';
CLOSE
Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

3101 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

0 1388

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professional’s Joseph Macbeth, President and Chief Executive Officer, & Dan Hermreck, Director of Certification & Accreditation, will be joining RCPA members to discuss NADSP’s program for advancing the professional role of DSPs while we have the opportunity in Pennsylvania to utilize ARPA funds to assist in this effort.

We are hosting the webinar Friday, April 22, 2022, from 10:00 am–11:00 am to discuss how NADSP can help your organization. You can register for the event here.

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals firmly believes that “quality is defined at the point of interaction,” and therefore the knowledge, skills, and values of direct support professionals are the key to providing quality supports. This webinar will explore NADSP’s credentialing program, known as the E-Badge Academy, through which the organization has attempted to measure these three components of quality and recognize DSPs who provide high quality support. The E-Badge Academy allows DSPs to earn electronic badges by describing how their work is consistent with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Core Competencies and the NADSP Code of Ethics. You will learn how it all works, including best practices, successful implementation, outcome measurement, and return on investment.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Ferenz.

0 3316

ODP Announcement 22-041 announced that as of May 1, 2022, a new web-based eLearning version of the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) Advanced Rater Training (ART) will become available. With the release of this eLearning course, the webinar-based version will no longer be offered. Advanced Rater Training is the follow-up course for raters who complete the foundational HRST Online Rater Training and for nurses wishing to become clinical reviewers. Additionally, an Advanced Rater Training FAQ is available.

0 1195
Tablet on a desk - Questions and Answers

ODP Announcement 22-040 shares that the questions and answers from the webinar the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) recently held to discuss the one-time supplemental payment available to address staff training, credentialing, and business associate programs for employment have been combined into a document for stakeholders.

The Q&A document includes all questions that were asked and answered during the webinar on April 4, 2022. Answers provide detail on what types of programs will be considered for ARPA funds. The document will be updated with any future questions and answers that are relevant to the distribution of funds through ARPA.

Stakeholders may email any questions not addressed.

0 944
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Message From Kevin Dressler, Bureau Director, Office of Developmental Programs (ODP):

Some recent updates:

CMS 1135 Waiver Discontinuation

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an update on April 7, 2022, that will discontinue many of the 1135 waiver components over the next 30 and 60 days. This Quality, Safety, and Oversight (QSO) update returns many of the identified items in the 1135 waiver to their previous regulatory statuses, and the ICFs will need to be in compliance with the changes by the date specified. Please review the QSO carefully and assure that your ICFs are compliant by the dates specified.

Health Alert Network Updates

I have attached the four latest HANs regarding COVID related items. HAN 633 and HAN 635 address facilities that are testing people in-house and the new reporting requirements. HAN 634 addresses treatment recommendations for people that have contracted COVID-19. Lastly, HAN 632 addresses who is eligible for the vaccine boosters. Please review the recent HANs and adjust your policies and practices as you deem appropriate.

Emergency Exercises

Please see ‘Orchid Phoenix 2022 TTX Registration,’ as it has the registration information for an upcoming Emergency Preparedness Exercise that is available for ICFs to participate in if you would like to do so. This is a similar type of exercise as we completed last year, with a different emergency event as the topic. Please review for details on registration and participation requirements.

Kevin Dressler | Bureau Director
Department of Human Services
Office of Developmental Programs
Bureau of State Operated Facilities
Room 508 Health & Welfare Bldg | Harrisburg, PA 17120
Office Phone: 717-425-5686
Cell Phone: 570-809-3759
Fax: 717-787-6583

0 1298

ODP Announcement 22-039 describes actions the Administrative Entities (AEs) and Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs) must take when an Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) waiver or base participant is admitted to a Nursing Facility (NF) to ensure a coordinated transition to Long-Term Care (LTC) services and prevent service interruptions.

When an ODP waiver participant (Adult Autism, Consolidated, Community Living, or Person/Family Directed Support) is identified for NF admission, he or she will transition from the ODP waiver to Community Health Choices (CHC) for their Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS). Nursing services are started the day of admission into the NF, ensuring health and safety. The individual must begin to receive CHC services on the day he or she is admitted to the NF. Individuals cannot be dually enrolled in CHC and an ODP waiver. The AE, county MH/ID program, and/or SC will assist the individual in transitioning to the NF and move the participant into reserved capacity for their ODP waiver.

Enrollment in an ODP waiver or base services in HCSIS prevents the CHC from enrolling the individual in LTSS in eCIS; therefore, the AE must end date the waiver or base enrollment in HCSIS prior to the CHC enrollment date in eCIS/CIS to avoid overlap.

Please review the announcement for further guidance.

0 1616

A new ODEP project examines promising strategies for improving employment outcomes of young adults on the autism spectrum. The Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor has partnered with Mathematica to lead a project to examine barriers to, catalysts for, and promising strategies for improving employment outcomes.

The project, Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS), kicked off in fall of 2021. A recent fact sheet explains the project’s goals and provides an overview of its timeline and planned activities, and a pair of literature reviews summarizes promising programs and strategies as well as evidence on their effectiveness.

Currently, Mathematica is planning a series of public listening sessions to incorporate perspectives from youth on the autism spectrum and the broader community on this topic. If you would like to participate in a listening session, please send an email to sign up for the REYAAS mailing list.

0 896

Positive Behavioral Supports: Meaningful, Everyday Application

We are always looking for better ways to support someone to achieve the quality of life they desire. This requires a social, behavioral, and biological understanding of that person. Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is an empirically documented, person-centered approach that can be used in day-to-day supports for all people across all systems. For those of you who are not familiar with PBS, we will provide an overview of this framework, sharing examples and ways that this has been implemented. For those of you who have a general understanding of the essential elements of PBS, we will provide you with tools and ways to infuse PBS into your programs and supports to strengthen your focus on supporting a positive quality of life.

Please join us on one of the following dates and times:

  • Tuesday, April 12, 2022, from 2:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Thursday, April 21, 2022, from 9:00 am–1:00 pm
  • Tuesday, April 26, 2022, from 11:00 am–3:00 pm

To register for a session, you must follow these steps:

  1. Visit this link and login to MyODP OR create a new account.
  2. Complete and submit the Spring 2022 ASD Seminar Demographics Form.
  3. Return to the main course page to register directly through Zoom.

Notes:

  • You will receive an email confirmation of your registration directly from ASERT Collaborative when you complete all steps mentioned above.
  • Content is repeated for all five dates, so you only need to register for one session.
Prev1...111112113...311Next Page 112 of 311
© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association