ll. Organizational Background The Contractor shall perform all the necessary services provided under the scope of work within the Atlanta Region (10-county metro area). This planning region encompasses the City of Atlanta and 10 metro counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale. The Atlanta Regional Commission is the planning agency for the metro Atlanta region and serves as the fiscal and administrative agent for the Area Agency on Aging (AAA)/Aging & Independence Services (AIS) Department. With an annual budget of over $28 million, the ARC AAA plans, funds, and oversees services to older adults and persons with disabilities through a combination of direct services and partnerships with community service providers. As such, the Area Agency on Aging/Aging & Independence Services Department is charged with implementing the federal Older Americans Act across the region in addition to a variety of public and private grants to provide a wide range of services and programs for adults ages 60 and over so they can live independent lives. More information on the AAA network and services can be found here. The AAA is charged with both serving the needs of current older persons and planning and advocating for future needs and generations. Metro Atlanta's population is aging fast. In 2019, 1 in 8 residents of the region were 60 and older. By 2050, this population will triple to 1.8 million, representing 1 in 4 residents. Ill. Project Background Access to aging services and other home and community-based services (HCBS) that support the health and well-being of older adults and caregivers outside of the medical system have a history of inadequate funding to meet growing needs. While the funding sources mentioned above are critical instruments for organizing and delivering services to older and disabled adults in the region, it is by no means enough to meet the demand. A broader strategy that has the potential to coordinate across sectors and payment streams will allow more individuals to be served and achieve more ambitious results. IV. Work and Deliverables The scope of service for this project builds upon the work completed in 2021 during Phase I and includes: • Project Mobilization: Consultant will collaborate with key ARC staff to establish project governance and a detailed and mutually-agreed-upon project plan to include: o Project governance, action steps and meeting cadence o Key milestones and decision points o Scheduling and project management throughout • Market Analysis: Provide an assessment of the current state of healthcare payors in the region (not only Medicare Advantage, but also commercial and Medicaid Managed Care as well as other large healthcare payors that could benefit from ARC’s services) o Overview of 10 healthcare payors working in the region with incentive, either in quality metrics or social needs screening requirements, to partner with ARC. Analysis of each payor should include: If they currently provide services in-house or hold contracts with service providers that are similar to the AAA network service options. Their current care coordination capacity, including use of internal or contracted resource database and referral mechanism Review of their quality metrics, HEDIS reports, and CAHPS survey indicators to identify weaknesses that could be addressed through partnership with ARC and the CBO network. • Messaging and Materials: Developing clear and compelling messages and materials to help ARC conduct outreach and communicate the value of AAA services to these entities o Develop general collateral materials, presentation materials, coaching and talking points o Create customized materials related to each plan that addresses how ARC can help add value in specific areas to enhance their current operations, staff resources and mechanisms for direct member contact o Recommendations on organizational structure, potential staff roles and/or certifications that would support expansion of this type of work – skills needed, key work items, etc
