Provider Tools and Resources

EVENT REMINDER: Powers of Attorney, Legal Guardians and Conservators; Office of the Public Guardian – Two Part Series (Part One) | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 14 and 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 28

Please join us for this popular two-part webinar in our Iowa PASRR Technical Assistance series. We’ll discuss issues surrounding designations of Powers of Attorney for Healthcare and Financial Matters, and when it may be necessary to seek court ordered Legal Guardians and Conservators, how determinations are impacted by the cognitive capacity and the mental health status of the individuals we serve, and many questions that arise as we try to understand the differences, similarities, and implementation issues involved with each type of substitute decision maker.

Information presented in this webinar is expected to be useful to anyone and everyone who works with older adults, dependent adult, persons who may seek placement in any community setting including a nursing facility and will not just be of interest to those who work with PASRR. We’ll be joined by Jennifer Donovan of the Iowa Office of the Public Guardian, who will share her knowledge with us and facilitate better understanding of some of the many issues that frequently arise.

Part 1, which will be held on November 14, will address the important legal differences between Powers of Attorney for Healthcare and Financial matters, Guardianships, Conservatorships, and when each of these may be appropriate for an individual.

Part 2 will review questions that arise in Part 1, and go deeper into issues pertaining to Powers of Attorney, Guardianships and Conservatorships, offering tools and resources that will be very useful to staff who work in hospitals, nursing facilities, adult protective services, and other arenas who may have occasion to help individuals designate Substitute Decision Makers, have a payee, give end of life/care instructions, or may be in need of court appointed guardians and/or conservators.

We hope it will further empower you to help individuals in Iowa enhance their quality of life! The webinar will be moderated by Maximus PASRR Program Manager, Brad Goodin, and Lila Starr, Iowa PASRR Program Manager with HHS.

Register in advance for these webinars:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 28, 2023

If you have yet to do so, be sure to review and register for the many other great webinars in our current Iowa PASRR Provider Webinar Series. Descriptions and Registration links are available on the Iowa PASRR Provider website under Announcements. 
 

BEST PRACTICES: Assessment Tips & Reminders

1. When submitting a potential status change regarding a new serious mental illness, or other possible changes in PASRR condition(s), you must include documentation such as the initial or most recent psychiatric evaluation and/or medical notes with information that includes any new diagnosis and descriptions of current symptoms or issues that led you to believe a significant change in status may have occurred. 

2. When emailing the Iowa PASRR Help Desk, contacting Maximus or Iowa HHS Program Manager, Lila Starr regarding a particular individual, please include the individual’s PASRR Individual ID (IID) in the email, if known. This allows us to research the issue and provide a timely resolution in a confidential manner without the need to share identifying information. 

3. If you are submitting a Level I screen for an individual with any history of court involvement, such as 1) an involuntary mental health commitment for outpatient or inpatient treatment, 2) any type of protective curt orders that may arise as a result of adult protective issues, 3) court orders related to Guardianship of Conservatorship, and/or 4) any potential that the individual have a known history of sexual acting out/aggression, or be a registered sex offender, make certain to note legal involvement on the Level I screen, using the additional text boxes if needed, and submit a copy of all relevant court orders, as part of the Level I submission. 

4. Mental health conditions can only be verified by a provider note, psychiatric evaluation, psychiatric progress note, or other medical record signed by a practitioner/physician. 
 

SUPPORT: Your Iowa PASRR Help Desk Contacts

• Phone: 833.907.2777
• Email: IowaPASRR@maximus.com

Are you brand-new to PASRR? Would you like a refresher on certain aspects of the process? This new webinar series has you covered!

The Iowa PASRR support team at Maximus and Program Managers, Lila Starr of Iowa HHS and Brad Goodin and Amanda Kaiser of Maximus, have developed a comprehensive series of informative webinars designed to walk providers through many key aspects of the PASRR process and maximize their use of Iowa's assessment management system, AssessmentPro.

For the PASRR newcomer: 
The sessions listed below are paced in an order that we hope will be most beneficial for someone who is new and needs to attend them all. It is designed to help you understand the process, from most basic to more advanced concepts, including an invaluable overview of many aspects of PASRR.

