Staff Action Plans

How to create, sign, and submit a Staff Action Plan.

Creating your First Staff Action Plan
Signing your First Staff Action Plan
Uploading your Signed Staff Action Plan
Staff Action Plan Upload Guide
Staff Action Plan Q&A - Acronyms
Staff Action Plan Q&A - The Portal
Staff Action Plan Q&A - Goals
Staff Action Plan Q&A - SAP Specifics
Staff Action Plan Q&A - Timesheets/MSNs
Staff Action Plan Q&A - Other

Creating your First Staff Action Plan

Updated 2/13/2024

Signing your First Staff Action Plan

Updated 2/13/2024

Uploading your Signed Staff Action Plan

Updated 2/13/2024

Staff Action Plan Upload Guide

This document outlines the process for finalizing and signing a Staff Action Plan.

From the Dashboard for a Participant, select the Staff Action Plan tab.
Click the Draft Plan button.
Finalize the plan
1. Select an option for Care Coordination Organization.
2. Fill in Review Date and Distribution Date.
3. Click Finalize.
4. Add broker signature
  1. Sign or type a signature for Broker Signature
  2. Click Save Signature.
5. Get Participant Signature:
  
  There are two options for this: an electronic signature, or print and sign.
  1. Option 1: Electronic Signature
    - If the Participant has login credentials to the portal and are present, they can enter their credentials in the form fields to validate.
  2. Option 2: Print and Sign
    1. 1. If the participant does not have login credentials to the portal or is not present, select Rather print and sign?
      2. Click Print & Sign.
      3. Click Approve.
      4. Click Download PDF to Sign.
      5. Print the PDF.
      6. Have the Participant or Advocate sign the printed plan.
6. Upload the Signed Plan
  1. Scan the singed plan.
  2. From the Current Staff Action Plan page in the portal, click Upload Signed Plan.
  3. Drag and drop or click to select the scanned document.
7. Download Signed Plan
  1. To download the signed plan that was uploaded, click Download Signed Plan.

Staff Action Plan Q&A - Acronyms

Acronyms

LP – Life Plan
SAP – Staff Action Plan
SDC – Self Direction Coordinator
VO – Valued Outcome
PAG – Provider Assigned Goal
MSN – Monthly Summary Note

Staff Action Plan Q&A - The Portal

Brokers will be prompted to change their password upon logging into the new portal. Will participants/designees also have this option?

Yes, all users will follow the same prompts upon login.
If someone is having difficulty logging in or is not being prompted to sign into the new portal, they need to reach out to websupport@issny.org for guidance.

Is there a place on the portal to view specific budget line breakdowns, for example the fringe rate or amount of staff hours approved?

Not at this time, but that information can be found on the approved budget when you receive it from OPWDD.

Do we need to reach out to the SDC to open up the SAPs for editing?

No. A feature of the new portal is that SAPs do not need to be opened up / rolled back for editing.

Can we sign into the portal during/after the LP meeting to write the SAP right away?

You can, but please keep in mind that you cannot finalize the SAP until the LP is finalized, to ensure all information is accurate and consistent across all documents.

Staff Action Plan Q&A - Goals

How many goals should an LP/SAP Plan have?

There is no set rule, but CH and SEMP both must have at least once PAG in Section II assigned as a Goal or Support for billing purposes.

How should I proceed if there are too many VOs? Some LPs have 10 or more.

The circle should discuss which valued outcomes are most important to the participant at that time and focus on those for the SAP. If a valued outcome is not going to be worked on at this time, then it should be documented in the Life Plan.
If a Care Manager or circle is stating that they do not want to prioritize the goals in the Life Plan, please refer to the "#8-2019 Care Coordination E-Visory." This document includes a CM training from OPWDD which states this is to be done.

Does this mean that we can limit the goals on the timesheets?

If a circle meets and determines that they are only working on a select number of the goals reflected in the LP, the goals chosen are the ones you will include in the SAP. From there, any PAG assigned as Goal or Support will generate on the timesheet.

When it comes to the “type” of PAG, do we need to be concerned about what is billable and what is not?

Yes. Goals and Supports are billable, Tasks are not. Tasks also will not show up on the timesheet. If you need a Task to be billable, please communicate this to the Care Manager and ask that it be reassigned as a Goal or Support.
Even though Tasks are not billable, they still need to be included in the SAP.

