HCBS

KS AuthentiCare/EVV For ALL Waivers March 4th

By Mandy Smith | February 27, 2012

Kansas AuthentiCare/Electronic Visit Verification(EVV) will begin for all waiver services including Personal Services and Sleep Cycle Support for the Physically Disabled(PD) and Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI) waivers effective Sunday, March 4, 2012. Please make certain that RCIL (or your FMS provider) has your correct telephone and/or cell phone numbers. Please report any updates to an RCIL…

Denied: Jim’s Story

By Mandy Smith | February 24, 2012

Jim H., is a person with a disability, one of the over 3,500 Kansans on the waiting list for Home and Community Based Services. Jim has Huntington’s Disease. Because Huntington’s is a progressive disease, it is getting more and more difficult for Jim to accomplish his daily activities, including cleaning and cooking for himself. The…

Call to Action: Contact Social Services Budget Committee

By Mandy Smith | February 14, 2012

From now through Thursday February 16th, we need the disability community to contact each member of the House Social Services Budget Committee. A complete list of names and contact information is available here. As they are working on budget issues we need to make sure they know the importance of funding the Home and Community…

Sharon’s Story

By Mandy Smith | February 13, 2012

“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick, the needy, and the disabled.” – Hubert H. Humphrey Reflect on those words for a…

Update: What About the Waiting List?

By Mandy Smith | February 8, 2012

On February 1, 2012 disability advocates across the state began a concerted effort to contact the Governor’s office and SRS regarding the Waiting Lists for Home and Community Based Services. The Governor’s office and the SRS administration responded less than satisfactorily advising (after several off the wall suggestions) that the Waiting Lists for Home and…

KS AuthentiCare EVV Implementation Update

By Mandy Smith | January 4, 2012

The State of Kansas has delayed the start of the KS Authenticare (also known as electronic visit verification or EVV) for “Personal Services” through the PD and TBI waivers. We will notify you with the new start date as soon as we receive it from the state. EVV for “Sleep Cycle Support” will start on…

KS AuthentiCare/EVV Implementation Update

By Mandy Smith | December 30, 2011

In a reversal of the previous decision to delay Kansas AuthentiCare/EVV implementation, the latest word from KDOA/SRS is that EVV will be implemented as originally planned on 1/9/2012. We will strive to keep you updated if there are further changes. Please check our website to stay informed.

KS AuthentiCare/EVV Delayed to 1/16/12

By Mandy Smith | December 29, 2011

  THIS INFORMATION HAS CHANGED PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS LINK FOR ACCURATE INFORMATION! It was just announced (the evening of 12/29) that KDOA and SRS have decided to delay the implementation of Kansas AuthentiCare/EVV until 6:00am January 16th, 2012. This change is to allow more time for providers, consumers, and Direct Support Workers to prepare…

Kansas AuthentiCare (EVV) is Coming

By Mandy Smith | December 21, 2011

KDOA and SRS announced on the evening of  Dec. 29th they have decided to change the launch date for Kansas AuthentiCare/EVV to January 16, 2012 at 6:00am The new year is bringing with it new procedures for our consumers who are on Home and Community-Based Services. The state is replacing the current paper time and…

Home and Community Based Services in Kansas

By Mandy Smith | December 12, 2011

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) became an integral part of the lives of Kansans with disabilities and those who are elderly though legislation passed in 1989 (KSA 39-7, 100). This legislation provided Kansans who wanted to have choice and remain independent with the ability to receive long-term care services in their own home and…

What’s at Stake

By Mandy Smith | December 7, 2011

  I talk to people a lot about the proud history of the disability community in Kansas. The progress that was made in the state by dedicated advocates placed Kansas in the forefront on disability rights. We have constructed a system that, while not perfect, works to empower Kansans with disabilities, helps them acquire gainful…

Executive Director’s Message

By Mandy Smith | December 2, 2011

The Resource Center for Independent Living, Inc. (RCIL) is proud to announce that it was recently added to the state-approved list of Financial Management Services (FMS) providers. FMS is a restructured service developed by the Kansas Department on Aging (KDOA) and the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) to change the way payroll…

The Olmstead Decision

By Mandy Smith | November 25, 2011

  Twelve years ago, the United States Supreme Court rejected the state of Georgia’s appeal to enforce institutionalization of individuals with disabilities and affirmed the right of individuals with disabilities to live in their community in its 6-3 ruling against the state of Georgia in the case Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W. The Olmstead Decision…

