Thursday, January 28, 2021

COVID-19 Updates From ACL

ACL COVID-19 Update

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ACL’s COVID-19 Resources: What’s New

Here's what's new on our COVID-19 resource page

Upcoming webinars:

A national pandemic strategy: The National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness provides detailed information about the seven goals of the Biden Administration's coordinated pandemic response. Among the topics covered are home and community based services, vaccination communication, impact on at-risk groups, equitable access to PPE, and community-based, multi-sector efforts to align health and social interventions. The national strategy reflects the White House's key priorities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New guidance for nutrition programs: Today, ACL released a new Fiscal FAQ for FFY2021 Older Americans Act-Supplemental Nutrition Funding. The document addresses questions regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Supplemental Nutrition Funding, and FFY2021 “Regular” OAA Title III funds.

State efforts to combat isolation: The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Promoting Healthy Aging for People with Long-Term Physical Disabilities recently published a health policy brief on state responses to the social isolation and loneliness faced by adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCMM wants to hear from you: In addition to hosting Thursday's webinar, the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) is collecting examples of transportation efforts related to COVID-19. You are invited to share examples of incidental uses of transportation for essential services during the pandemic and examples of how different transportation agencies are supporting COVID-19 vaccination access.

NCMM also asks mobility management professionals and transit agencies to complete its Transportation Data Standards Survey. The survey gathers state and local transportation and human services stakeholders' input on collecting, reporting, sharing, and coordinating transportation-related data.

Economic Impact Payments: We've continued to update our Economic Impact Payments section with new information from our grantees and federal partners.

Two things to keep in mind:

  • Congregate residential settings are not permitted to take Economic Impact Payment money, even if a facility believes a resident owes money to the facility. Nor may a facility require an individual to allow it, not the individual, to manage and/or spend the money.
  • Economic Impact Payments are not income, and are not a countable asset for the 12 months following the month of receipt. Accordingly, they are not counted towards eligibility for -- or amount, duration, or scope of -- a public benefit like SSI, Medicaid, or SNAP.  As a corollary, transfer of assets provisions do not apply.

COVID-19 and the Direct Services Workforce: The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response recently issued a brief on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Direct Services Providers. The document discusses "the critical role the direct services workforce plays in supporting the health, well-being and resilience of their clients—and the broader health system" and how "gaps in availability of direct services, direct care, supportive services, and home health" have been a significant and increasing problem during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In case you missed it: In December, ACL's Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center hosted a webinar to discuss results from a study on the impact of COVID-19 on adult protective services. A recording of the webinar is now available.


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