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A Statement of Gratitude for Giving Tuesday
On November 29, 2022, SC Thrive participated in Giving Tuesday. We are extremely grateful for our partners, organizations, and team members who make the work we do possible. Thank you for your continued service to our state. For more information on Giving Tuesday and how it impacts SC Thrive, click HERE.
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Help for Seniors: Available South Carolina Benefits
While inflation takes a toll on seniors, billions of dollars in benefits go unused. Almost 2 million residents of the state of South Carolina are eligible for senior discounts. Yet many don’t realize help is available, and some notable programs that offer financial assistance are underused. Learn about available benefits for South Carolina seniors in our latest blog HERE.
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Funding for One-time Direct Care Retention Payments
The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ (SCDHHS) ongoing evaluation of Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) demonstrates that additional support is warranted to maintain an adequate direct care provider network. Nationally, health care providers are experiencing a shortage of direct care workers and this shortage is impacting each of South Carolina’s Medicaid HCBS programs. In response, SCDHHS is implementing a one-time supplemental payment under section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for direct care service providers to incentivize staff retention.
Please complete a One-Time Workforce Retention Payment Application and submit it to MedicaidWaiver@xxxxxxxxxx by Dec. 1, 2022. SCDHHS will notify providers of their estimated payments once applications are processed. Payments are expected to be issued during the first week of January 2023.
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Walk With Ease
The University of South Carolina is looking for individuals who have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia; and who live in the Midlands, SC region and are not planning to move from the area. These individuals would participate in a research study to test a phone-based version of the Walk with Ease Program. To learn more about the walking program for adults with arthritis check out the flyer HERE.
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SNAP SCAM ALERT
The South Carolina Department of Social Services wants to alert the public about a phishing campaign involving texts claiming EBT benefit cards are locked. DSS will never send clients a text message about locking a card and requiring a SNAP recipient to contact a 1-888- number and provide the client’s EBT card number to unlock the benefits. To stay on top of potential scams, please visit USDA’s SNAP scam alert webpage at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/scam-alerts.
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SC Stay Plus
Due to the program’s success, SC Stay Plus will begin to wind down in South Carolina, as it is doing in many other states, and must stop accepting new applications at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2022. SC Stay Plus is South Carolina’s federally-funded emergency rental program. This temporary initiative provided short-term relief to eligible renters in 39 SC counties experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has provided South Carolinians with more than $267 million in rental and utility assistance. For updated program information, visit their website HERE.
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Help Improve the Veterans Affair Website
Are you a user of the VA Veteran-facing website? The VA invites Veterans, their families, and caregivers to make their voices heard on how they can improve their website content, products, tools and services. They’ll even compensate you for your time. To learn more about the experience study with the VA, click HERE.
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Holiday Season Stress
It's not realistic to think that the holiday season will be completely stress-free. The holidays can bring out feelings of loneliness, disconnection and loss due to separation from family or other support persons. Many who are battling substance abuse report that remaining sober is much more difficult during Winter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For a few tips on how to cope during the holiday, click HERE.
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Family Caregiving
November was National Family Caregiving Month. The Administration for Community Living is pleased to share the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. The strategy was developed jointly by the Advisory Councils established by the RAISE Family Caregiving Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act, with extensive input from family caregivers, the people they support and other stakeholders. An overview and description of the strategy's goal can be seen HERE.
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All About Healthy Connections Prime
It's open enrollment season! Timing is everything! Need help figuring out your healthcare coverage options? Learn about Healthy Connections Prime and how this benefit can help your clients. Hear from our guest speaker Antinea Martin, Health Insurance Advocate, in our latest webinar. Re-watch the recording HERE.
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