For the PASRR veteran: 
Even an experienced provider who's accustomed to the Level I submission process is likely to have many questions and can learn a great deal more by attending these sessions. We hope you gain skills for using the assessment management system, AssessmentPro, as well as deepening your overall understanding of PASRR and how it relates to many other issues. 

What are next steps? Be sure to scroll through the series descriptions, register for the sessions you need, and be sure to add those dates/times (shown below) to your calendar. Individual webinar reminders will also be sent out before each event.
 

PathTracker+ for Nursing Facility Social Workers, Administrators, & Business Office Staff

Please join us on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 2:00 pm CST, for an Iowa PASRR Technical Assistance webinar, as part of our continuing education series. This Iowa PASRR Webinar is specifically designed for the staff who are involved in entering admission, transfer, and discharge information into PathTracker Plus, which is a feature of the Iowa PASRR database.

The webinar will include an overview of several critical functionalities of PathTracker Plus, including the when, where, why, and how to submit admissions, transfer, discharge, and corrected notices, as well as level of care and payment source changes. The use of PathTracker Plus has been mandatory since February 1, 2016, for all nursing facilities in Iowa. It is critical that nursing facility staff are trained and prepared to make required entries into the system in a timely manner. It is also critical that the NF stop all use of paper Case Activity Reports (CAR) forms, and that ALL changes that would have been submitted using a paper CAR form prior to 2016, must now be made in the electronic PathTracker Plus system.

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, October 17, 2023

 

How to Successfully Complete a Level I PASRR Screen

Please join us on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. CST for up to 90 minutes, as part of our continuing education series. This very important Iowa PASRR webinar will get into the weeds and address your questions about exactly how to successfully fill out and submit a Level I PASRR screen, what documents are needed at the point of submission, and how to upload them. This webinar will provide information on:

• Who gets a Level I PASRR screen?
• What information is required in a Level I screen?
• Which information/documents to provide for the process to work as quickly and efficiently as possible
• What are the best practices for submitting thorough and timely Level I screens?
• Turnaround times for Level I outcomes in Iowa
• The various outcomes that can be given at the conclusion of a Level I screen

If you are a potential Level I submitter, (examples include hospital or NF social workers, nurses, discharge planners, nursing facility DONs, in-home health care providers, RCF or assisted living staff members, community mental health services providers, MCO care planners, hospice providers, Regional MHDS staff, or others), then this webinar is for you. If you have any colleagues or know of others who may need to learn how to submit Level I PASRR screens, please help us reach out and invite them as well.

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, October 31, 2023

 

Powers of Attorney, Legal Guardians and Conservators; Office of the Public Guardian – Two Part Series (Part One)

Please join us on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. CST, for the initial installment of a two-part webinar in our Iowa PASRR Technical Assistance series. We’ll discuss issues surrounding designations of Powers of Attorney, and when it may be important to seek court ordered Legal Guardians and Conservators, how determinations are impacted by the cognitive capacity and the mental health status of the individuals we serve, and many questions that arise as we try to understand the differences, similarities, and implementation issues involved with each.

PASRR frequently identifies a need to address designation of Substitute Decision Makers or for individuals to undergo an assessment to address capacity, which may lead to a need for court ordered decision makers. We’ll be joined by Jennifer Donovan of the Iowa Office of the Public Guardian, who will share her knowledge with us and facilitate better understanding of some of the many issues that frequently arise.

Part 1, which will be held on November 14th, will address the important legal differences between Powers of Attorney for Healthcare and Financial matters, Guardianships, Conservatorships, and when each of these may be appropriate for an individual.

We hope these webinars will empower you to help individuals in Iowa enhance their quality of life! The webinar will be moderated by Maximus PASRR Program Manager, Brad Goodin, and Lila Starr, Iowa PASRR Program Manager with HHS.

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Powers of Attorney, Legal Guardians and Conservators; Office of the Public Guardian – Two Part Series (Part Two)

Please join us on Tuesday November 28, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. CST for the second of a two-part webinar in our Iowa PASRR Technical Assistance series. We’ll discuss issues surrounding designations of Powers of Attorney, and when it may be important to seek court ordered Legal Guardians and Conservators, how determinations are impacted by the cognitive capacity and the mental health status of the individuals we serve, and many questions that arise as we try to understand the differences, similarities, and implementation issues involved with each.

