Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh today announced that Pennsylvania will receive an estimated $58 million in federal reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) through the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program. The funding will support previously approved activities and provide funding for new DHS initiatives and goals that make serving individuals in the community possible.

“The Shapiro Administration is committed to investing in programs that help Pennsylvanians have what they need to live with dignity and independence in the communities of their choosing. We are grateful to our federal partners for supporting this work, and with this additional federal funding, we are able to continue to assist individuals who wish to move from an institutional setting back to the community,” said Secretary Arkoosh.

Pennsylvania has participated in the MFP program since 2008. The MFP program provides reimbursement for administrative activities and an enhanced federal match for a MFP participant’s supportive services for their first year back in the community, resulting in savings to the state. DHS directs these savings toward removing barriers to transition and increasing and improving services. The MFP program has been essential to Pennsylvania in helping more than 6,500 individuals transition into the community. Pennsylvania has been awarded over $200 million to cover a percentage of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and administrative activities.  

In addition to improving transition efforts, MFP also supports capacity building initiatives aimed at ensuring individuals who have transitioned from institutional settings have all necessary supports to prevent recurrent institutionalization. MFP funding has provided DHS with the ability to develop education/outreach, trainings, IT enhancements, data analytics, capacity building, specialized clinical teams, and pilot programs.

MFP is not a grant; it is a reimbursement program that allows states to leverage federal dollars to help Medicaid beneficiaries who live in long-term care facilities to instead receive services they need in a community. The MFP program provides the state with the financial flexibility to allow services to “follow the person” as older Pennsylvanians or those with a disability transition from an institutional setting back into the community.

The current and newly funded activities supported by the 2024 award include:  

Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy at Torrance State Hospital

Torrance State Hospital staff receives extensive training on the use of Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R). CT-R and case-specific work can help individuals facing complex behavioral needs finalize the care service plans needed for community discharge.  

Nursing Home Transition Training

700 nursing facilities will participate in trainings and resident education sessions so nursing facility staff can provide residents with information about the option to receive care and services in the community.  

Capacity Building for the Dual Diagnosis Population and Individuals Under 21

The Capacity Building Institute (CBI) Strategy educates, informs, and trains staff to identify and work with individuals who have a dual diagnosis. CBI offers high level education with focus on best practices in supporting individuals with complex needs. Funding also supports education and training to build capacity of the multiple systems involved in serving individuals under 21 with developmental and intellectual disabilities with complex needs transitioning from Residential Treatment Facilities (RTFs.)  

START PA

The START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) PA Program is a community-based program that assists individuals with an intellectual disability or autism and who have a co-occurring mental illness. START PA builds upon local resources, works to close current gaps in the systems of care, and provides crisis intervention and response services and supports for these individuals in the community instead of in State Hospitals or State Centers.

Trauma Awareness and Intervention Programs

A collection of “micro-learning” resources about trauma-related issues that are updated and disseminated by the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Project via a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing network. The ECHO Project addresses population health needs in a scalable way via tele-mentoring and collaborative care.  

Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund

The state-wide Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund program is aimed at mitigating the perceived risks that landlords experience when considering renting to individuals with disabilities. The overall and intended net impact of this program is to increase this population’s ability to successfully secure rental housing.

Shared-Housing Project

The Shared Housing and Resource Exchange (SHARE) Program, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s shared housing match-up program, addresses the increasing need for affordable housing options for seniors by matching senior homeowners with individuals of all ages who are seeking a home. SHARE is currently operating in 13 counties.

More information on MFP can be found on the federal CMS website.