Take Action to Protect Meaningful Day

Governor Ferguson reopened budgets. This has given us a new path to protect Meaningful Day and we need EVERYONE involved. Please take a few minutes to send members of the Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees an email we’ve drafted for you. They need to hear from us to bring recognition to Meaningful Day’s positive impact on our residents. Let’s stand united, take action, and ensure our collective voice is heard!

AFH Council Update:
Mission-Focused, Member-Driven

The Council’s Interim Executive Director, Hope Reffett, has an update on how the Council is progressing toward its goals and staying committed to supporting our members. Her personal letter includes highlights such as the successful Lobby Day hosted on March 25, how we’re staying in the fight to protect Meaningful Day, growing membership and partnerships, and more.

Register for our 2025 Spring Conference!

Our 2025 Spring Conference is coming soon to Auburn, Spokane, and Vancouver! Our theme this year, “Bloom Into Marketing” is designed to meet a growing need in the AFH community. We have a packed day planned with networking and vendor opportunities, engaging activities, and insightful presentations to equip providers with tools for marketing success. Plus, we’ll be serving breakfast and lunch to keep everyone energized throughout the day. Get registered and elevate your marketing skills as you learn, connect, and grow with us!

Reimagining DSHS

Message from Acting Secretary

A letter from DSHS Acting Secretary Cheryl Strange explains a plan to “realign and restructure DSHS in a way that measurably improves people’s experiences with our department.” This plan includes changes to the DSHS organizational structure and new goals, such as creating a Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration. Read the full letter at the link below.

Celebrate Residents’ Rights Month!
Resident’s Voice Challenge with National Consumer Voice

October is Residents’ Rights Month. In celebration, the Resident’s Voice Challenge offers an exciting opportunity for your residents to express their thoughts on residents’ rights through essays, poems, artwork, and videos. This is a great way to engage your residents, showcase your AFH’s commitment to honoring residents’ rights, and make a positive impact on a national level. Read the full AFH News post for more details on how you can get involved and engage your residents!

There’s a WAC for That!

Ensuring Compliance with Personnel Record Requirements

WAC 388-76-10198 is aimed at enhancing the management and accessibility of personnel records (your staff) in adult family homes. These regulations are crucial for maintaining high standards of care and ensuring compliance with state requirements. We highlighted essential steps all providers must take to ensure they meet requirements in our newsletter linked below.

Positive Partnerships: AFHs and Long-Term Care Ombuds

Our very own Tammy Stimach, owner of Arbor Rose Inc., had her AFH featured in a televised video celebrating the work of an ombudsman with 19 years of service! Watch the video at the link below and hear Tammy’s insights on this incredible opportunity to showcase AFHs and their impact on our community.

There’s a WAC for That!

Disclosure of Charges and Security Deposits

As an adult family home provider, it’s crucial to adhere to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) regulations to ensure transparency and protect resident rights. Get a brief overview of the key requirements regarding disclosure of charges, notice requirements, and handling of deposits at our newsletter.

Winter RCS AFH Provider Forum Q&As

The RCS AFH Provider Forum is a quarterly meeting with RCS hosted by the AFH Council. They are scheduled with the intention of improving communication, giving providers opportunities to meet with RCS staff, and ensuring provider questions are answered. Please see information on the questions and answers covered from our Winter 2025 session here. The recording can also be viewed at this link.

Long-Term Care Q&A Call — Infection Prevention
Monday, April 7‎ ‎ |‎ ‎ 10:00 AM

Long-term care partners in WA from all settings are invited to join us at a Q&A call about infection prevention topics. This call is for adult family homes, assisted living settings, nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. It will be focused on answering YOUR questions about all aspects of infection prevention, including personal protective equipment (PPE), antimicrobial stewardship, multi-drug resistant organisms, respiratory protection, hand hygiene, isolation, transmission-based precautions and other topics.

Get updates on critical dear provider letters below. To see all letters, visit ALTSA’s page.

Guidance on Immigration Enforcement Operations in Long-Term Care Settings Revised
March 10, 2025

This Dear Provider Letter clarified that RCS does not require knowledge of citizenship status for clients or staff in AFHs. The letter also shares links to immigration resources. Read the letter here.

Investigation And Referral Process For Allegations

Unrelated To Physical Or Sexual Abuse
December 6, 2024

This Dear Provider Letter shares an update to APS’s policy: they will now only investigate allegations of sexual abuse and physical abuse with substantial injury.  The letter also explains what is classified as a “substantial injury.” Read the letter here.

Eastside King County: Apply for a Free Heat Pump!

Another organization has opened free heat pump applications for AFHs in Eastside King County! (Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond or Sammamish). This is being offered with funds from the Climate Commitment Act to specifically serve AFH providers. Heat pumps are an excellent source for reliable heating and can help reduce energy costs, benefiting both you and your residents. Learn more about the requirements and process at our news post linked below.

Updated Community Behavioral
Health Support (CBHS) Guidance

The guidance for Community Behavioral Health Support (CBHS) Supervision services was updated in February 2025. Please review the guidance published by the Health Care Authority and DSHS for more information on claims submissions deadlines and documentation requirements. Please note: the AFH Council is working to understand the full scope of CBHS changes and is engaging in conversations with the Health Care Authority and DSHS. We will provide additional updates as soon as we have them.

March Statewide Chapter Meeting Recap

If you missed our last Statewide Chapter meeting, you can still get the updates we shared by watching the recording! This month, we had updates on the Governor’s proposed budget cuts, MCOs, AFHC marketing, and more!

Webinar Recording: Safety Awareness and Accident Prevention Program Planning

All employers are required to have an Accident Prevention Program, regardless of the number of employees they have. We’re working alongside Pim Savvy to create resources for developing your plan, including a webinar with more information. If you missed our webinar, you can still watch the recording. You’ll gain the tools you need to confidently implement and maintain your program while learning more about state requirements, steps, and helpful resources. You can also access the presentation slides here to follow along while you watch!.

Update on Medical Test Site Waiver Resources

New Dear Provider Letter

A new Dear Provider Letter was sent on November 15 with updated information on available resources. This newest letter supersedes previous letters on Medical Test Site Waivers and includes updated contact information. Read the Dear Provider Letter here.

Medical Test Site Waiver Webinar

A special webinar was hosted by the AFH Council to provide an overview of waived medical test sites in Washington. Attendees learned about the waived license, the application process and licensure requirements. You can view the recording here.

Changes to Residential Support Waiver (RSW)

DSHS recently released a Dear Provider letter outlining changes to the Residential Support Waiver (RSW) scheduled to start July 1, 2025. Services under RSW include Expanded Community Support (ECS) and Specialized Behavior Support (SBS). The state is shifting how it pays for behavioral health support to leverage better federal participation and reduce state costs, which means that SBS and ECS will no longer be the primary program for serving residents needing behavioral or mental health support.

The AFH Council was specifically told that current RSW clients would remain on RSW, and only new residents would begin CBHS— but this letter states they intend to begin converting all eligible residents now. Read our latest AFH News post to learn more about the impact and how we are working to address this information.

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