What is the frequency of the PAG?

The PAG will have a frequency assigned to it in the Life Plan. It is typically assigned as “ongoing” or “as needed,” but other frequencies are acceptable.
The only frequency that is not acceptable in the Life Plan is “hourly.” This would suggest that the staff are working on the valued outcome every hour, which is most often inaccurate.

What should I do if a PAG is assigned to more than one type of staff, for example CH and SEMP?

In this situation, the PAG would need to be added twice, once assigned to CH and once assigned to SEMP.

Are brokers required to input SEMP and Respite goals? They were automatically generated in the HP.

Yes.
CH and SEMP must have at least one PAG in the Life Plan, and you will add them to the SAP.
Respite may not have a PAG in the Life Plan. In this instance, you will enter the following into the SAP:
- Service Type: Respite
- POMS: N/A
- My Goal: I would like to provide my caregiver(s) with respite relief.
- PAG: (S) Provide respite.
- Frequency: As Needed
- Staff Action: (G) Provide respite to the primary caregiver(s)

Is there still specific verbiage required for SEMP?

No, because the verbiage from ISP to LP has changed. Because everything is generated from the POMS/LP, we don't really have a strong say in the verbiage. It will still need to make sense for the SEMP service (i.e. no volunteering).
It would be in the broker’s best interest when writing staff actions for a SH SEMP goal to reference the 18 allowable supports and services under the SEMP valued outcome of the older habilitation plans as well as the SEMP Administrative Memorandum. The wording does not have to be exact, however it should be referenced to ensure that the supports that staff are providing are in fact billable and allowable SEMP services. The 18 allowable supports and services are as follows:
1. Vocational & skill assessment
2. Person-centered employment planning & job related discovery
3. Job development
4. Training and systematic instruction prior to employment
5. Job placement
6. Job coaching, training, and planning within the work environment
7. Development and review of a business plan (for individuals who are
  pursuing self-employment or are self-employed)
8. Transportation between activities
9. Travel training
10. Development of social skills and social appropriateness in the workplace
11. Benefits support and asset development
12. Job retention and career advancement services
13. Negotiating potential jobs with prospective employers on behalf of an individual
14. Communication with current employer, family, and/or individual’s planning team to discuss individual’s progress, strengths, & areas of need
15. Meetings and communication with staff providing other OPWDD approved services that impact an individual’s ability to successfully achieve employment
16. Documentation of the delivery of SEMP services (timesheet/monthly summary note)
17. Workplace support services enabling individual to be integrated into job setting
18. Other activities previously approved by OPWDD

What service should a respite goal be assigned to?

A goal for Self-Hired Respite should be assigned to Self-Hired Respite.

If a person has FRR in their budget, does this need to be reflected in the SAP?

No, the SAP is only for Self-Hired CH, Self-Hired Respite, and Self-Hired SEMP

Staff Action Plan Q&A - SAP Specifics

Who needs a Staff Action Plan?

An SAP is required for anyone with an LP who has Self-Hired CH, Respite, or SEMP.

Do we have to create a new SAP every time a new staff is hired?

If you are just hiring a new staff for an existing budget line, then no. They would continue to follow the SAP in place.
If a new type of staffing is added to the budget (i.e. adding in SEMP), then the LP and SAP would need to be updated within 60 days of the service authorization date.

The demo SAP from the state including a lot of detailed instruction. Is it okay if the staff action details are a bit shorter?

The quality of the information is what is most important, not the length. As long as the staff action details show a staff not only what to do, but to how to do it, you should be okay.
SDCs will be reviewing the SAPs as they come in and will let you know if there are any issues with the details of the plan.
Please keep in mind that “short and sweet” should not be your intent, but “detailed and informed.” This document is written differently than a Hab Plan. Some staff action details will need to be lengthy.
EXAMPLE:
- POMS: People have the best possible health
- My Goal: I want to lost weight so I can feel better
- Provider Assigned Goal: (G) Provide exercise program
- Staff Actions:
  - Staff will transport Johnny to and from the gym three times a week, for at least 30 minutes.
  - Staff will assist Johnny at the gym by helping him try different machines and classes to see what types of exercises he prefers.
  - Staff will provide oversight while Johnny is using the gym equipment to ensure he remains safe.
  - Staff will help Johnny look into other ways to exercise such as going for walks, playing sports, or swimming in his pool.

