (Family Care) or one year (Waivers). Since the intent of
the elder abuse direct service funds are short term (i.e., less
than six months), counties should use elder abuse direct services
funds to provide long term care services only up to six months duration
per individual.
A county may choose to provide long term care services funded with
elder abuse direct service dollars for longer than a six month period, per
individual, as long as it can provide elder abuse investigations and
services to other alleged/identified victims in need. Therefore, once a
county has elected to use elder abuse direct services funds for an
individual’s LTS needs, it should develop a plan for funding that
individual with other funds after six months or in some circumstances
after one year. County Long Term Support Committees should consider elder
abuse victims when establishing wait list policies.
Performance Expectations
Best practice performance expectations for county elder abuse direct
service funds will be included as part of the award. They are as follows:
- Ongoing operation of an Elder Abuse Interdisciplinary Team (I-Team)
throughout Calendar Year 2005. (See Attachment
C, letter h for a description of an I-Team.)
- Evidence of ongoing collaboration with domestic abuse programs to
ensure comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence in
later life.
Enhanced awareness of sexual assault/abuse against older adults,
including evidence of the beginning of an ongoing relationship between
Sexual Assault Service Provider Agencies (SASPs) and elder abuse
interdisciplinary teams (I-Teams).
Since one of the criteria for acceptance of state elder abuse funds
will be a county commitment to begin an ongoing relationship between
sexual assault service provider agencies and county I – Teams, the
Bureau of Aging and Long Term Care Resources will assist the Wisconsin
Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA) in its development of an
hour-long training on sexual assault against older individuals to be
provided as an in-service by SASPs for I-teams in all 72 counties. The
training, which will be available, starting February 2005, will be
designed as a "stand alone" in-service so that a member of a
county I-team could provide the training if an individual well-versed in
sexual assault/abuse is not available to do so.
However, ideally someone on the community level will provide the
training so that a connection is made between the SASP and elder abuse
I-team in order to promote collaboration. The in-service materials to be
developed will include a suggested training agenda, handouts, a list of
community/state resources and a PowerPoint presentation (or overheads as
an alternate format). WCASA will be available for any technical assistance
leading up to and following the in-services.
The area agency on aging (AAA) will release funding to the county upon
receipt of a brief plan (two page maximum) from the county describing how
it will demonstrate that the above three performance
expectations will be met. The plan is to be submitted along with the
budget application form (Attachment
B) and therefore is due to the AAA on November 1, 2004.
If unsatisfactory performance is identified, funding to counties
that are not fulfilling performance expectations may be adjusted in CY
2006.
A list of allowable elder abuse direct service expenses is attached
(see Attachment C). Definitions
are provided for each direct service listed. Please note that staff costs,
except for staff costs associated with the provision of direct services to
an individual identified as a victim of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation
and/or preventive services associated with an individual identified at
risk of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation, are NOT ALLOWABLE. Consistent
with statutory language in Wis. Stats. 46.90 (5m), administrative overhead
and indirect costs ARE NOT ALLOWABLE activities under this funding source.
Also, there is no provision to carry funds forward into CY 2006.
Reporting
By March 1, 2006 counties must complete the "Elder Abuse Direct
Service Expenditures Reporting Form" [DSL-2568 (8/2004)] (See Attachment
D) and send to both BALTCR and the area agency on aging responsible
for your elder abuse direct services county contract. The inclusion of
this form as an attachment alerts counties to information they will need
to report on for CY 2006.
For ease of completion, the form has been made available on the web
at the following site: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms1/f2/f22568.doc
ACTION SUMMARY:
Return Attachment B (along with
your county’s brief plan stating how you will meet performance
expectations) to your area agency on aging by November 1, 2004. [See Attachment
E for the mailing address of the area
agency responsible for your county.]
REGIONAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Area Agency on Aging (See Attachment
E) or
Human Services Area Coordinators, OSF
CENTRAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Jane Raymond
Bureau of Aging and Long Term Care Resources
Division of Disability and Elder Services
1 W. Wilson Street, Room 450
P. O. Box 7851
Madison, WI 53707-7851
(608) 266-2568
email: raymoja@wisconsin.gov
MEMO WEB SITE:
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/partners/local.htm
Attachments:
A, B,
C, D
and E
cc:
County Departments of Developmental Disabilities Directors
Bureau Directors/Section Chiefs
Tribal Chairpersons/Human Services Facilitators
Domestic Abuse Program Directors
Sexual Assault Service Provider Agency Directors
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