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Sunhsine Care Network

Sunshine Care Network provides professional staffing services to organizations that are licensed to provide HCBS services.

Purpose of Home andCommunity-Based Services (HCBS)

Enable children/youth to remain at home, and/or in the community, thus decreasing institutional placement.

To safely return a child/youth from a higher level of care and back to the community with services to maintain them at home and/or in the community.

Expand service options currently available to children and adolescents for better outcomes and to intervene earlier.

HCBS is for high needs and high-risk children/youth and to prevent institutional level of care (i.e., hospitalization, residential, nursing home, etc.)

woman talking with physician

To be eligible for the HCBS program, the client must:

  • Be under the age of 21
  • Be NYS Medicaid eligible
  • Must have a physical health, Developmental Disability, and /or mental health diagnosis with related significant needs that place them at risk for hospitalization or institutionalization Or HCBS is needed for the Child / Youth to return home from a higher level of Care.
  • Must Meet
    • Target Population
    • Risk Factors
    • Functional Criteria

Target Population Criteria Defined

  • Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)
  • Medically Fragile Children (MF)
  • Developmental Disability (DD)* and Medically Fragile (MF)
  • Developmental Disability (DD)* and in Foster Care
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Risk Factors Defined

They point out the high needs or high risk for a Child/Youth at risk for treatment in a more restrictive setting

Risk are defined as:

  • Child/Youth is currently in an out-of-home placement
  • Child/Youth has been in out-of-home placement recently
  • Child/Youth has applied for Out-of-home placement
  • Child/Youth is currently multi-system involved and needs complex support to remain successful in the community

Risk factors differ based on the selected target population.

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Functional Criteria Defined

  • Functional Criteria refers to the specific, observable abilities or behaviors that a child should demonstrate in daily life activities.
  • Functional Criteria assess how a child’s mental health diagnosis, behaviors, and/or conditions impact their ability to perform daily living tasks.
  • Functional Criteria is a subset of questions that are determined by the designated Target Population and Risk Factors that are associated with the Child/Youth.

Programs Offered

Planned Respite

  • Planned Respite – may be delivered at home, in the community, or at any allowable location.
  • Planned Respite services provide short-term relief for families/caregivers and support the child’s mental health, substance use, and/or health care goals.
  • Planned Respite is scheduled short-term care to provide caregivers a break while the Child/ Youth is in a safe and structured environment, engaging in supervised activities.

Community Habilitation covers in-person services and supports related to the Child/Youth’s acquisition, maintenance and enhancement of skills necessary to Activities of Daily Living ( ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL’s) and/or health related tasks delivered in the community.

Service Components

  • Self-Care
  • Life Safety
  • Medication and Health Management
  • Communication Skills
  • Mobility
  • Community Transportation Skills
  • Community Integration
  • Appropriate Social behaviors
  • Problem Solving
  • Money Management

CFASS Services enhance the Child/Youth’s ability to function as part of a Caregiver/Family unit and enhance the Caregiver/Family’s ability to care for the Child/Youth in the home or community.

Service Components

Independently access Community Services and Activities.

Offers tools to appropriately prevent or de-escalate problems when the Child/Youth is experiencing difficulty

Assist the Caregiver/Family unit in understanding and addressing the Child/Youth’s needs related to their disability.

Prevocational Services are individually designed to prepare a Youth (14 or older) to engage in paid work, volunteer work, or career exploration. The services are not job-specific but rather geared toward success in any work environment.

Service Components

  • Ability to:
    • Communicate with co-workers, supervisors, and customers
    • Follow directions
    • Attend and complete tasks
  • Punctuality and Attendance
  • Problem-solving skills and strategies
  • Appropriate Workplace Behavior

HCBS Modality and Settings

Modality

Indivdual

  • Family – with or without the child present, as long as the contact is in the treatment plan.
  • Collateral – family and/or collateral contact with or without the child present
  • Group – may be delivered under Rehabilitative Supports and Rehabilitative Psychoeducation. Groups cannot exceed 8 participants.

Settings

  • Site-based
  • Home
  • Other community-based settings where the child/youth lives, works, attends school, engages in services, and socializes.

Our Services

  • Sunshine Care Network provides:
  • Recruitment of non-clinical mental health staff
  • HR onboarding of employees
  • Initial and ongoing staff training, including:
    • Documentation of state-sponsored trainings
    • Orientation to the HCBS agency’s policies and procedures
    • Medicaid Compliance training
    • Use of the agency IT program
  • Ongoing supervision of staff to ensure quality of service
  • Collaboration with HCBS coordinators to ensure each child’s progress

Enrollment Process

  • Step 1: The new client is referred using our website referral form

  • Step 2: An intake coordinator contacts the parent to explain the intake process and notifies the Health Home Care Management or C-YES providers

  • Step 3: The Enrollment / Eligibility process is completed by the Care Management team.

  • Step 4: Appropriate Caregiver is assigned and introduced to the Family and Child/Youth.

  • Step 5: Services begin. Care Management and Service Providers work with Family to ensure that Child/Youths life is enhanced by services as provided.