Changes to Respite and Family Support
Beginning July 1, InCommunity is implementing new policies that affect Respite services and Family Support funding for Spectrum programs. Under these new policies, Respite funding can no longer be used for Spectrum’s programs. Please take a few minutes to review these important updates to understand how the changes may impact your family and the steps needed to ensure continued Family Support funding and participation in Spectrum programs.
Hello Spectrum/InCommunity Families!
We wanted to make you aware of the changes that InCommunity (IC) is implementing beginning July 1st that will affect our programs.
Respite
We will no longer be able to accept Respite vouchers for any of Spectrum’s programs beginning July 1st. Starting on that date, Respite can only be provided in a residential setting either in your home or in the provider’s home. Spectrum’s programs will no longer qualify under this new policy. It’s our understanding from IC that they will be sending out an approved Respite provider list on or around 7/1. Please be on the lookout for that and please contact them with any questions you might have.
Family Support
All of our programs will continue to qualify under your Family Support funding and we can submit invoices on your behalf once we have:
1. Your Approval Letter showing your funding amounts;
2. Your Service Plan showing what services you are approved for;
3. Your SIGNED Acceptance Letter showing both yours and Amaya Baker’s signatures.
We are now required by IC to have these forms on hand before we can bill for any services on your behalf. Our thanks to those that have already sent them in to us. We have reached out several times over the past two months requesting these items. If we have not received them from you by July 15th, we will be removing any coupon codes that have been put in place and any balances will be due at that time. Getting these documents is the only way we have of knowing that you have reapplied for your funding and have been approved.
Please be aware that your funding is not in place until you have returned signed copies of your renewal packet to IC. Families have until 7/15 to return their signed documents. If they have not been received by IC at that time, we’ve been told that the funding will be cancelled.
You will also be responsible this year for knowing how much funding you have spent at all points during the fiscal year. We can only submit invoices on your behalf if you have enough funding left to cover the cost of the service. IC has told us that they will be sending out quarterly reports to parents this year letting them know how much they have spent and with which providers.
We are now only allowed to invoice the first five days of the month, so this may mean that you could be waiting a little longer for reimbursements depending on IC’s processing schedule and how quickly their accounting department sends out payments.
Finally, we hope that you will be getting more information from IC that will cover any questions that you might have about these changes. We’ve been told that they plan to have quarterly meetings with families to help answer any questions. We encourage you to reach out to IC if you have questions prior to them scheduling these meetings.
Going forward, it’s imperative that you check your email on a regular basis. This is our primary form of communication regarding any changes that you need to know about or to get any information we might need from you to complete your invoices and submit them in a timely manner to IC. Thank you in advance for your partnership in this effort!