• How would you like to have your monthly expenses increase by thousands of dollars per month by being required to have an Administrator on-site 24 hours per day as originally proposed by the 2014 RCFE Reform Act? 6Beds was able to defeat this.
• How would you like to have your rates continue to remain stagnant? With 6Beds’ fierce lobbying for increased rates, we have seen the following for Community Care Facilities (CCF) serving Californians with developmental disabilities:
  • A historical high minimum wage increase of 6% in 2015 and 6% in 2016
  • The Governor included $64 million in the state budget for the 4-bed facilities with ARM rates (levels 2, 3 and 4) — being the first and only increase for the 4-bed model — which takes effect in July 1, 2016
  • A 7.5% increase for direct care staff and 2.5% increase for non-wage administrative cost, effective July 1, 2016, due to the approval of the Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax
• How would you like it if you received an “Unfounded” or “Inconclusive” finding after a complaint, but the complainant subsequently was able to appeal that finding with a two-level, 120 business day appeal process that could overturn the “Unfounded” or “Inconclusive” finding and replace it with a “Substantiated” finding? This complainant appeal process was originally in AB 1387 and   6Beds testified against it and had it removed from the final version of the bill
• Have you ever been frustrated with the licensee appeal process because CCL has no required timeline in responding to you? While 6Beds fought to remove the complainant appeal process in AB 1387, 6Beds fought for the new licensee appeal process in AB 1387, which cuts the licensee appeal process down to two levels, allows licensees 15 business days to submit an appeal, allows licensees to submit supporting documentation after submitting the appeal, and imposes a 60-day deadline for CCL to respond at each level.
• New CCL policy is requiring licensees that have been Administrators prior to January 1, 2016 to take the new 80-hour Administrator course and to take the new Administrator test if you open a new facility five years after January 1, 2016. 6Beds is currently challenging this!
• CCL has proposed a new Title 22 regulation that would allow residents to only have to provide a five-day notice to vacate before being entitled to a refund of the remaining month’s rent. 6Beds is currently challenging this!
• AB 2231 (previously AB 1467) is proposing to increase civil penalties for general violations, zero tolerance violations, and repeat violations. 6Beds is currently challenging this bill to decrease the size of both newly proposed penalties and the existing penalties imposed for death and serious bodily injury!

As you can see, 6Beds has fought and won many battles recently and there are many battles 6Beds is currently fighting on behalf of the residential care industry whose outcomes are yet to be determined. 6Beds is your daily eyes and ears in Sacramento, advocating on your behalf on a daily basis so that you can focus on running your business.

Your membership is crucial in helping 6Beds to continue to win these battles. Your membership dues help fund our 365-day per year lobbying efforts and your membership helps give us strength in numbers, which makes our advocacy more effective.

Make your membership count, join us now or renew your membership today!

What does that mean?

For the first time in the history of California’s residential care industry:

• No longer will lawmakers, government agencies or special interest groups be able to propose new laws that impact our industry without our review and input. This is huge! Proposed laws that negatively affect us will be fought aggressively to be amended or defeated to protect our industry, as we have already done successfully in 2014 and 2015.
• Vice-versa, we can now effectively propose new laws (bills) to positively affect our industry or amend current ones to mitigate their negative impact.

In effect, we now are a vocal and strong political force with the influence and credibility necessary to shape the laws that govern our industry.

What does this mean?

• 6Beds lobbyists, Robert Naylor and Roxanne Gould, have provided 6Beds with a daily political presence in Sacramento.  They have effectively opened doors and paved the way for 6Beds’ key leaders to negotiate and work with the Governor’s Office, key Legislators and relevant governing agencies to amend and propose new laws and policies that benefit our industry.

  With the help of our lobbyists, 6Beds has become a strong and effective legislative advocate for California’s residential care industry. Both Naylor and Gould were instrumental in achieving 6Beds’ stakeholder status at DSS, DDS and DOL and continue to play critical roles in the maintenance of an active dialogue with these agencies.

  September 2014 – 6Beds leaders with Roxanne Gould and Robert Naylor L-R: Roxanne Gould, George Kutnerian, Janet Valencia, Gina Wasdyke, Robert Naylor, Joy Dela Torre
  

• 6Beds leaders work closely with Littler Mendelson law firm, our Nation’s leading labor law firm, to provide strategic advice and draft specific language for proposed legislation. Littler has also participated and provided valuable counsel to 6Beds’ leaders in many unprecedented strategic meetings with both State and Federal Labor agencies.
• 6Beds also works with Attorney Roberta Mendonca, whose indispensable legal counsel is helping shape 6Beds bylaws and organizational structure while 6Beds is in a stage of rapid growth.
• 6Beds IT has been instrumental, using a blog-based website and various social media to connect online with California’s thousands of residential care providers. 6Beds’ leaders recently put a new communication plan in place to better take advantage of its blog-based website and social media channels, now providing 6Beds Members and the broader residential care industry real-time information on industry legislation, policy issues, news, training sessions, rallies, and other important developments.

What has been done?

