The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-040. This announcement and accompanying Q&A document provide new and updated answers to questions ODP has received on the Community Participation Support service. Please view both documents for information and details.
Happy May! PA Family Network is sharing these important workshops and Good Life Groups! Register for upcoming events at their website. You can view the flyer for each workshop below.
Support Groups:
LifeCourse Workshops
Waiver Workshops
The Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) is partnering with the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Management (VRTAC-QM) to assess the extent to which vocational rehabilitation (VR) service providers are experiencing a decrease in service capacity, the reasons for this decrease, and potential solutions to address reduced capacity. To that end, they have created a short survey that they are asking service providers to complete by Monday, May 27, 2024.
This survey is anonymous and will be recorded without any identifying information (unless you choose to include this information). The survey was developed to be taken by the leadership of service provider agencies, but can be taken by others within the organization if these individuals have knowledge of the capacity of the organization to serve individuals with disabilities referred by the public VR program. If you wish to participate, you can take the survey here.
Closing the Gap: Achieving a Workforce with Different Abilities
Registration Now OPEN!
In this second annual ODP Employment Regional Symposium, participants will hear from employers about how, what, and why they hired individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals who are employed and their teams will describe how having a job made a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Representatives from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Bureau of Special Education will discuss collaboration across systems and offices with a focus on things that you thought might not be possible.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in advancing the employment of individuals with developmental disabilities including but not limited to: current and future employers, local education authorities, intermediate units, ODP employment/community participation support/residential providers, supports coordinators, administrative entities, transition counselors, regional employment coalitions, and OVR business liaisons.
All sessions will run from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Lunch will be provided. Morning beverages and snacks are on your own.
Session Dates and Location:
| June 5, 2024 | Tannersville, PA, Northampton Community College |
| June 12, 2024 | Butler, PA, Monarch Institute |
| June 18, 2024 | Malvern, PA, PaTTAN East |
| June 26, 2024 | Bellefonte, PA, Central Penn Institute of Science and Technology |
You will be prompted to select the location you wish to attend on the registration page.
Use this link to register. For questions, please submit via email.
The Deputy Secretary presented ODP updates at the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee (MAAC) meeting today, Thursday, April 25, 2024.
Updates included:
ODP will publish provider preparedness tools that will include a Residential Provider Performance-Based Contracting Preparedness Assessment and hold provider forums to support providers as they get ready for PBC implementation. View the full presentation here.
This webinar series will provide details on specific performance standards for Performance-Based Contracting for residential services. Each session will cover the required reporting, data source, data collection, and analysis for each performance standard.
A pre-recorded General Overview Webinar will be disseminated on 5/21/2024 as a prerequisite to the sessions outlined below. It is strongly recommended that providers watch the General Overview Webinar prior to attending. These sessions will each be unique in content and build upon one another. All sessions will be recorded and made available on MyODP; registration information will be forthcoming.
Webinar Sessions:
The Importance of Place in Trauma-Informed Care: A Wellness Approach
May 15, 2024
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Registration now open
The Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) have announced the Dual Diagnosis Professional Conference Series, which offers presentations focused on supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) and mental health needs. The next presentation will focus on the connection between trauma-informed care and positive support, framed in a wellness perspective. Critical to this effort was the creation of a safe place, the wellness center, specifically selected and modified to reduce the possible re-traumatization of individuals with ID/A or a dual diagnosis.
See the announcement for a full session description, presenter biographies, and information on how to register.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) invites you to save the date for the 2024 Pennsylvania Autism Training Conference! The conference will be held virtually from November 5 – 7, 2024. More details, as well as registration information, is to follow.
Do you know an artist or storyteller? Encourage them to share their talents at PATC!
Call for Personal Stories: Calling all self-advocates with autism! Share your story at the 2024 PA Autism Training Conference. Choose from one of our featured prompts and let your voice be heard! Stories will be displayed virtually during the conference and beyond. Must be 14 or older to participate. Visit here to learn more! Submissions Due: August 2, 2024.
Call for Artists: ODP would like to invite artists with autism to exhibit their work virtually during the 2024 Pennsylvania Autism Training Conference. The art show will consist of images links of artwork supplied by the artists, as well as to their website or email addresses for further information for attendees. Visit here to learn more. Submissions Due: September 6, 2024.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-037. The purpose of this announcement is to provide guidance for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25 renewal period.
The following topical areas are addressed in this communication:
Please view the announcement for information and details.
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