PASRR frequently identifies a need to address designation of Substitute Decision Makers or for individuals to undergo an assessment to address capacity, which may lead to a need for court ordered decision makers. We’ll be joined by Jennifer Donovan of the Iowa Office of the Public Guardian, who will share her knowledge with us and facilitate better understanding of some of the many issues that frequently arise.

Part 2 will review questions that arise in Part 1, and go deeper into issues pertaining to Powers of Attorney, Guardianships and Conservatorships, offering tools and resources that will be very useful to staff who work in hospitals, nursing facilities, adult protective services, and other arenas who may have occasion to help individuals designate Substitute Decision Makers, have a payee, give end of life/care instructions, or may be in need of court appointed guardians and/or conservators.

We hope it will further empower you to help individuals in Iowa enhance their quality of life! The webinar will be moderated by Maximus PASRR Program Manager, Brad Goodin, and Lila Starr, Iowa PASRR Program Manager with HHS.

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 28, 2023

PASRR Abbreviated Level II Outcomes: Exemptions & Categorical Outcomes

Please join us on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. CST for an Iowa PASRR Technical Assistance webinar of up to 90 minutes, as part of our continuing education series. This webinar will address how and when a Level I PASRR screen can be submitted with a requested or expected outcome of 30-day Exempted Hospital Discharge (EHD) or any other of several Categorical Outcomes. This webinar will provide information on:

• When is it possible to request a hospital exemption (EHD) from the full Level II process?
• When is it possible to request the various kinds of abbreviated Level II outcomes?
• What are the pros and cons of requesting or using any of the abbreviated Level II outcomes?
• What are the best practices for completing thorough and timely Level I screens?
• Which documents to provide up front for the process to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If you are a potential Level I submitter, (examples include hospital or NF social workers, nurses, discharge planners, nursing facility DONs, in-home health care providers, RCF or assisted living staff members, community mental health services providers, MCO care planners, hospice providers, Regional MHDS staff, or others), then this webinar is for you.

If you have any colleagues or know of others who may need to learn how to submit Level I PASRR screens, or who may need to learn about the appropriate times to request any of the Categorical Outcomes and what they mean, then please invite them to attend.

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, December 5, 2023

 

Understanding PASRR Level II Summaries of Findings, PASRR Identified Services, and Implementation

Please join us on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at 2:00 pm CST, for up to 90 minutes, as part of our continuing education webinar series.

This webinar will demonstrate how to review and understand a PASRR Level II evaluation outcome, known as a Summary of Findings, wherein an individual in the PASRR population is approved for a level of care and services are identified to optimize care, recovery, and potential for return to a lower level of care for the individual. There are three types of services that can be identified; including Specialized Services that focus on the PASRR Condition/Disability, Rehabilitative Services that are typically provided as a part of the individual's care in a nursing facility, and Community Placement Supports that help to optimize an individual's potential for successful transition to a lower level of care when they are diverted from or leave a nursing facility for life in the community.

This webinar will provide you specific information on how to:

• Find PASRR identified services within the SOF
• Review the Level II Summary of Findings (SOF) prior to admission
• Understand the various areas of focus/information within the SOF
• Understand the role of the receiving/accepting nursing facility regarding the SOF
• Ensure delivery of all PASRR Identified Services
• Find Care Planning tools to facilitate compliance with care planning and service delivery
• Document that PASRR identified Services are being delivered

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Overview of PASRR and Nursing Facilities for Persons with Mental Illness / Individuals who Meet NFMI Level of Care

Please join us on January 9, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. CST for a webinar of up to 90 minutes, regarding individuals whose PASRR indicates that the person meets NFMI Level of Care (Nursing Facilities for persons with Mental Illness). This webinar will provide an overview of what the expectations are for individuals who meet the NFMI level of care. There are 168 nursing facilities in Iowa who have accepted individuals who meet NFMI level of care (LOC), in addition to Iowa's three NFMI facilities of Davis Center in Bloomfield, Pillar of Cedar (formerly known as Country View) in Waterloo, and Southeast Iowa Behavioral Healthcare (formerly known as Dave's Place) in Keokuk.

