In this public policy update: Medicaid Tailored Plans move forward; B(3) Services transition to 1915(i); Samantha R lawsuit consent order; State releases new Olmstead Plan for 2024-2026. Medicaid Tailored Plans will move forward as the next phase of Medicaid Transformation goes into effect. North Carolina has been changing its Medicaid system for several years. The…
The Power of Consent
While much attention has been given to understanding the social and communication difficulties faced by many on the autism spectrum, there remains a particularly sensitive topic that demands exploration. That topic is consent. Consent is a term we encounter in various contexts—from personal relationships to legal matters. But what does it truly mean? At its…
Looking Through the Right Lens: Autism-Informed Support
AutismSocietyNC · Blog | Looking Through the Right Lens – 04/17/2024 Recently, I provided autism-informed support and coaching services in a public school, where I visited a first-grade classroom. I watched as a little girl asked for help in tearing her perforated page out of her workbook. A peer offered to help, and she…
Social Stories for the 2024 Solar Eclipse
The Autism Society of North Carolina would like to partner with you during the upcoming solar eclipse to keep your loved ones with autism safe at all times. To help you prepare for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, we have created two social stories; click on the one that you think is most…
Shattering Stereotypes: Intersection of Autism and Black Excellence
Dictionary.com defines the term “Black excellence” as “a high level of achievement, success, or ability demonstrated by an individual Black person or Black people in general. The term is often used to highlight and celebrate specific examples of such achievements and abilities, especially as the hashtag #BlackExcellence.” Many African American family systems value Black excellence…
New Study Highlights the Value of Investing in Direct Support Professionals
New Study A new study on the economic impact of Direct Support Professionals in North Carolina has found that investing in increasing the wages of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who serve people with I/DD, as well as increasing access to DSPs though additional Innovations waiver slots, yields substantial economic benefits to the State of North…
ASNC Policy Update
March 2024 Medicaid Rate Increases and Direct Support Professional Wages In the state budget passed in late September, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated funding to increase the rates paid for certain types of services under North Carolina’s Medicaid programs to increase the pay of individuals providing the critical supports and services to individuals with…
ASNC 2024 Conference | Building the Foundation: Best Practices in Autism
The Building the Foundation Conference hosted by the Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) was a big success this year. More than 300 people were in attendance for this annual event held on Friday, March 8, at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center on the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh. Energy was…
Innovations Waiver Up for Renewal – Public Comments Needed
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has notified us that the Innovations waiver is up for renewal. In NC our Innovations (1915c) waiver is generally approved for five years. The NC 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Innovations Waiver’s current 5-year cycle period will expire on June 30, 2024. NC Medicaid’s goal is…