Do You Remember?

September 11, 2021

It seems like memories of 9/11 are those not only of deep sadness but remembering how terrifying it was to have lost our sense of security and direction.  What’s next?  No one knew, nor could we contemplate the future.   For those of us responsible for the lives of the individuals we served on that day, there was some order to the next steps – we just kept doing the job we needed to do to keep our individuals safe and cared for.

While I’m not sure there is any true comparison, the past 18 months have been a lot like that – one foot in front of the other and just keep on doing what we do.

On that front – the President’s recent announcement about vaccines will be clarified in coming weeks; nothing actually happens because of an Executive Order, it takes Regulations/Guidance to implement.  So stay tuned and we will make sure you get the CMS Guidance and the OSHA/Department of Labor Regulations.

Also, HRSA is releasing “Round #4” of Federal money based on lost revenues and changes to operating expenses from July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.  There are some significant differences between this release and previous ones; more information is available here.


And lastly,  I have offered my opinion on how to best release the ARPA funding that DBHDS has to support providers – in simple terms, I am suggesting a “Grant” process with a simple application and reporting process.  The alternative – funding for staff bonuses for staff employed during a specific period of time seems  cumbersome, labor intensive for providers and not necessarily meeting the most critical need.   For those of you who have been involved in the “hazard pay” process for personal care staff, you know how complex, time consuming and challenging it has been for the providers. 


I offered my opinion, I do not know what the final decision will be!