• In 2015, 6Beds has organized and hosted four unprecedented joint DLSE and DOL training sessions to properly educate care home owners of the State and Federal laws as they pertain to our industry and how each respective department enforces them. Hundreds of providers benefited from these sessions held in South San Francisco (Aug 18, 2015), San Diego (Nov 4, 2015), Los Angeles (Nov 5, 2015), and Sacramento (Nov 17, 2015).
• Aug 18, 2015 – First DLSE & DOL joint labor training in South San Francisco
  

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• The Guide is an unprecedented online toolkit that provides a detailed and up-to-date summary of Federal and State law to help residential care providers keep track of and comply with complex wage & hour regulations, which has become even more important due to the increased employer liability associated with the passage of SB 588, which took effect on January 1, 2016. The toolkit keeps pace with legislative, regulatory, and judicial developments, includes answers to Frequently Asked Questions, state-of-the-art sample forms and agreements, and online video tutorials.
• The Guide includes agreements that may allow exclusion of sleep hours and other off duty time — which you may claim only if you have the correct agreement and meet the correct criteria. If you purchased a similar product elsewhere, it would cost over $10,000. But with a 6Beds membership, The Guide is only $950 — a one-time investment that includes ALL future updates and access to its online portal administered by Littler. Click to learn more or to purchase The Guide.

What does this mean?

• 6Beds is created, developed and managed by care home owners for care home owners. No one is more equipped and better suited to fight for and represent the needs of our industry, than us! And no one will.
• As care home owners, ourselves, we know all too well your daily issues and the fight to keep your care home afloat. Your fight is our fight! Your struggles are ourstruggles!
• 6Beds’ Board of Directors conference call weekly with 6Beds’ lobbyists to stay abreast of the progress made on each bill 6Beds is tracking and to stay ahead of new ones that may negatively impact our industry.
• Furthermore, 6Beds’ Board of Directors are all volunteers. Meaning, your membership dues are channeled to all of 6Beds’ lobbying and advocacy work.

What does this mean?

• While membership dues make possible all of 6Beds’ political lobbying, it also represents a serious commitment to our common cause: westand in solidarity and send a strong message to California’s governing agencies that we are no longer silent, nor stand idle while the State and special interest groups author the demise of our industry.
• The greater our numbers, the stronger our voice and political might with which to mount an effective fight against laws that infringe upon our bottom line that in turn prevent us from providing optimum care to our residents.
• 6Beds is your political advocacy organization. Our membership dues finance our lobbying force and augment our political might.With our legislators’ eagerness to regulate our care homes and enforce tighter labor laws, your support is truly vital to ourcollective Join us—your colleagues—or renew your membership, today!
• 6Beds’ unprecedented achievements, strong leadership and robust membership have and continue to attract a diverse set of professionals and community businesses who wish to offer their expertise, products and services to help us provide optimum care to our residents while at the same time comply with all pertinent laws and regulations we must adhere to. Our Affiliate Members include law firms, insurance agencies, industry educators, home health & hospice agencies, other medical services, and even new technologies.
• 6Beds is able to negotiate and obtain group discounts for its members to products and professional services offered by its Affiliate Members.

How did we prevent this from happening and ensure that it never will?

• In 2014:
  • 6Beds amended most of the 17 RCFE Reform Act Bills of 2014, and some it defeated. As a result, 6Beds’ lobbying saved care home owners over $11,000 a month. Key savings came from:
    • Amended AB 2044: 24/7 on-site Administrator requirement, which could have represented upwards of $7,500 in additional costs if it had passed. Instead, we can have a CPR certified caregivers serve as an Administrator’s designated substitutes in order to comply. This change was the result of an amendment made possible by 6Beds.
    • Amended AB 1570: Reduced training hours. 6Beds also worked with CCL on a portability of training policy that would allow caregivers to take some of their training with them across different employers, helping reduce training costs for providers.
    • Amended AB 2171: Removed private right of action language, reducing exposure to lawsuits.
  • On August 5, 2014, 6Beds coordinated and held the biggest rally for our industry at the State Capitol to drum up political support and public awareness for our industry’s struggles. Over 500 care home owners statewide attended the first 6Beds Rally at the State Capitol.  On October 29, 2014, over 300 care home owners statewide attended the “Lets Talk Labor” Rally at the State Capitol with only one week of planning.
• In 2015:
  • With 6Beds’ newly minted lobbying force, the anticipated barrage of new bills to follow the 2014 RCFE Act were never introduced. A complainant appeal process was introduced as a part of AB 1387, but 6Beds had this process removed from the bill.  Thus, if CCL finds you not at fault, the complaint process ends there.  Had the complainant appeal rights passed, it would have resulted in a much more expensive and time consuming complaint process.
  • In addition, 6Beds was able to extend a licensee’s right to file an appeal from 10 days to 15 business days — giving us more time to appeal. 6Beds was also able to ensure that we are able to provide additional supporting documentation after the initial submission of documents during the appeal process. 6Beds also helped ensure a less cumbersome appeal process, cutting the process down to two levels and imposing on CCL a 60 day deadline to respond at each level.
  • In less than two years, 6Beds lobbyists and key leaders lobbied vigorously at the California Governor’s office, Finance Department, DDS and key legislators to obtain a $64 million (6% rate increase) on January 1, 2015 for DD funding with another $62 million (6% rate increase) on January 1, 2016.
  • On March 17, 2015, 6Beds coordinated and held strategic rallies to ease labor enforcement with the rallying cry of, “72 cents does not make sense”. This was to highlight the $0.72 hourly breakdown of the State’s payment for low income SSI/SSP. 6Beds members and supporters proceeded to rally in front of the State Labor and Federal Labor to coincide with its meeting with the Governor’s office to discuss the impact of rising labor costs and increasing audits that have been leading to closure of many care homes across the State
  • March 17, 2015 – 6Beds Lobby Day Rally at State Capitol, DLSE & DOL
    

