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Authors Posts by Cathy Barrick

Cathy Barrick

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the Medication Administration January – March 2026 Train-the-Trainer Face-to-Face schedule in ODPANN 25-112.

You may register for one of these sessions after completing the course materials in the Train-the-Trainer course on MyODP’s Medication Administration website. Please see the communication for training dates and more information.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-111. This communication clarifies new qualification requirements for providers of CPS, In-Home and Community Support and/or Companion services in the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS Waivers that were recently approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These requirements do not apply to services rendered by Support Service Professionals through a Participant-Directed Services option.

These amendments include the following provider qualification requirements:

  • Providers newly enrolling to render Community Participation Support, In-Home and Community Support, and/or Companion must provide Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) home and community-based services to a minimum of 3 separate and distinct participants in the first fiscal year after enrollment.
  • Starting July 1, 2026, currently enrolled providers must render ODP home and community-based services to a minimum of 3 separate and distinct participants each fiscal year. ODP will use the provider’s Master Provider Index number to determine if the provider is rendering any ODP waiver services to a minimum of 3 separate and distinct participants.
  • Additionally, the provider must render ODP home and community-based services each quarter.

Please review the announcement for more details.

Photo by Tai's Captures on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 025-110. This communication announces the availability of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) data website for Flu, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and COVID-19, as well as provide updated information about respiratory illness prevention strategies, including available vaccinations.

The CDC reports that influenza hospitalizations are increasing nationally, RSV hospitalizations are increasing in the Southeastern and Southern states, and COVID-19 hospitalizations are low. Weekly respiratory illness severity updates, hospitalization rates, and other related data trends can be found on the CDC’s website.

Please review the announcement for more details.

Communication Bulletin 00-25-05 was published and shared last week. The purpose of the bulletin was to establish the Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP’s) policy on communication and assure all individuals have an effective way to communicate.

To further provide access to the bulletin, ODP has shared another version of the bulletin in easier-to-understand terms and with pictures. This version will be available on MyODP as an attachment to the original bulletin communication released on December 1, 2025.

The following bulletins below are no longer in use:

  • Office of Developmental Programs 00-14-04, Accessibility of Intellectual Disability Services for Individuals Who Are Deaf
  • Office of Developmental Programs 00-08-18, Communication Supports and Services

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 025-109 to provide clarification about the completion of the MA 51 or medical evaluation discussed in previous bulletin 00-25-02, along with a revised attachment.

Attachment:

The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that individuals are accessing healthcare at least once every three years. In practice, this will primarily affect those who are not receiving residential services, since residential licensing regulations already require annual physicals.

Please review the announcement for details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-108, which gives information on a toolkit that is designed to assist providers with assessing and preparing for unexpected events to ensure the individuals they are supporting remain safe and continue to receive the services they need in the event of an emergency.

The Prepared People Save Lives Toolkit is available for download and use on the MyODP website.

It contains a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA), which will:

  • Identify and rank different hazards (natural disasters, technology failures, human-caused dangers);
  • Look at how vulnerable the program is and figure out what may need improvement through planning factors; and
  • Allow for continuous process improvement annually, making services resilient, and more prepared for emergencies.

Please review the communication for more details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-107. This communication is to inform all interested parties that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved amendments to the 1915(b)(4) Performance-Based Contracting (PBC) waiver and the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS Waivers effective January 1, 2026. All waivers are available on the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) website.

ODP will be holding one webinar to provide a high-level overview of Performance-Based Contracting and additional major changes made in the approved waivers. There will be time during the session for presenters to answer questions submitted by participants during the webinar.

Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS Waiver Amendment Overview
December 15, 2025

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Register Here

Please review the ODP Announcement for more details.