HBTS/PASS Quarterly Reports

Reporting Period

For the purposes of this program, Direct Care Workers means frontline paraprofessional employees who provide care and services directly to Medicaid beneficiaries and are not licensed by the RI Department of Health. These staff shall be directly employed by the Behavioral Health Provider Agency receiving the rate increase and shall not include employees who are contracted or subcontracted through a third-party vendor or staffing agency. Administrative/management staff who spend at least 50% of their time on frontline direct care may be considered a Direct Care Worker for the purposes of the Qualifying Activities outlined in this document.

Licensed Health Professionals means frontline employees, who provide care and services directly to Medicaid beneficiaries and are licensed by the RI Department of Health. These staff shall be directly employed by the Behavioral Health Provider Agency receiving the rate increase and shall not include employees who are contracted or subcontracted through a third-party vendor or staffing agency. Administrative/management staff who spend at least 50% of their time on frontline direct care may be considered a Licensed Health Professional for the purposes of the Qualifying Activities outlined in this document.

Psychiatrists/Prescribers means psychiatrists or other prescribers licensed by the RI Department of Health. These staff shall be directly employed by the Provider Agency receiving the rate increase and shall not include employees who are contracted or subcontracted through a third-party vendor or staffing agency.

Total # of Employed should equal the total of the each of the following sections:

• PT/FT employees
• Years of Service
• Ethnicity
• Race of employees

Workforce Report

Direct Care Workers

Ethnicity of employees

Race of employees

Licensed Health Professionals

Ethnicity of employees

Race of employees

Expenditure Report Summary

Total Program Funds Spent Since January 2022 (Provider Data)

Ratio of Program Expenditures since Jaunary 2022

Allowable Activities

The intent of this Program is for a minimum of 85% of the funds from this temporary HCBS rate increase and grant funding to be passed through directly from Provider Agencies to frontline workers to support hiring, retention and stability of this critical workforce. Provider Agencies must use the enhanced funding between January 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 via the following qualifying activities:

• At least 85% of funding shall be spent on payments directly to frontline workers (direct care workers and licensed health professionals). Managerial staff qualify if they spend at least 50% of their time working directly with clients. Of this 85%, at least 50% must be spent on retention activities.

• No more than 15% of funding shall be spent on eligible payroll costs (as defined above).

Specific examples of qualifying activities include, but are not limited to the following:

Recruitment Activities
Total package not to exceed 10% of the salary range per new employee may include incentives such as:

• Hiring bonus: incentive payment that is over and above an hourly rate of pay and are not part of an employee’s standard wages. It is recommended that the payment be disbursed in pieces across a multi-month period.

• Relocation costs: incentive payment to support relocation of new employee.

• Tuition reimbursement: incentive payment to support tuition or educational loan costs.

Retention Activities

• Wage rate increase: increase to the hourly or annual wage the Provider Agency paid an employee prior to the start of these program activities.

• Retention bonus: incentive payment as compensation that is over and above an hourly rate of pay and are not part of an employee’s standard wages.

• Shift differential payments, or differential payments for hard-to-fill locations over and above agency standard policy.

• "Wraparound benefits” defined as employer provided benefits to help the workforce remain employed - over and above agency standard policy. Examples may include, but are not limited to, transportation support/mileage reimbursements, meal vouchers, or childcare assistance or car maintenance support.

• Tuition reimbursement: incentive payment to support tuition or educational loan costs.

To count as an allowable activity, additional compensation using these enhanced funds must be over and above compensation that was paid to frontline workers prior to the temporary rate increase (as of November 30, 2021); it shall not be used to replace base wages or other regular compensation (e.g., standard shift differentials in line with current Provider Agency policies). Each Provider Agency should maintain documentation to show the compensation paid to its frontline workers prior to the temporary rate increase, for compliance purposes.

Expenditure Report: Additional Compensation Spending

Direct Care Workers

Retention Activities

Recruitment Activities

Licensed Health Professionals

Retention Activities

Recruitment Activities

Attestation

I hereby attest that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, that the above information is accurate and complete. 

My agency has maintained personnel records to support this attestation and acknolwedges that such personnel records may be subject to audit by EOHHS. In the event taht EOHHS determines that Program funds have been used for ineligible expenses, my agency may be required to repay such funds to EOHHS. My agency shall return to EOHHS any program funds not expended by the Program end date of Mar 31, 2023.