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  • On March 24, 2015, 6Beds held rallies in front of State Labor and Federal Labor in San Francisco.
  • 6Beds organized and hosted four unprecedented joint DLSE and DOL training sessions to properly educate care home owners of the State and Federal laws as they pertain to our industry and how each respective department enforces them. Hundreds of providers benefited from these sessions held in South San Francisco (Aug 18, 2015), San Diego (Nov 4, 2015), Los Angeles (Nov 5, 2015), Sacramento (Nov 17, 2015).
  • 6Beds held countless town hall meetings across California to educate fellow care home owners and drive support for its cause.
• Present (2016):

  6Beds is currently fighting forall of us in these three key areas:

  • Scaling of Civil Penalties (AB 2231, formerly AB 1467) $10,000 penalties! 6Beds is currently fighting the Civil Penalties Bill to keep it scaled according to our size.  Currently, physical abuse carries $10,000! There are many gray areas in our industry that may be misinterpreted as physical abuse. If you are caring for an elderly who is prone to falling and bruising and you are an SSI or low income care provider, this penalty will wipe out one-and-a-half months of income for a 6 bed RCFE!  The bill also proposes to increase penalties for general violations, zero tolerance violations (fire clearance, smoke detectors, bodies of water, etc.) and repeat violations. This bill will put these small businesses out of business unless proposed penalty amounts are reduced.
  • Codify Sleep Credit (SB 1245) 6Beds also secured Senator Anderson of San Diego and Assembly member Wagner of Orange County to author our Sleep Credit Bill. The Bill would codify our current practice for sleep credit as allowed for in Wage Order 5, which means we are exempt from paying caregivers during a bona fide eight hour sleep period if the caregivers meet the definition and requirements of either a 24 hour or live-in caregiver and the necessary agreements are in place.  While an eight hour sleep credit is currently available, this Bill is a proactive move by 6Beds to codify the sleep credit as there is a new trend of California courts invalidating provisions found in the Wage Orders.
    February 18, 2015 – 6Beds leaders strategy meeting with Senator Anderson L-R: Roxanne Gould (lobbyist), Dr. Don Turner, Lillie Mauricio, Olivia Deanda, Ofelia Aplicador, Senator Anderson, Gina Wasdyke, George Kutnerian, Angie Marinda, Nestor Uy, Cyndy Mynnery, Dr. Carmen Bujor, Atty Roberta Mendonca, Ronald Simpson

    

  • Referral Agency Bill (SB 648) 6Beds is working to regulate the referral agencies, including imposing penalties for kickbacks.
  • Compliance with SB588 (Wage and Theft Prevention )6Beds, along with Littler, has co-authored The Guide (see above) — a comprehensive wage and hour guide specific to 6-bed providers. The Guide will help you comply with labor laws to avoid the increased employer liabilities associated with SB588, which took effect on January 1, 2016.

6Beds lobbying team, along with the Lanterman Coalition, Californians with disabilities, families and friends, and other community supporters made possible — via a California Legislature approved health plan tax act — a 7.5% rate increase for direct care staff and a 2.5% increase for non-wage administrative costs for DD facilities, effective July 1, 2016. 6Beds continued its fierce lobbying which then resulted in the Governor adding another $46 million to the budget to increase funding for the 4-bed model for July 1, 2016.

6Beds, in conjunction with various community organizations, business and fellow colleagues, will lead a massive rally at the State Capitol on April 12 — dubbed “PROTECT THE 6!” — to augment its lobbying impact as 6Beds lobbyist and top leaders meet with key legislators and government officials to lobby the Bills outlined above.

Better yet, why aren’t you a member of 6Beds — whose sole purpose is to protect and advocate for our livelihood and care for our residents?

As care home owners we have a common cause. United, we stand strong to achieve the best for our industry and for our residents—our community. Apart, we are left to fend for ourselves and are defenseless against powerful forces who wish to dismantle and usurp the vital services offered by our care homes.

Not convinced? Consider the alternative. Without 6Beds, there is no one organization more invested, more in tune and more qualified — with growing political and social influence — to protect and effectively advocate for our industry. No one. As you can see, your membership — while optional — is crucial to the preservation and advancement of our residential care industry. On the contrary, apathy and indifference may very well seal its demise.

So please, join us now or renew your membership today so that together we may continue to help all of us.