Glossary

A Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) waiver that gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority to approve experimental, pilot, or demonstration projects that promote the objectives of Medicaid and Community Health Provider (CHP) programs. Purpose of these demonstrations is to give States additional flexibility to design and improve their programs and to demonstrate and evaluate new policy approaches.

Information and referral providers that are connected with the goal of providing seamless access to information and referral services for people who contact 211. Included may be specialized information and referral programs and organizations that provide a related service such as volunteer placement or crisis intervention.

Information and referral providers who have taken the lead in implementing 211 in their community, generally in collaboration with other organizations that provide some type of information and referral or a related service such as volunteer placement or crisis intervention. In most cases, the lead agency operates the call center to which 211 calls are routed and handles the inquiries directly or forwards appropriate calls to participating collaborative members via call transfer or a menu system that allows inquirers to select the organization they wish to contact.

A local group of information and referral providers, both general and specialized, who have agreed to coordinate information and referral service delivery to provide seamless access to information about community resources via the three digit number assigned for this purpose, 211. Depending on the size and nature of the community, 211 systems may consist of only a few organizations that provide information and referral or may include a larger and more diverse array of organizations that furnish some type of I&R. Some of these organizations may supply a very specialized type of I&R service (e.g., for people with disabilities or older adults), while others may provide more general assistance. The coordination of all I&R services and programs within a community and, where relevant, beyond, constitutes the 211 system.

A 29-I Health Facility is a voluntary foster care agency (VFCA) that is licensed for the provision of limited health-related services to contract and bill Medicaid Managed Care Plans and complies with Corporate Practice of Medicine standards. To be licensed as a VFCA Health Facility, the foster care agency must be approved by both the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and the NYS Department of Health.

Programs that have implemented 311 as a dialing code to help people access non-emergency police and other local government services such as public works, animal control, and code compliance.

NYS approved private 853 schools, created by Chapter 853 of the Laws of 1976, are operated by private agencies and provide day and/or residential programs for students with disabilities. A Committee on Special Education (CSE) may recommend a placement of a student with a disability in an approved private school when it determines that the student can not be appropriately educated in the home school district, a neighboring district, or in the programs of a board of cooperative educational services (BOCES) program.

Individuals younger than age 18 who have been subjected to a persistent pattern of violence and/or neglect which may include: emotional abuse; emotional deprivation; physical abuse and/or corporal punishment that results in a traumatic condition; physical neglect and/or inadequate supervision; and/or sexual abuse or exploitation.

Counseling that assists students in selecting a course of studies suited to their abilities, interests, future plans, and general circumstances.

Refers to both:

• additional instruction that supplements the instruction provided in the general curriculum and assists students in meeting NYS Learning Standards; and/or
  
  
• student support services (e.g., guidance, counseling, attendance training, and study skills training) needed to improve students’ academic performance.

Academic intervention services assist students who are at risk of not achieving the Learning Standards in English language arts, mathematics, social studies and/or science, or who are at risk of not gaining the knowledge and skills needed to meet or exceed designated performance levels on NYS-prescribed learning assessments. Academic intervention services must be made available to students with disabilities on the same basis as non-disabled students, provided that such services are consistent with a given student’s Individualized Education Program.

Official copies of student academic records; or that evaluate the educational records of foreign students for educational equivalency.

Information to support people with disabilities and/or special needs having access on an equal basis as everyone else. Accessibility information may refer to the accessibility of parks, airports, public buildings, and other facilities for use by people who have restricted mobility. It also may refer to the accessibility of information and communication technology and systems.  

Building or facilitating the construction of barrier-free homes for people with disabilities.

Software adaptations including word prediction programs, talking and large print word processors, grammar and spell checkers, and reading comprehension programs that enable individuals with disabilities to access word processing or other computer programs.

A group of health care providers and suppliers of services (e.g., hospitals, physicians, and others involved in patient care) who agree to be collectively accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of an assigned group of Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service program (i.e., those who are not in the Medicare Advantage private plan). ACOs represent a type of payment and delivery model that seeks to tie provider reimbursements to measures of quality and reductions in the total cost of care for an assigned population of patients. ACOs are expected to function as patient-centered organizations where patients and providers are true partners in care decisions. Patient and provider participation in an ACO is voluntary.

Tests that measure the knowledge, skills, and understanding students have gained from their academic work.

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act is a federal law that was signed into law in 2014. One year later, New York enacted its own ABLE Act. The federal and state ABLE Acts enable the creation of tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. The intent of this legislation is to ease financial strains faced by individuals with disabilities by making tax-free savings accounts available to cover qualified expenses such as education, housing, and transportation. ABLE accounts supplement, but do not supplant, benefits provided through private insurances, the Medicaid program, the supplemental security income program, the beneficiary’s employment, and other sources.

An ABLE account may fund a variety of essential expenses for individuals including medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing and transportation. The ABLE Act provides individuals with disabilities the same types of flexible savings tools that all other Americans have through college savings accounts, health savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts.

Materials which have been adapted for use by people with disabilities in drawing, painting, ceramics, crafts projects, or other visual art forms.

Bicycles that have been modified for use by people with disabilities. Also, seat belts, leg braces, back supports, pedal risers, heel straps, and other specialized equipment that can be installed at home, and/or adaptation services for individuals who currently own a bicycle.

Equipment that is specially designed to enable people who have physical disabilities to get general exercise or to exercise specific parts of their bodies.

Syringes, thermometers, glucose analyzers, urinalysis test systems, sphygmomanometers, and other health care devices that have been modified for use by people who have physical or visual impairments.

Musical instruments that have been altered for use by people with disabilities.

Photographic equipment (cameras, lenses, etc.) that have been altered for use by people with disabilities.

Diversified program of physical activities, games, and sports suited to the interests, capabilities, and needs of students with disabilities.

General physical education classes or self-contained special classes that provide accommodations to meet the needs of students with disabilities so that they can participate in the same activities as other students.