OMNI Kudos to Portsmouth CSB for SOR III Intake GPRA Numbers

Happy New Year! In the upcoming year, we will continue to share some shout-outs about CSBs or Agencies that are doing well with intakes, follow-ups, engaging and supporting clients, and/or those that demonstrate a "spirit of inquiry" when engaging with our TA Team on GPRA administration issues.

For this month, we’d like to highlight Portsmouth CSB, for achieving a remarkable 100% of their GPRA intake target within the initial months of the current grant year. Kudos!

We know that everyone is working hard toward meeting their intake goal as set out by DBHDS this year. We would also like to remind everyone of a client-facing tool we have created to hopefully increase client engagement with the GPRA. This tool is the Engagement Sheet for Clients. It helps answer questions they may have, such as, "What is the GPRA?" and "Why do a follow-up GPRA?" 

If you have questions about this or need support with any aspect of GPRA administration, please reach out to our team at OMNI: SORsupport@omni.org.

OMNI Kudos to Southside CSB for reaching more than 50% of their SOR III Intake Goal

We are a few months into Year 2, and wanted to continue sharing some kudos about CSBs or Agencies that are doing well with intakes, follow-ups, engaging and supporting clients, and/or those that demonstrate a "spirit of inquiry" when engaging with our TA Team on GPRA administration issues.

This month, we are highlighting Southside CSB. In our recent review of the data, we noted that Southside has already completed more than 50% of their Year 2 intake target. The Southside team is starting the year off strong with their efforts to complete their important GPRA interviews at intake. Kudos!

We know that everyone is working hard toward meeting their intake goal as set out by DBHDS this year. The TA Team is available to help if you have questions about any aspect of GPRA administration or would like any tips on best practices. If so, please reach out to our team at SORsupport@omni.org

New! Success Stories Report

Since the beginning of SOR, OMNI has been collecting success stories from you all, highlighting the progress made and the lives changed. Putting all the stories together puts into perspective how far-reaching the impact has been and the many lives transformed by SOR-funded services.

We are very excited to share this collection of success stories from the first four years of SOR and hope they inspire you as they have OMNI and DBHDS.

Thank you all for your hard work, and keep sharing your successes with us!

Click here to download.

This is a public document, so feel free to share it with your communities!

November 2023 GPRA Refresher Recording and Materials Now Available!

Thanks to all who were able to join the OMNI Team for our GPRA Refresher Training on Thursday 11/30!

If you were unable to attend, or if you want to review the content, the following is now available for you on our website (here). Here are direct links:

We welcome any other follow-up questions that you may have. Reach out to us at SORsupport@omni.org or fill out the TA Request form on our website.

Automated Email Reminder Changes: Weekly to Bi-Weekly & New Monthly Email

As you know, OMNI sends out periodic automated emails to provide up-to-date information to all CSBs/agencies about current intake and follow-up GPRA statuses. These are automatically emailed when (1) intakes have not been completed for an extended period (over 30 days) or (2) when follow-up windows are open or closing within the next two weeks. Only CSBs/agencies needing these reminders will receive them. These emails serve as an additional resource (in tandem with tracking sheets) for CSBs/agencies to keep track of their overall GPRA workflow.

Starting in December, there will be two changes to these emails:

  1. OMNI will be changing the frequency of these email updates from weekly to bi-weekly (every other week).

  2. A helpful new automated monthly email will arrive to notify you only if your CSB/agency has recorded duplicate interview follow-up or discharge GPRA surveys in the online system. This email is another TA tool to help keep your GPRA data accurate, and we hope you’ll find it useful!

We are happy to report that overall, the total number of GRPA issues has been decreasing as a result of our recent TA with you and your teams! We sincerely appreciate your efforts in collaborating with OMNI to address GPRA issues in a timely way, if and when they arise. We thank you for your dedication to maintaining accurate GPRA data!

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to OMNI with any questions or concerns at SORSupport@omni.org.

Reminder: GPRA Refresher Training Thursday 11/30/23 at 11am-Noon ET

The OMNI team would like to remind you that there will be a one-hour GPRA Refresher Training on Thursday, November 30, 2023 from 11am-noon ET. This training will be an overview of important elements of GPRA completion and provide tips for administering the survey. We will go over existing supporting TA resources, documents, and recordings of prior in-depth GPRA trainings housed on our website.

Click this link to register in advance for the GPRA Refresher Training if you have not already done so: https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEufuutrD0pGNMAODz4vUXSI6pOc6AR5_eF

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Prior-recorded trainings available on our website are recommended for those needing a more-thorough review for completing Intake or Follow-up/Discharge GPRAs. You can find those existing trainings here.

