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CAHF's "Helping Hands" MOU for ICF Providers

Our grant with the CA Department of Public Health allows CAHF-DPP to develop free emergency preparedness tools for Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) throughout the state of California. To return to CAHF's DD Services webpage, click here.

"Helping Hands" MOU: Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  What is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)? 

A:  MOUs, also called "memorandum of agreement" (MOAs) or mutual aid agreements, are documents that outline who is responsible for what during many different kinds of situations. For emergency preparedness, MOUs pertain to such things as patient transfers, evacuation transportation, billing/reimbursement, staffing, etc. 

Q:  How does the CAHF "Helping Hands" MOU work?

A:  The "Helping Hands" MOU is an agreement for ICF/IIDs in the state of California. This document outlines the different areas of concern during an emergency evacuation, and those facilities that shelter the evacuees. since disaster do not stop at county or regional lines, a statewide agreement was created to set precedent for providers during emergency events and to make the reimbursement process easier in the recovery stage. The agreement is made between the signatory facility and the "CAHF Coalition of ICF Providers," which your facility then joins. The "CAHF Coalition of ICF Providers" is outlined in the "Helping Hands Coalition Directory," available at the link above. 

Q:  How do I sign up for the "Helping Hands" MOU?

A:  The "Helping Hands" MOU is, at this time, specifically for ICF/IID facilities in California. It is open to any ICF provider - CAHF members and non-members may join and receive updates for free. If you are interested in signing up, complete the form below.

Q:  Why is this for only ICF/IID providers? Why not SNF providers too?

A:  Skilled nursing facilities are better integrated into the county's public health coalition, and most California counties include long-term care facilities in their evacuation plans. Often, ICF/IIDs do not have access to this same flow of information, and during the 2017 wildfire season it became apparent that ICF/IID providers need to coordinate with one another and break down barriers to safe evacuation for their clients. 

If you are a skilled nursing facility seeking information on an MOU, please return to the main webpage for Memorandums of Understanding (click here). There you can access multiple sample MOUs and learn more about how the county works with SNFs in California to facility emergency evacuations.

     Established in September 2006, with the help of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and with funding through the Federal Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), the California Association of Health Facilities' Disaster Preparedness Program (CAHF-DPP) supports the integration of Long-Term Care (LTC) into disaster planning and response efforts throughout the state of California. 

 

     CAHF's Disaster Preparedness Program is designed to take an all hazards approach and has several aspects: education, facilitation of planning efforts, development of resources and tools, and state-level advocacy for long-term care.

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