All hospital discharge planners and NF staff are invited to attend this essential webinar, because it is important to understand how PASRR considers or approves the highest level of care (NFMI) that an Iowa PASRR summary can approve. We invite representatives of any other NFs who have admitted individuals who are approved at the NFMI level of care, are considering self-identifying as a facility that can deliver behavior analysis, in addition to an array of other behavioral health services, as well as MCO Care Managers, LTC Ombudsman staff, and anyone who wants to understand the NFMI approval process better. The discussion will provide you guidance on:

• Who is and is not appropriate for NFMI level of care determination,
• Importance of NF making a conscious choice to "self-select" as a facility that can meet these needs before considering accepting individuals with this LOC,
• Definitions of PASRR Identified Specialized Behavior Analysis Services that are unique to NFMI, including: Functional Assessment and Implementation of a Behavior Based Treatment Plan
• Along with a discussion of: Expectations of HHS, MCOs, Maximus, and DIAL regarding care planning, service delivery, and compliance.

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, January 9, 2024

How to Achieve Compliance During ServiceMatters Reviews

Please join us on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 2:00 pm CST, for an Iowa PASRR Technical Assistance webinar of up to 90 minutes. A function of Iowa's PASRR process is that for every PASRR Level II where one or more "Specialized Services" are identified for an individual in the PASRR population, a ServiceMatters compliance review will be triggered. Iowa PASRR also requires ServiceMatters reviews on 50% of PASRR Level II situations that do not identify any Specialized Service needs.

Maximus will monitor whether the NF has developed a PASRR compliant care plan that includes all PASRR identified services and specific proof that services are being delivered. This webinar will offer specific guidance on how to successfully complete a PASRR ServiceMatters Review and include the following:

• How to use the Iowa PASRR NF Level II Care Planning Tool to write a PASRR Compliant Care plan
• How to ensure that PASRR identified services are being delivered
• What information is needed to document that PASRR identified Specialized Services (SS) are being delivered
• How to watch the queue and complete the online ServiceMatters Form
• Common compliance issues that arise during ServiceMatters reviews

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Community Placement Supports / Discharge Planning / PASRR Compliant Care Planning

Please join us on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. CST for a webinar in the Iowa training series where we'll address Discharge Planning and how to optimize the potential of individuals to recover and transition to a lower level of care. A function of Iowa's PASRR process is that for every PASRR Level II Summary of Findings; there are three types of services identified.

These include Community Placement Supports (CPS) that can, when implemented as part of a well-orchestrated discharge plan, help an individual successfully transition to a lower level of care and thrive once they leave the nursing facility. This webinar will provide you specific information on:

• Reviewing and understanding the PASRR Identified Services: SS, RS, and CPS
• The role of the Olmstead Supreme Court Decision in the rights of individuals with disabilities
• Review why and how services are Identified
• Review where to find Community Placement Supports in the PASRR Summary of Findings (SOF)
• Tips and best practices on when to start discharge planning (Hint, it’s best to start at admission!)
• Knowing when to include Community Placement Supports (CPS) in the Care Plan (Hint; every SOF tells you exactly when!)

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, February 6, 2024

PASRR Status Change/Resident Reviews & When to Complete Them

Please join us on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. CST for an Iowa PASRR webinar of up to 90 minutes. The webinar will focus on the details surrounding when to submit a new PASRR Level I screen and how to recognize Significant Changes in Status. The Iowa Help Desk and the Iowa PASRR program receive more questions about Status Changes/Resident Reviews in PASRR and when to submit them, than any other single issue in PASRR. This webinar is truly important for anyone and everyone who works with PASRR as there are correlations to overall compliance and licensing. This webinar will offer guidance on:

• What might trigger a need for a Status Change for someone with a previous Negative Level I PASRR?
• What might trigger a need for a Status Change for someone who has been identified to be in the PASRR Level II population?
• Ways to ensure you are compliant with Status Changes
• What we mean when we say – “When in doubt, submit a new PASRR”