GPRA Refresher Training Thursday 11/30/23 at 11am-Noon ET

OMNI will hold a one-hour GPRA Refresher Training on Thursday, November 30, 2023 from 11am-noon ET. This training will be a high-level overview of important elements of GPRA completion for new staff or anyone who would like a refresher. This training will most directly focus on reviewing the requirements and components of the GPRA and provide tips for administering the survey. We will also point out existing supporting TA resources, documents, and recordings of prior in-depth GPRA trainings housed on our website.

Click this link to register in advance for the GPRA Refresher Training: https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEufuutrD0pGNMAODz4vUXSI6pOc6AR5_eF

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Prior-recorded trainings available on our website are recommended for those needing a more-thorough review for completing Intake or Follow-up/Discharge GPRAs. You can find those existing trainings here.

Reminder - Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs - Survey

Thank you to those who completed the Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs Dashboard Survey!

We still need your help gathering information!

DBHDS and OMNI are partnering to build out a hospital-initiated recovery programs dashboard!

Do any of the peer supporters (e.g., Peer Recovery Specialists) associated with your CSB provide support to emergency department patients? Do you know of hospitals in your area that offer ED-based peer support or MAT bridge programs? Please share any information you have, regardless of whether the services are SOR funded.

Click here to fill out the survey. It is estimated to take approximately 10-15 minutes. 

If you have any questions about the survey or additional information you’d like to share, please reach out to the OMNI SOR Recovery team at sorrecovery@omni.org.

This survey is public, so please feel free to forward the link to others who may have information to add.

We appreciate your help and support!

SOR III Year 2 Kickoff Recording and Materials Now Available!

Thank you to everyone who was able to join the OMNI Team on Tuesday, 10/10, for an informational training and community forum about the start of Year 2 of the SOR III grant period! We are glad we could share more with you about reflections on SOR III Year 1 and refreshers on GPRAs and timelines to make data collection as smooth as possible during Year 2.

If you were unable to attend, or if you want to review the content, the following is now available for you on our website in the New to the GPRA Section. The direct links are below:

We had several questions come up during the training that we want to answer for you below:

Q1: Will individuals need to submit a new intake GPRA for continuing clients for Year 2?

A: No, clients who will continue receiving services in Year 2 do not need to complete a new intake GPRA.

Q2: Should a client receive a discharge GPRA if they are still receiving treatment services, but those services are no longer SOR-funded?

A: In general, clients should receive a discharge GPRA once they are no longer receiving any services or when services they receive are no longer SOR-funded, AND those services are not provided by a SOR-funded staff member. When completing the discharge GPRA for a client who is continuing to receive services and meets the above criteria, the reason for termination should be “Referred to another program or other services…”

Q3: If someone starts receiving Medicaid after they have completed an intake, should they then complete a discharge GPRA?

A: If a client has already completed an intake GPRA but is no longer using SOR funds to cover their services AND is not receiving services from a SOR-funded staff member, then that client should complete a discharge GPRA.

Our general guidance on Medicaid is as follows: private insurance/Medicaid should be used to cover the services that can be covered since SOR funds could be utilized for another client who does not have alternative coverage. If a portion of the services cannot be covered by their insurance, then SOR funds can supplement for the un-covered services. If there is a client who does not need SOR funding at all (insurance pays for everything AND they aren't receiving anything from a SOR-funded staff member), they are not part of the grant and thus not part of the GPRA. (Note: Only clients with stimulant use disorder or OUD diagnosis can have services be SOR-funded.)

If you need any further clarification or if you have questions about the training or the GPRA, please reach out to us at SORSupport@omni.org or fill out the TA Request form on our website. We will be hosting a GPRA Refresher training on Thursday, November 30, at 11 a.m. ET. Be on the lookout for the announcement coming your way in a couple of weeks!

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.112 Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.112-1113 The Federal awarding agency must establish conflict of interest policies for Federal awards. The non-Federal entity must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with applicable Federal awarding agency policy. Failure to adhere to these statues will result in immediate termination of funding.

Virginia’s State Opioid Response (SOR) grant is awarded at the discretion of DBHDS and SAMHSA. All recipients of SOR funding supports evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery services to address opioid and stimulant misuse and use disorders, including for cocaine and methamphetamine. The SOR grant is not intended to be utilized as a long-term or permanent funding source. All SOR proposals must include a realistic plan for financial sustainability beyond the grant period.