The state budget that passed in December 2021 included funding towards increasing Medicaid home and community-based provider rates so that wages paid to direct support professionals/direct support workers can be increased. While the budget special provision language states that 15.00 per hour is the goal, there is not enough money appropriated in the budget to…
Integrated Care: Why it Matters and How to Achieve it
āIntegrated careā is a term that has begun showing up more in healthcare settings as something desired and positive. You may have also heard of it referred to as āwhole-person careā or ācoordinated care,ā but those terms donāt tell us what it is, why we want it, or how to get it. This article will…
Supporting Someone with Autism in Getting a Good Nightās Sleep
When my son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, sleep was amongst our greatest concerns. From the time he was born, our son had issues falling asleep and staying asleep. Never did we sleep through the night for more than three straight nights (once we went through the circus act of getting…
Clinic-Based ABA Programming for Early Learners in Wilmington
The Autism Society of North Carolina is now offering clinic-based services for young learners diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through the LifeLong Interventions program in Wilmington. The goals of our program are to encourage engagement and learning through play in a motivating and enriching environment and to support emotional regulation development and skill building….
Public Policy Update: āiā Services in 1115 Waiver May Help Those Waiting
North Carolina is in the process of seeking approval by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to add āiā home and community-based services (HCBS) under our stateās new 1115 Medicaid plan. These āiā HCBS services would offer additional supports to people with disabilities who are eligible for Medicaid. NC DHHS has requested that most…
Camp Royall: The Training that Creates the Best Counselors
So many people work hard to make summer at Camp Royall a reality, including facility staff, lifeguards, activity directors, and counselors. Just as we enjoy seeing campers grow over the years, we also enjoy seeing the professional development of our staff as they return summer after summer. For many people, working as a counselor at…