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Authors Posts by Cathy Barrick

Cathy Barrick

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The Office of Developmental Programs encourages you to Spring into Action with Move Your Way!!! Taking steps, big or small, towards increasing your physical activity can improve your health.

Physical activity has lots of long-term health benefits. You can:

  • Reduce risk of dementia, type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
    and certain cancers
  • Help manage chronic conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure
  • Ease symptoms of arthritis, anxiety, and depression

Physical activity can also help you feel better right away. You can:

  • Boost your mood
  • Sharpen your focus
  • Reduce your stress
  • Improve your sleep

Visit this website for more information!

The Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) Statewide Steering Committee, with assistance from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), created the above infographic to help individuals and families distinguish between the various surveys and assessments that they could be asked to participate in regarding supports and services available through the Office of Developmental Programs. View the full infographic here.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the communication, ODPANN 24-030: Community Participation Support (CPS) Billing Changes to Assist Individuals to Participate in the InVEST Project and Trainings Held by Self Advocacy Power Network for All (SAPNA) and the PA Family Network.

This communication announces CPS billing changes to support individuals’ participation in these offerings. Suggested audience includes:

  • Individuals and Families;
  • Administrative Entities (AEs);
  • Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs);
  • Providers of CPS; and
  • Any interested stakeholders.

Please review the announcement for additional information and detail; contact ODP directly with any questions.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has released the FY 2022/23 Annual Data Report. The ODP Annual Data Report provides statistical information to educate our stakeholders about the individuals ODP serves and the services they receive. This data provides an important overview of the service system ODP oversees that supports individuals with disabilities. The accompanying resource, Everyday Lives: Values in Action Information, Sharing, and Advisory Committee (ISAC) Recommendations, Strategies, and Performance Measures, provides information on indicators of success used to gauge the effectiveness of the work of ODP.

Access the FY 2022/23 Annual Data Report here. This document can also be found by visiting MyODP and following this path: Everyday Lives > Everyday Lives Publications > ODP’s Annual Data Reports.

The Everyday Lives: Values in Action Information, Sharing, and Advisory Committee (ISAC) Recommendations, Strategies, and Performance Measures publications are available here.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-028, which introduces the new SIS-A Discrepancy Form. This announcement also provides guidance on how to submit a review request when discrepancies are identified in a finalized SIS-A Report. All requests must be submitted on this form within 120 days (4 months) of the SIS interview date. The SIS-A Discrepancy Review form can also be accessed in the following ways:

  • On the MyODP SIS website landing page; and/or
  • By scanning the QR Code in the bulletin.

ODP has also created an SIS-A dedicated inbox specifically for the discrepancy review process. You can view the announcement for additional information and details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared an update to the following training: Sensory Regulation and Communication. The training will now be held on March 28, 2024, from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm. In addition to the rescheduled date, please note that participants are now being asked to register for the session. You can register for the training here.

The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council (PADDC) is working on a project to enhance Pennsylvania’s self-advocate leadership to focus on system and policy change. We invite people with developmental and intellectual disabilities (I/DD) and providers or organizations to connect them to self-advocates who may want to be part of the conversation.

The first step in the plan is to gather contact information so they can listen and learn from you. Please complete their survey through the links below.

The long-term plan includes talking with self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities about:

  1. Connecting self-advocates to network and organize as a powerful, united community;
  2. Creating the foundation for an effective statewide network of skilled advocates who can influence system change; and
  3. Involving people interested in advocacy and system change to plan together for the future.

Please visit one of the links below by March 20 to help them learn about self-advocacy in Pennsylvania!

  1. If you are an individual with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and are interested in becoming an advocate, please use this survey link.
  2. If you are an organization or provider that engages with people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, please use this survey link.

Please share this opportunity to connect with interested Pennsylvania advocates and I/DD providers or organizations in your network!

All sessions are scheduled from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

  • Tannersville, PA, Northampton Community College: June 5, 2024
  • Butler, PA, Monarch Institute: June 12, 2024
  • Malvern, PA, PaTTAN East: June 18, 2024
  • Bellefonte, PA, Central Penn Institute of Science and Technology: June 26, 2024

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, self-advocates, 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.

Boxed lunches will be provided. Morning beverages and snacks are on your own.

Registration information will be sent in a separate ODP Announcement.

AID In PA is accepting applicants for its April 2024 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 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; however, few therapists are skilled in both trauma and ID/A support. To bridge this gap, psychologists with the ASERT team created the TRAIN program – 12 weeks of self-guided learnings and live webinars to equip therapists across Pennsylvania currently working with the ID/A populations with the skills to support clients through trauma experiences.

Participants have direct supervision from psychologists with backgrounds in both trauma and ID/A and interactive discussions with fellow participants, as well as receive Continuing Education (CE) credits provided through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) upon completion of the program. You must currently be licensed and provide 1:1 talk therapy sessions to adult clients at the moment 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
  • Disclosures of abuse
  • Ethical principles of reporting abuse
  • Expression of trauma
  • Assessing trauma and trauma-focused interviews
  • Psychoeducation
  • Trauma response management strategies
  • Trauma processing
  • Resiliency and self-care

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:

  • 4/9: Pre-training live session
  • 5/14: Module 1 live session
  • 6/11: Module 2 live session
  • 7/9: Module 3 live session
  • 8/13 – 10/29: Weekly Case Consultation Calls (8:00 am – 9:00 am, Tuesdays)

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. 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, and if you complete the entire program, you will receive 13.5 CE credits through the NBCC.

If you believe this program is appropriate for you and can commit to the requirements, please complete the survey by March 25, 2024. This is on a first come, first serve basis, so don’t delay! If you cannot attend the Spring session, the program will also be available in Fall 2024.