Maria Horn

As the state starts to plan out what the re-opening of our economy will look like, there’s tension between protecting public health and reviving the economy.  But it’s not really a choice between those two goals: we have to do both, which is a tricky and complicated balancing act. 
 
We’re doing that balancing every day in our own lives: being positive and reassuring with our kids, while surrounded with pain and uncertainty; showing generosity and patience in our work, then lashing out a spouse or partner for some insignificant thing; being proud of our self-reliance in the face of this pandemic, and being able to reach for help when we need it.
 
We all need help as we work our way through this, but asking for help is hard for many of us.  I wanted to start off by highlighting a few helping hands that have been offered this week.  You can help by spreading the word and make sure these resources reach those who need it. 

Help for those experiencing family violence
 
COVID-19 is creating challenges all around us. For victims and survivors of domestic violence, we know that abusers may take advantage of this period of social distancing to further isolate and abuse you. We want you to know that you are not alone.
 
Governor Lamont signed an executive order making it possible to file for a family violence restraining order completely online. This will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring that victims have access to this critical safety measure. Domestic violence advocates are ready to assist you with the process.
 
In Connecticut, safe, free and confidential services for victims of domestic violence are available through Safe Connect, which is up and running throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates can:

• Guide you through the restraining order process remotely
• Scribe the application on your behalf
• Electronically submit the application to the court
• Coordinate service of process with a state marshal

Safe Connect, a project of the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence, is CT’s domestic violence resource hub. In addition to assisting with the electronic filing of a restraining order, they can provide you with information, safety planning, counseling, and referrals to a local CCADV domestic violence member organization for ongoing support and services locally. Whether you’re a victim, survivor, professional or someone who suspects that a loved one is experiencing abuse at home, Safe Connect is ready to help.
 
Safe Connect advocates are available 24/7 throughout COVID-19. They can be reached via call, chat or email. Bilingual services are available. Please visit www.CTSafeConnect.org, call 888.774.2900 or email SafeConnect@ctcadv.org to connect with an advocate today!

Help for frontline workers who need childcare
 
The CTCARES for Frontline Workers Enhanced Subsidy Fund, a program from the Office of Early Childhood (OEC), helps Connecticut’s frontline workers pay for childcare.  Applications will be accepted Friday April 24, 2020 through Friday, May 22, 2020.
 
If you’re a frontline worker struggling to find or pay for childcare, this program will help you. The OEC has a $10 million fund to help you pay for licensed child care at a center, family child care home, or group child care home.
And if you need care outside of licensed program hours — we can still help. We will pay the same funding to an adult (age 20 and older) who is not the child’s parent to care for your child while you’re working.
 
Frontline workers include those who must work outside of their own home for at least 8 hours a week caring for people, or provide direct services and essential goods to maintain human livelihood during Governor Lamont’s Stay Safe, Stay Home order.
 
For more detailed information visit: www.ctoec.org/covid-19/
 
Call 2-1-1 Child Care to let them know you want to apply. You will find out if you are eligible and what childcare programs are near you. To access 2-1-1 Child Care,
dial 800-505-1000.

Help for parents and caregivers
 
Parents who need support managing these challenges are invited to call 833-258-5011 and speak with trained professionals who will listen and speak with them about their concerns and, if additional help is needed, refer them to responsive services. They can also utilize their phones to visit www.talkitoutct.com and click on the link to be connected to the same caring professionals.
 
The "Talk It Out Line" is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and on weekends from 1 pm to 8 pm and has both English and Spanish capacity.
 
Help paying expenses: Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fund
 
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fund is making emergency grants for health services, food, utilities, short-term housing costs and other critical needs for residents in crisis around our region. These resources are available for individuals and families experiencing sudden economic distress due to the coronavirus pandemic. Residents are encouraged to contact social service agencies to submit an application. Learn more about the fund and view a list of social workers by clicking here.​

List of topics:

• New $484 billion federal relief bill passed
• Executive Order 7DD, including provisions re telehealth, various health care licensure issues
• Executive Order 7EE, including provisions re mandatory reporting for nursing homes and assisted living facilities
• Executive Order 7FF, including provisions re telehealth
• Governor Lamont announces federal approval of $72.3 million in new SNAP food benefits for children in free and reduced-price school lunch program
• Residents encouraged to consider non-perishable food donations to Connecticut’s food pantries
• Program to coordinate housing solutions for individuals re-entering society
• Governor announces members of Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group
• Discussions with New York and New Jersey on a regional contract tracing strategy
• Update from the Department of Labor on the processing of unemployment claims
• Connecticut receives $2 million federal grant for mental health services in response to pandemic

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus.​

Updated nursing home data anticipated released today
 
The following document is a list of every nursing home in Connecticut with residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, along with corresponding data regarding the number of related fatalities among residents in each facility. The data was reported to the state by each of the nursing homes. This list is updated on a weekly basis.

