Pictured, left-right: WRenia Bratts-Brown of the Division of Medical Assistance; Joyce Massey-Smith of the Division of Aging and Adult Services; Jason Vogler of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse; Kenny Gibbs of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; Angela Diaz of DMA; and Tara Myers of DVR.
Oct. 17, 2017 -- The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services concluded the third annual N.C. Community Transitions Institute Oct. 10 with a listening session at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh.
The institute is a Department-wide collaboration sponsored by the Money Follows the Person program, which helps Medicaid-eligible North Carolinians who live in inpatient facilities move back into their communities.
Institute members are front-line professionals who serve transitioning individuals in a variety of ways, including transition coordination, options counseling, case management, peer support, care coordination, in-reach and facility-based discharge planning.
Coming from all parts of the state, these members attend the institute and learn new ways to improve the quality of transitions for older adults, people with disabilities and people with behavioral health needs.
Throughout the summer, institute members identified and analyzed various challenges they encountered while helping people transition. On the institute’s final day, a group of leaders representing several DHHS divisions listened as members shared insights on the Money Follows the Person program and ways the Department could address the systemic challenges that were identified.
The group also recognized Medicaid’s Special Initiatives Associate Director Trish Farnham, who is leaving the Department to work on local community projects in Wilmington.