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Authors Posts by Cathy Barrick

Cathy Barrick

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Date: April 2, 2025
Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Register Here

It has been said that if you meet one person with autism, you’ve met ONE person with autism. This means that autism looks unique in each individual. It is also important to understand that autism frequently coexists with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health diagnoses.

In this training, PCHC will:

  • Increase the general knowledge about intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and co-occurring mental health challenges;
  • Understand how mental health challenges may present in individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorders; and
  • Discuss common barriers and resources to treatment.

PCHC’s hope is that, with this information, you will be able to better understand and serve this complex group of wonderful people.

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NOTE TO INSPECTOR: The word "iridium" on the pen's nib is not a brand: it's the name of the metal of which the nib is made. Thanks. Inky old fountain pen on a $100 bill.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) reminds Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs) that they are required to provide a *PDF of their 2024 fiscal year-end financial statements no later than 9 months from the end of their fiscal year. In most cases, this date will be March 31 annually.

Financial Statement submissions must include, at a minimum, a Profit and Loss Report (Income Statement) for the 2024 fiscal year and a Balance Sheet as of the end of the provider’s fiscal year. ODP developed a QuestionPro link for SCOs to easily attach a *PDF of their financial statements, which will satisfy the requirement. The link for the ODP Waiver Provider Financial Statement Submission Form is available.

Residential Providers are required to provide a *PDF of their financial statements as part of Performance-Based Contracting and are no longer required to submit statements separately using the URL referenced in this document effective the date of this announcement.

Details of this requirement are available in ODPANN 25-025.

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AID In PA is accepting applicants for its April 2025 TRAIN program. This free training program was developed for therapists, counselors, and clinical social workers who already have experience working with clients who have an Intellectual Disability and/or Autism (ID/A) diagnosis and are looking to gain knowledge and skills related to trauma therapy.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism are at an increased risk of experiencing trauma. TRAIN is an integrative and neuro-affirming approach to trauma-focused care with neurodivergent adults, centering clinical work with the ID/A communities. After completing the 12 weeks of learning, participants have the option to continue their training through clinical consultation with the developers of TRAIN. You must currently be licensed and provide 1:1 talk therapy sessions to qualify for this course and participate in the case consultation presentations.

The TRAIN program focuses on:

  • Trauma-focused mental healthcare
  • Types and prevalence of trauma
  • Ethical principles of reporting abuse
  • Neurodiversity and Neuro-affirming practices
  • Expressions of trauma
  • Assessing trauma and trauma-focused interviews
  • Trauma-focused and neuro-affirming psychoeducation
  • Trauma response management strategies and nervous system regulation strategies
  • Trauma processing techniques
  • Resiliency and therapist self-preservation

Course Structure:

12 weeks in total, comprised of 3 modules that are each 4 weeks long. The first three weeks are self-paced learning courses that are assigned through AID in PA’s online Learning Management System. The fourth week of each module is an hour and a half interactive discussion with the other group members and instructors. These live sessions are required and are held from 9:00 am – 10:30 am on the following dates:

  • April 8: Pre-training live session
  • May 13: Module 1 live session
  • June 10: Module 2 live session
  • July 8: Module 3 live session
  • August 5: Weekly Case Consultation Calls (8:00 am – 9:00 am, Tuesdays)*
    *This will continue until everyone presents twice.

Case Consultations:

After the initial 12 weeks there is a short break followed by a second 12-week session that consists of weekly one-hour case consultations. These are optional but highly recommended. Each participant is expected to present a case from a current patient and receive feedback/information from other participants and the instructors. Participants need to join at least 6 of the 12 weekly case consultation calls, although it’s encouraged to attend all. If you are not currently seeing patients or are not in a capacity to present any cases, this may not be the right program for you.

Cost and CE Credits:

It is free to participate. 13.5 Continuing Education (CE) credits are provided through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) upon completion of the program.

If you believe this program is appropriate for you and can commit to the requirements, please complete this survey by March 20, 2025. First come, first serve basis, so don’t delay! If you cannot attend the Spring session due to other commitments but would still be interested in doing it for Fall 2025, please say so in the survey.

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Photo by Copernico on Unsplash

TOPIC — Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Overview and Practical Application

Over the years the prevalence of autism has increased, Pennsylvania’s service delivery system for individuals with autism has expanded, and best practices to provide quality supports have emerged. To support the individual needs of each person with autism across the lifespan, an understanding of core characteristics must be established. It is also important to learn how the individual’s presentation of autism may change across settings and situations. This seminar will provide attendees with an in-depth presentation on core characteristics of autism and the impact of the characteristics on daily life, routines, and activities. A review of common terms and basic principles used to change behavior, teach new skills, and develop practical application of best practices will be included. Opportunity for discussion and engagement will occur throughout the seminar.

Who should attend?

  • Direct Support Professionals, Front Line Supervisors, and Program Managers supporting individuals with autism in residential and other home and community-based settings; and
  • Professionals supporting individuals in Adult Autism Waiver (AAW), Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP), Consolidated Person/Family-Directed Support Waiver (P/FDS), and Community Living.

Where and when will sessions be held?

  • April 1 – PaTTAN East, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
  • April 24 – PaTTAN Central, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
  • April 30 – PaTTAN West, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance Based Contracting measures CN-DD/Bx.01.1S and CN-DD/Bx.01.1CE for all Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), Frontline Supervisors (FLSs), and program managers.

This training also fulfills 6100 ongoing training requirements.

REGISTER

*After logging into your MyODP account, completion of the Demographics Form is required before being able to register for a session.

Please contact the Bureau of Autism Training inbox with questions.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) reminds providers that submissions for Performance-Based Contracting (PBC) Data and Pay for Performance (P4P) are due on March 15, 2025. Both Data Submission Tools became available on February 15, 2025. It is recommended that Providers complete the required PBC Data Submission tool prior to submitting for P4P, as providers will be given the option in the P4P tool to use the same documents submitted for Credentialing (Primary) and Employment from the PBC tool.

Please view ODPANN 25-019 and ODPANN 25-020 for additional information and details.

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Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, break from 2:00 pm – 1:00 pm

This meeting will be virtual via Zoom, with onsite access at The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf – Auditorium | 300 East Swissvale Ave | Pittsburgh, PA 15218. The public is invited to attend in person or log into this meeting using the following information:

Zoom for March State Board Meeting

Please Note: The public Zoom link requires webinar registration prior to meeting access.

CART and sign language interpreters will be available during this meeting. Those using a screen reader can connect via this link. The agenda for this meeting is here and can also be found on the State Board’s web page. Anyone who would like to make public comment prior to the meeting may submit their comments via email. Additional auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Please send your requests via email.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared an important training announcement from StationMD, a physician service that is dedicated to individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and other vulnerable populations.

StationMD is inviting people to participate in a webinar on
“Managing Agitation for People With I/DD.”

The webinar will include:

  • General information about the Specialty Telehealth and Assessment Team (STAT) Waiver service in Pennsylvania;
  • A presentation from StationMD’s Co-Founder, Dr. Maulik Trivedi on the topic, “Managing Agitation for People with I/DD;” and
  • Additional time for questions and answers.

Date:
Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

This webinar qualifies for one training hour. To receive a certificate for the training hour after the webinar, please register in the link below.

Register Now!

Questions about this training may be sent electronically.

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