**Download: Connecticut Nursing Homes with Residents Positive for COVID-19 by Town as of April 22, 2020

New $484 billion federal relief bill passed
 
The new $484 billion coronavirus relief bill, mentioned in my last newsletter, has now been signed by the President.
 
The funding package contains the following key provisions:

• $370 billion for small businesses, including:
  • $320 billion for the depleted Paycheck Protection Program
    • $60 billion of this will be specifically designated to small lenders and community based financial institutions, to serve the needs of un-banked and underserved small businesses and non-profits, especially rural, minority, and women-owned businesses.
  • $50 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, for which farmers are now eligible;
• $75 billion for hospitals
• $25 billion for increased testing and contact tracing capabilities
• $10 billion for the Emergency Economic Injury Grant Program 

It contains no additional funding for state or local governments.
 
Businesses interested in applying through the PPP fund should file on or after the program re-opening on Monday, April 27 at 10:30 am, by clicking here.

Executive Orders:
 
On Wednesday, the Governor signed Executive Order No. 7DD, enacting the following provisions:
 

• Additions to the definition of telehealth provider: Modifies state statutes to add any licensed dentist, behavioral analyst, genetic counselor, music therapist, art therapist, and veterinarian to the definition of telehealth provider.
• Flexibility for Medicaid-enrolled providers and in-network providers for commercial fully insured health insurance to perform telehealth through additional methods: Modifies Section 5 of Executive Order No. 7G regarding the delivery of telehealth with an updated definition and requirements for telehealth.
• Additions to permissible out-of-state healthcare providers: Modifies state statutes to additionally allow the commissioner of the Department of Public Health to issue an order to suspend, for a period not to exceed sixty consecutive days, the requirements for licensure, certification, or registration for occupational therapists; alcohol and drug counselors; radiographers, radiologic technologists, radiologist assistants, and nuclear medicine technologists; dentists; dental hygienists; behavioral analysts; genetic counselors; music therapists; art therapists; dietician-nutritionists; and speech and language pathologists.
•  Participation in intern, resident physician, or United States Medical Officer candidate training programs prior to permit issuance: Modifies state statutes to allow a person to participate in an intern or resident physician program or United States Medical officer candidate training program prior to issuance of a permit by the Department of Public Health provided that the hospital administrator documents that the person has satisfied the requirements for such a permit set forth in the statute.
• Participation in resident physician assistant program prior to permit issuance: Modifies state statutes to allow a person to participate in a resident physician assistant program in a short-term hospital that provides a postgraduate medical education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, without a license or temporary permit or a training permit issued by the Department of Public Health, provided that the hospital administrator documents that the person is to be appointed a resident physician assistant in such hospital and has satisfied certain requirements.
• Temporary suspension of physician assistant supervision restrictions: Modifies state statutes to suspend the supervision requirements for physician assistants authorized to practice in the State of Connecticut.
• Temporary suspension of in-person supervision requirement for advanced practice registered nurses: Modifies state statutes to suspend the requirement that a physician, medically directing the prescriptive activity of an advanced practice registered nurse who is prescribing and administering medical therapeutics during surgery, must be physically present in the institution, clinic, or other setting where the surgery is being performed.
• Provision of services by respiratory care therapist and respiratory care technician students: Modifies state statutes to allow a respiratory care therapist student or a respiratory care technician student to provide services except that the services are not required to be a component of such person’s course of study.
• Suspension of continuing education requirement for health care providers: Suspends certain continuing education requirements for one year for occupations and professions with annual education requirements, and for other occupations and professions the continuing education completion period and reporting requirements are suspended for six months.
• Modification of 36-month age limit for Birth-to-Three services: Modifies state statutes to authorize the commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood to temporarily expand the definition of “eligible children” to include children who are receiving Birth-to-Three intervention services but reach the age where they would no longer be eligible.

