Adult and Children's Home-Based Supports Services ACES$ Information

[Guest guest]

Greetings, Fellow Advocates!

Yesterday, Sept. 12, Tony auski of the Arc of Illinois and Charlotte Cronin of the Family Support Network (me) sat down with Reta Hoskins and Connie Sims of the DHS Division of Developmental Disabilities. The topic was the many problems participants in both the Adult and Children’s Home-Based Support Services Programs have been experiencing using ACES$ to pay direct support workers.

We had a very good conversation. Connie and Reta were aware of many of our issues and have either addressed them or are in the process of addressing them. Others were new to them and they were very concerned.

Our conversation was lively and far ranging. I’ve tried to capture what we shared in categories below. I hope it is helpful.

Tony and I are both cautiously encouraged. We hope the information below is helpful. We’d like to encourage all of you to continue to communicate your issues with us so we can understand “how it’s going” and communicate your concerns to DHS.

The future of both the Children’s and Adult Home-Based Supports Services Programs is important to the futures of people with disabilities in Illinois. Your continuing patience and constructive input is VERY important to all of our futures.

Thank you,

Charlotte and Tony

Participants, Family, and Service Facilitator Challenges, Perceptions, and Questions:

· Support staff not being paid on time

· Contradictory and conflicting information from ACES$ staff

· ACES$ staff blaming service facilitators for problems

· People being paid twice for the same pay period and then having funds retracted

· ACES$ and DHS have not been providing good communication

· Perception that DHS is avoiding responsibility for ACES$’ problems

· Families not prepared to be responsible as the employer

· Division of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) Home Services Program doesn’t use a fiscal intermediary, why do we have to?

o DRS personal assistants are paid through the state. They are paid one set rate, so it is easy for the state to figure taxes, etc. The DDD Home-Based Support Services Programs allow families to set rates - a huge advantage for participants. But every worker is different. It is too complicated for the state to handle this.

o Also, during the planning process, DRS advised DDD not to use their system, which is growing problematic for them now.

· Questions and problems about how and which taxes are withheld for spouses and family members and Power of Attorney forms.

ACES$ Successes in the last four months:

· ACES$ opened 2 offices and hired 5 staff, 3 downstate and 2 upstate

· ACES$ has held 14 enrollment sessions all over the state

· Enrolled over 3,000 workers

· Issued over $1.4 million in over 3,365 checks.

Recent Improvements

· ACES$ has installed two new fax lines.

· ACES$ now has on-line capability to do data entry in Illinois. Before Illinois staff had to call Pennsylvania to have data entered.

· Customer service has been uneven. New protocols have been put in place and one person was even removed from direct customer contact.

Upcoming improvements:

· ACES$ is developing a web site similar to online banking. Participants will be able to set up an account and access reports for what their PSW's have worked and the charges to their budgets.

· A new hyper communication line, called a T-1 line, should be installed soon. It was supposed to be installed in June. The contractor failed to get the job done. It’s taken this long to get it straightened out and a new contractor hired.

What You Can Do to Help Yourself, DHS, and ACES$.

· Sign up for ACES$ e-mail notices at enrollment at enrollment@....

· Even if your employee prefers to be paid only monthly, encourage them to send their timesheets in semi-monthly. ACES$ has to submit paychecks for each pay period regardless. An unexpected problem occurred for ACES$ in August when a significantly larger number of timesheets came at the end of the month.

· If you have a problem, file a grievance using the procedure on the ACES$ website at http://www.acessfea.org/FEA%20Website%20Forms/ILemployer/Microsoft%20Word%20-%203h.%20Consumer%20Grievance%20Policy%20IL.pdf . This allows ACES$ and DHS to track problems, both individually and systematically. We will work with DHS to create an easier-to-use form

less intimidating form.

· Read and use the Following Tips and Updates from ACES$ on the following page.

Tips and Updates on the ACES$ Payroll Process (from ACES$) http://www.acessfea.org/Payroll%20Tips.doc.)

· Two fax numbers have been added for sending time sheets or service authorizations: (570) 558-3618 or (570) 207-7751.

· Please fax time sheets only ONCE. Sending a timesheet more than once will create a mandatory manual review, which may slow down the receipt of paychecks..

· If possible, send faxes during non-peak hours of 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

· Ensure personal support workers place the last FIVE (5) digits of their Social Security number in the appropriate boxes on the time sheet.

· Please ensure time sheets are not faxed upside down. These sheets cannot be processed BECAUSE THEY ARE BLANK WHEN RECEIVED.

· Please ensure all Social Security numbers are complete and correct on all documents.

· Employers: please ensure you have one enrollment packet completed for EACH of your employees.

· Employers: please ensure you have signed the time sheets.

· Employees: please ensure you have signed the time sheets.

· Service Facilitators: please ensure that you have signed service authorizations.

· For personal support workers who provide services to children, ACES$ must receive a clear, returned record from the Illinois Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS) before payroll can be issued. This takes about two weeks.

· Employers and Service Facilitators: Please ensure the monthly total of ALL Adult Home-Based Services does not exceed the 2007 maximum of $1,869 for adults who have left school. Exceeding the monthly total may result in delayed paychecks.

· Employers and Service Facilitators: Please ensure the monthly total of ALL Children’s Home-Based Services does not exceed the 2007 maximum of $1,246. Exceeding the monthly total may result in delayed paychecks.

· Remember that the minimum wage is $7.50 per hour. Service authorizations or time sheets for rates less than the minimum wage cannot be processed.

· ACES$ would like to keep families, personal support workers, and service facilitators informed on payroll matters through email. If you would like to receive these notices, forward your email address to: enrollment@....

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