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DHHS pitches assessment‑informed rates, workforce grants and roadmap for developmental services
Summary
At the Feb. 10 Finance Division II hearing, DHHS associate commissioner Chris Santanello outlined a multi‑year plan to improve uniformity and sustainability in the developmental‑services system, including stakeholder workgroups, rate methodology development and $15.6 million in federal HCBS reinvestment grants for workforce development.
Chris Santanello, associate commissioner overseeing developmental services at the Department of Health and Human Services, told the House Finance Division II that department leaders have pursued compliance issues and then turned to system strengthening, workforce recruitment and a move toward assessment‑informed rates.
Santanello said the department completed a corrective‑action process required by federal oversight and on July 1, 2023 was found compliant in areas that previously limited reform work. After finishing compliance steps the department convened family forums, provider sessions and stakeholder surveys to establish shared values: choice for individuals, uniformity of access, program quality and long‑term sustainability.
The department has 10 area agencies designated to operate locally; these are nonprofit organizations that share governance of the system and determine eligibility for services under RSA 171‑A. Santanello emphasized the system characteristic that agencies and providers may not provide both service coordination and direct services for the same person—an operational control established in the current model.
Assessment‑informed rates and…
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