On Thursday, Governor Lamont signed Executive Order No. 7EE, enacting the following provisions:

• Mandatory reporting by managed residential communities: Requires all managed residential communities, including assisted living facilities, to provide daily status reports to the state using the existing Connecticut Hospital and Long-Term Care Mutual Aid Plan.
• Mandatory reporting by nursing homes: Requires all nursing homes to provide daily status reports using the Connecticut Hospital and Long-Term Care Mutual Aid Plan.
•  Civil Penalties for failure to comply with mandatory reporting: Subjects nursing homes that fail to comply with the mandatory reporting requirements of this order to civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.
• Waiving certain Medicaid prior authorization requirements: Modifies state statutes and regulations to authorize the commissioner of the Department of Social Services to temporarily waive, suspend, or modify any prior authorization and other utilization review requirements.
• Waiving Medicaid bed reservation requirements for residents who are on leave from intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities: Authorizes the commissioner of the Department of Social Services to temporarily waive, suspend, or modify requirements to reserve beds for certain time periods for residents who are on home leave or who are hospitalized.
• Waiving requirements for signed delivery receipt for medical equipment, devices, and supplies: Authorizes the commissioner of the Department of Social Services to temporarily waive, suspend, or modify requirements for providers of medical equipment, devices, and supplies to obtain a signed delivery receipt from the Medicaid member as a condition of payment.

Executive Order 7FF, including provisions re telehealth

Today, Governor Lamont signed Executive Order No. 7FF, enacting the following provision:

• Additional flexibility for Medicaid-enrolled providers to perform telehealth through audio-only methods for new patients: Expands the definition of telehealth services in order to permit Medicaid-enrolled providers offering covered telehealth services to “new or established patients” who are Medicaid recipients to engage in telehealth through the use of audio-only telephone.

Governor Lamont announces federal approval of $72.3 million in new SNAP food benefits for children in free and reduced-price school lunch program
 
Governor Lamont announced that the State of Connecticut received federal approval today for its plan to provide $72.3 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to children eligible for the free and reduced-price meals program. Authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the new Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program is expected to bring food benefits to about 270,000 Connecticut children who are not able to receive meals at school.
 
The Department of Social Services (DSS) initially estimates that it will issue approximately $34 million to 70,000 SNAP-eligible households and $38.3 million to 80,000 non-SNAP-eligible households for school closures extending from March 17 through May 20. DSS partnered with the State Department of Education on the plan approved today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services.
 
DSS estimates that SNAP benefits will be deposited in EBT accounts beginning in mid-May. Families do not need to apply for these benefits, as children are automatically eligible because school is not in session.  The planned benefit is $267.90 per child enrolled in the free and reduced-price meals program.  Additional benefits may be provided if school closures extend beyond May 20. Further information will be posted as it becomes available at www.ct.gov/snap.
 

Residents encouraged to consider non-perishable food donations to Connecticut’s food pantries
 
Governor Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents with extra canned and other non-perishable food items to make a donation to a food pantry in their area. To find local food pantries, visit www.211ct.org/foodpantries. Monetary donations are also welcome, as are monetary donations to Connecticut’s regional food banks – Foodshare and the Connecticut Food Bank.
 

State launches program to coordinate housing solutions for individuals re-entering society
 
The Connecticut Office of Policy Management (OPM) – in partnership with the Department of Housing, the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH), United Way 2-1-1, the Department of Correction (DOC), and housing and homeless service providers across the state – is launching a new program to coordinate housing solutions for individuals re-entering the community from incarceration.
 
OPM has awarded an initial grant of $148,500 to provide flexible funds to assist re-entry clients, who would otherwise be discharging to homelessness, identify and secure alternative housing solutions. CCEH will be administering these funds, which are flexible and can be used for housing related costs such as moving expenses, security deposits, and rental assistance in order to prevent homelessness.
 
Key homeless service providers across the state have expanded their capacity to assist these clients prior to discharge, working with DOC, CCEH, United Way 2-1-1, and Court Support Services Division within the Connecticut Judicial Branch to coordinate solutions and reduce inflows into homelessness. The Transitions Clinic at Yale also offers important medical and mental health support coordination for individuals re-entering the community. Under this grant, funding for cell phones for reentering citizens is included to help individuals connect with telehealth providers such as Transitions to coordinate their healthcare needs remotely wherever possible and help prevent unnecessary use of hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency healthcare needs.
 
Regional lead agencies include Supportive Housing Works, Community Health Resources, New London Homeless Hospitality Center, Thames Valley Council for Community Action, Mental Health Connecticut, United Way of Greater New Haven, and New Opportunities.
  
This program is part of a larger, statewide multi-agency effort to improve outcomes for re-entry clients and decrease the intersection between the criminal justice system and homelessness. CCEH, OPM, and DOC conducted a data-matching project that was released in 2019 and found that 20 percent of individuals in shelters had been incarcerated within the last three years.
 