I Am a Case Manager

By Mandy Smith | November 21, 2011

  I am a Case Manager, yet I do not manage cases, I work with people. My job is to visit people in their homes who have physical disabilities and complete an assessment to determine if they are eligible for a Medicaid program that provides long term care services to them in their own homes.…

Managed Care Coming to Medicaid

By Mandy Smith | November 10, 2011

Yesterday Gov. Sam Brownback and Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer unveiled sweeping changes to the Kansas Medicaid program. These changes were a part of the Governor’s “Roadmap” and took on one of the three big areas he wanted to tackle along with KPERS and Education. Beginning in January of 2013 all Medicaid recipients will be under…

Advocacy Action: Town Hall Meetings

By Mandy Smith | November 4, 2011

The Big Tent Coalition and Kansans for Quality Communities are teaming up to bring Town Hall meetings to towns across Kansas. The purpose is to “discuss the impact of continuing budget cuts on vital state services and the ramifications of eliminating the Kansas income tax.” The Resource Center for Independent Living is working to ensure…

Changes

By Mandy Smith | November 2, 2011

As we edge closer to winter, the leaves are changing and falling, the air is cooler, and the days are shorter. These are expected changes we prepare for each year. This year, Kansans with disabilities are experiencing many other changes. There is a new administration in Kansas state government and in SRS, over the last…

Letters to the Editor Campaign

By Mandy Smith | September 14, 2011

The Resource Center for Independent Living is partnering with Centers for Independent Living(CILs) all across Kansas in a Letters to the Editor campaign coordinated by the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas(SILCK). I have drafted 9 sample letters for advocates and consumers to use as inspiration for their own letters covering a range of topics.…

Home & Community Based Services Rally

By Mandy Smith | September 12, 2011

Saturday Sept. 10th dozens of advocates gathered at the Statehouse in support of Home and Community Based Services, independent living in Kansas for people with disabilities, and (although it was unplanned) Consumer Run Organizations(CROs) for people with mental illness. The Topeka Independent Living Resource Center and Kansas ADAPT sponsored and held the rally with speakers…

Upcoming Advocacy Rally

By Mandy Smith | August 24, 2011

  On Saturday, September 10th Topeka Independent Living Resource Center (TILRC) and Kansas ADAPT are teaming up to host a rally on the steps of the Statehouse from 1:00pm-2:30pm. The Rally is in support for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services. These services are imperative for Kansans with disabilities to remain in their homes and…

Doing More: RCIL and FMS

By Mandy Smith | August 2, 2011

There are lots of changes taking place within our state and Home and Community Based Services are not immune. One of the major areas of change is Payroll Services. RCIL is a current Payroll provider for HCBS Waivers; on November 1st, those Payroll services will become Financial Management Services (FMS) and RCIL is ready to…

Advocacy Alert! April 28th

By Mandy Smith | April 27, 2011

Tomorrow April 28th, the Resource Center for Independent Living will unite at the Kansas Statehouse with Kansans for Quality Communities members to urge our Legislators to do what’s right for Kansans. You can read about this Action on the Kansas Health Institute site here. We will be spreading the “Save Our State” message which has…

Urgent: Advocacy Needed!

By Mandy Smith | March 11, 2011

  While everyone was hopeful that the current fiscal year’s budget Rescission bill would be worked out between the House and Senate yesterday, that did not happen. Today Governor Brownback advised that he will cut $56 million from the current budget. He has not yet specified where that money would come from but indicated he…

5 Reasons Kansas Shouldn’t Cut Home and Community Based Services

By Mandy Smith | December 18, 2010

Kansas is facing tough economic times, as we confront budget shortfalls, some are looking to cut Medicaid benefits, including home and community based services (HCBS). Home and community based services are vital to helping seniors and people with disabilities stay in their communities and out of institutions. If home and community based services cuts are…

RCIL is thankful for…

By Mandy Smith | November 24, 2010

With today being the day before Thanksgiving, I thought I’d just write a little about what we are thankful for at RCIL 1.) Our Consumers! Without our consumers we would not exist! Thank you! 2.) Personal Care Attendants (PCAs)! Without PCAs, many of our consumers would not be able to stay at home and not…