In 2005, the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department (NM ALTSD) was awarded a five-year, $2,736,384 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Systems Change Grant for Community Living.

The intent of the funding is to help New Mexico continue to build the infrastructure that will result in effective and enduring improvements in community-integrated services and long-term support systems.

With this support, NM ALTSD will, during the course of five years:

● Improve access to long-term support services for the older adult and adults with disabilities populations through a one-stop, single-point-of-entry system for home and community based services (Grant Goal #1);

● Develop a comprehensive, department-wide quality management system (Grant Goal #2); and,

● Transform information technology systems within the department and across state departments to support access to long-term care services (Grant Goal #3).

Grant Goal #1

Improved Access to Long-term Support Services

● Become a one-stop, single point of entry information and assistance system for services needed by the elderly and disabled citizens of the state.

● Offer resource coordination to clients who may have needs in multiple life domains, such as food, housing, physical health, legal assistance, transportation, medication, etc.

● Become the intake assessment system for Adult Protective Services referrals. All individuals referred to APS will have increased access to home- and community-based services through the Aging and Disability Resource Center.

● Offer an individualized care planning tool that will allow clients to identify their needs, goals, strategies for care, timelines, and caregivers in a way that reflects their individualized preferences and decisions.

● Participate in the development of a web-based Social Service Resource Directory, allowing individuals to search for providers and services close to home or statewide.

● Have the tools and the authority to certify the functional and financial eligibility for any of the services that ALTSD oversees programmatically.

● Participate in cross-agency development of a single point of entry eligibility process.

Grant Goal #2

Comprehensive Quality Management System

● Improve our ability to provide effective, efficient, quality, and accessible services to our clients and employees through the development of an integrated, department-wide quality management/performance improvement program.

● Become the quality manager for all home- and community-based services and other long-term care services statewide.

● Provide performance improvement data to be utilized by ALTSD management and staff, planners, and decision and policy-makers to improve service delivery.

Grant Goal #3

Transformation of Information Technology to Support Systems Change

● Transformation of IT systems will be necessary to successfully complete Goal #1.

● Purchase and implement interoperable and integrated IT systems designed to improve client access to long-term care services.

● Link data across ALTSD units and across state agencies.

● Reduce duplication of data.

● Use IT systems to monitor quality of services.