Governor announces members of Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group
 
Governor Lamont announced on Thursday the members who will serve on the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group – the panel of local health, business, workforce, and education experts organized by AdvanceCT that will consult with his administration and legislative leadership on the reopening of Connecticut’s economy and education system as the nation emerges from the unprecedented public health emergency caused by COVID-19.
 
Each member was chosen because of either their expertise in the field of medicine and science; their experience as a member of Connecticut’s business community; their representation of the workforce; their proficiency regarding the needs of the state’s at-risk populations; or their leadership role within the education system.
 
Members of the advisory group, along with Governor Lamont’s Chief of Staff Paul Mounds, Jr., will be meeting weekly with the leadership of the Connecticut General Assembly for advice and counsel, including Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, House Minority Leader Themis Klarides.
  
The Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group is a separate entity from the multi-state, regional council that the State of Connecticut has joined with the governors of several other states from the northeast. The purpose of this localized group is to specifically focus on the needs of Connecticut’s towns, cities, business community, workforce, at-risk populations, and education system. The governor expects that many of the recommendations and advice developed by this advisory group, along with those of legislative leaders, will be useful in his administration’s ongoing discussions with the multi-state, regional council.
 
Click here to see the full list of the members of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group.

Lamont administration initiates discussions with New York and New Jersey on a regional contract tracing strategy
 
The Lamont administration announced that it has initiated discussions with the governors of New York and New Jersey regarding a regional contact tracing strategy. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a partnership with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg through the Bloomberg Philanthropies. Governor Lamont expressed the need for a regional approach concerning contact tracing that complements existing staff, volunteers, processes, and technology as all of the states’ residents are in contact with each other on a regular basis, especially commuters in and out of New York City.
 
 
Update from the Department of Labor on the processing of unemployment claims
 
The Connecticut Department of Labor provided $83 million in benefits this past week and has now processed 327,000 of the 402,000 applications the agency has received since March 13, when unemployment began to spike due to the pandemic and resulting business closures. In the past five weeks, the agency has now provided $230 million in unemployment benefits.
 
The DOL continues programming work, including developing new systems to accommodate the three federal stimulus programs for unemployment insurance. This includes programming for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) that will allow the agency to add the additional $600 to weekly state benefit payments, and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) that provides benefits for self-employed individuals. FPUC is scheduled to begin the week of April 27, and the agency expects to begin accepting applications for PUA by April 30 with both programs to be retroactive.
 
The third federal program, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) is a 13-week federal extension that will allow eligible claimants to collect the additional weeks after exhausting the 26 weeks of state benefits. The agency plans to have this system in operation by mid-May.
 
If you have recently filed an application for unemployment benefits, remember to look for an email from the Labor Department that advises of next steps for filing a weekly claim. This includes checking any spam or junk email boxes. DOL recommends claimants select direct deposit for receiving benefits since this is the quickest method. Those choosing direct deposit will have their benefits sent directly to a checking or savings account of their choice within two business days after a claim application has been processed and approved for payment. In contrast, due to the national pandemic, a shortage of debit cards is causing up to a four-week delay when the bank issues the cards.

Connecticut receives $2 million federal grant for mental health services in response to pandemic
 
The State of Connecticut has been awarded a $2 million grant from the federal government to address behavioral health care needs of specific populations in the state that have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. The grant, awarded to the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will support service needs over the next year and a half. Its primary focus is to address the needs of persons with severe mental illness, substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, youth with severe emotional disturbances and their families, individuals with less severe mental health conditions, and healthcare practitioners.
 
The funding will be used by DMHAS to launch the Connecticut COVID-19 Behavioral Health Response and Assistance (Connecticut COBHRA) initiative. It will be a collaborative effort that includes the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The grant will support a number of activities focused on improving the health outcomes of those individuals affected by COVID-19 including:

• Purchasing telehealth equipment for DMHAS providers and DOC health care practitioners;
• Enhancing eight DMHAS-funded mobile crisis teams with additional clinicians;
• Providing staffing to a new statewide call center for adult crisis calls at United Way 2-1-1; and
• Expanding the DCF Family Based Recovery services for youth and their families.

The grant will also increase services for victims of intimate partner violence and support the behavioral health needs of health care practitioners. A final component of the grant will provide support to employee assistance programs at DMHAS-funded agencies.

Governor Lamont encourages residents to sign up for the state’s CTAlert notification system
 
Governor Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents to sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system, which provides text message notifications to users. To subscribe, text the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

Providing information to Connecticut residents
 
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.
 
Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access. It intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.

It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.