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Overview of PASRR Compliance: Level I Screens, PASRR Level II Requirements, Service Matters and PathTracker+

Please join us on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 2:00 pm CST, for an Iowa PASRR Technical Assistance webinar of up to 90 minutes. This webinar will offer an in-depth overview of some of the many ways that it is possible to achieve compliance or experience compliance challenges in PASRR. The discussion will provide guidance on:

• What are the most common Level I Compliance Issues?
• What are the most common Level II Compliance Issues?
• How and when does submission of Status Change/Resident Reviews in PASRR impact compliance?
• How does ServiceMatters and other reviews relate to achieving compliance?
• How does the submission of timely notices in PathTracker Plus impact compliance?
• How do DHHS/Maximus/DIA/MCOs and others review NF Service Deliver for PASRR compliance?
• How and when do facilities need to Implement and verify that Discharge Planning is occurring?

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, March 5, 2024

PASRR 101: An Indepth Look Into the Basics of PreAdmission Screening and Resident Review

Please join us on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. CST for an Iowa PASRR of up to 90 minutes. This webinar is for anyone who does or will do work related to PASRR including those who work in nursing facilities, hospitals, in-home healthcare, community mental health, hospice or PACE organizations, MCO care managers, long term care ombudsman staff, community-based service provider organizations, adult protective services, and interested parties, to attend and learn with us. This webinar should be viewed as a pre-requisite to other PASRR training offered by HHS and Maximus about PASRR in Iowa and can also serve as a useful refresher to those who haven’t been involved in PASRR for some time. This PASRR 101 discussion will provide guidance on:

• History and purpose of the federally mandated PASRR program
• Links between PASRR and the Supreme Court Olmstead Decision
• Who receives a PASRR?
• The basics of PASRR Level I and Level II
• PASRR in Iowa – some unique features
• What is PASRR compliance and why is it important?

For anyone who is unable to attend this webinar or is jumping into the webinar series without the benefit of attending this webinar first, please view the pre-recorded PASRR 101 training that is available on the Iowa PASRR providers webpage: https://vimeo.com/259952944 

Register in advance for this webinar:

Click to register | 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, March 19, 2024

PROVIDER UPDATES: Upcoming Events and Reminders

1. Preparation for the fall Iowa PASRR Roadshow is already underway! HHS and Maximus will be heading to a town near you in October 2023. The fall trainings will focus on several aspects of PASRR including:

• Best Practices considerations for Level 1 screens
• Submission of Status Change/Resident Reviews
• Compliance issues in ServiceMatters and more
• Care Planning for service delivery, Olmstead compliance, and success!

Look out for more information in the months to come! 

2. Assessors now have access to an electronic Release of Information (ROI). Keep in mind that although you are likely to see this version more often in the coming months, Assessors may still provide a paper ROI if they are unable to send a digital copy to the Provider. Both versions are still valid.

3. Please bookmark https://maximusclinicalservices.com/svcs/iowa and whether you are a PASRR newbie or you have joined us many times before, check out the upcoming live webinars offered by HHS and Maximus. Content is updated each time we post a new series of webinars. The current series jump started on June 6 with PathTracker+ for Nursing Facility Social Workers, Administrators, & Business Office Staff.

As always, all who are new to PASRR are encouraged to begin the learning curve by viewing the “PASRR 101” video webinar, which is available 24/7/365 on the webpage, and linked below, and can be viewed whenever it works best for you.  

RESOURCES: Review Important Guides and Training Materials Available on the IA PASRR Provider Tools & Resources Site

Keep in mind that the Iowa PASRR Provider Tools & Resources site is full of helpful guides, manuals, and training materials that you can view or download 24/7. Be sure to review a few of these helpful resource links also listed below: 

• Iowa PASRR Glossary of Terms - UPDATED
   
• Iowa PASRR Provider FAQs
   
• Training Video - PASRR 101
   
• PASRR Quick Tips
   
• Care Planning Tool
   
• Transition Guide

SUPPORT: Your Iowa PASRR Help Desk Contacts

• Phone: 833.907.2777
• Email: IowaPASRR@maximus.com