What should the review and distribution dates be?

The distribution date will always be the date you send the SAP out to the circle.
For any Life Plan prior to 4/1/19, the SAP review date should be the date of the Life Plan (this will make the distribution date out of compliance – we know this and it is okay)
For any Life Plan after 4/1/19, the SAP review date should be the date of the Life Plan, and it needs to be signed and distributed within 60 days to ensure you are in compliance.
The order of the dates should be as follows:
- Review date on or before the print date
- Print date on or before the signature date
- Signature date on or before the distribution date
- Distribution date on or after the signature date and within 60 days of the review date - the broker signature should always either match or be prior to the distribution date

Is the verbiage different from the HP to the SAP?

YES. The SAP should be detailing not just what staff should be doing, but how. It should provide details on how the staff can best assist the participant to achieve their valued outcome.
Another change from the HP is that the HP often utilized person-first language. The VOs and PAGs in the LP will be set verbiage and may not be person-first, as they are often generic. The staff actions details that brokers will be writing will be directed at the staff as instructions, so the participant may be referenced in third person.

If we have already provided an SAP to ISS, on our own template, do we need to go back and enter it into Harmonix?

If you have already provided ISS with an SAP on your own template and it does not need corrections, we are asking that you enter it into Harmonix to ensure timesheets and MSNs are up to date. If you have any difficulty with this, please reach out to your SDC.
If you have already provided ISS with an SAP on your own template and it does need corrections, you will need to enter it into Harmonix.
If you have not provided ISS with an SAP, you will need to enter it into Harmonix.

The OPWDD SAP template does not require a participant/designee signature. Will ISS’ require this?

Yes. The participant/designee signature is an ISS requirement.

Does the SAP need signatures before it is finalized?

The SAP is finalized prior to signing, once all necessary changes are made.

If I am the primary contact for the person I broker for, how should I sign?

You would sign as both the broker and the designee.

How do we get the participant/designee signature?

The participant/designee can either electronically sign in the portal, or it can be downloaded from the portal to print out.

Once they document is signed by all parties, how do we send it to the SDC?

If it was electronically signed by all parties, please let the SDC know and they will access it through Harmonix. If it was printed and physically signed, please send a copy to the SDC via mail or email.

Updated 04/21/23.

Staff Action Plan Q&A - Timesheets/MSNs

Will each staff type still have their own timesheet?

Yes.

How will the information from the SAP translate to the timesheets/MSN?

The timesheets/MSN will include the Provider Assigned Goals and the staff action details.

How will the timesheets and MSNs be generated now?

Timesheets will continue to be generated by Harmonix until electronic timesheets are up and running.
MSNs will continue to be generated by the Self-Direction Coordinator until electronic MSNs are up and running.

If a behavior, nursing, or other plan is referenced in the SAP, how will that translate onto the timesheet?

If there is another plan in place, please ensure that staff are aware, fully trained, and have access to a copy as needed. The timesheets are only reflecting the PAG and staff action details.

If we haven’t completed an SAP yet, where can we find the current timesheet/MSN?

Please reach out to your SDC for all current timesheets and MSNs.

Staff Action Plan Q&A - Other

Some Life Plans had multiple meetings, were rescheduled, or never written. What should we do in these situations?

Brokers should reach out to the circle in these cases to ensure they have the most up to date documentation.
The Life Plan window has been extended to 12/31/19, so some LPs have been scrapped in favor of an ISP review. In this case, only a Hab Plan would be required.

When should I receive the Life Plan, and from who?

The Care Manager is responsible for distributing the Life Plan and has a 45 day window from the date of the review.
It is strongly recommended that you reach out to the CM for a draft of the Life Plan to ensure you do not need corrections before it is finalized, and that you reach out for the finalized Life Plan if you haven’t received it by day 45.
Please keep in mind that there are errors in the system that develops the Life Plan, and a lot of confusion re: the current guidance and requirements. Many Life Plans are being distributed late. If you are going to be outside of the 60 day window because you have not yet received the finalized Life Plan, please let your SDC know.