Carol Ferenz
ANCOR is #AllInForHCBS
ANCOR Stateside Report — May 9, 2022
OVR Public Listening Session Announcement
The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) will be hosting two public Listening Sessions to seek input from stakeholders as it prepares to apply to the Rehabilitation Services Administration for a competitive discretionary grant. The public is invited to attend and share comments. CART and ASL services will be available.
Listening Sessions
- Wednesday, May 11, 2022, from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EST
May 11 Listening Session Zoom Registration - Thursday, May 12, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST
May 12 Listening Session Zoom Registration
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Grant Information
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) was issued to support innovative activities aimed at increasing Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE), as defined in section 7 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) (Gov Regs Definitions), for youth and other individuals with disabilities.
The priority of the grant is: Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) Innovative Model Demonstration Project. The project seeks model demonstration projects designed to develop, implement, refine, evaluate, and disseminate, for easy adoption, new or substantially improved model strategies or programs to transition individuals in subminimum wage employment into CIE in any one of the following 6 topic areas:
- Essential Workers;
- Green Job Workers;
- Home and Community-Based Service Workers;
- Arts;
- Transportation Industry and Related Industry Workers; or
- Field-Initiated: Field initiated projects will identify and implement innovative strategies that assist SWTCIE program participants to secure CIE. A field-initiated project may (1) address innovative topic areas not otherwise included in this notice or (2) combine two or more topic areas described in this notice into one application.
The purpose of this competition is to increase competitive-integrated employment opportunities for students, youth, and adults with disabilities contemplating, actively seeking, or engaged in subminimum wage employment. To achieve this purpose, projects funded under this priority will create innovative models, for dissemination and replication, to:
- Identify strategies for addressing challenges associated with access to CIE (e.g., transportation, support services);
- Provide integrated services that support CIE;
- Support integration into the community through CIE;
- Identify and coordinate wrap-around services for any individual served by the project who obtains CIE;
- Develop evidence-based practices and share those practices with other entities holding 14(c) certificates, State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, local rehabilitation providers, State and local workforce agencies, and regional and local employers; and
- Provide entities holding section 14(c) certificates with readily accessible transformative business models for adoption.
Access the OVR Competitive Discretionary Grant Request for Information (RFI) here. The public is invited to also share written comments if unable to attend a listening session. Written comments should be submitted via email with the subject line “12 OVR SWTCIE Discretionary Grant” before 5/10/2022 at 4:00 pm.
Free Webinar on the Impact of Technology on Services to Individuals With IDD — May 12
Update on Qualification Process for New Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) Provider Applicants
ODP Announcement 22-055 communicates the process for Administrative Entities (AEs) to validate that new Provider Applicants have satisfied all Waiver Provider Qualification requirements effective May 1, 2022.
Pursuant to 55 Pa. Code §6100.82 (relating to enrollment documentation) and the service qualification requirements specified in Appendix C of the Consolidated, P/FDS, and Community Living Waivers, in order to become a qualified provider, applicants must submit required provider qualification documentation designated for new provider applicants. CEOs of provider applicants must successfully complete ODP Provider Applicant Orientation training, which includes pre-registration module webcasts and a full day, face-to-face session. Upon completion of each training component, the CEO must pass a post-test to earn and be issued a Certificate of Achievement.
The New Provider Applicant Process for licensed and unlicensed services is available for provider applicants on MyODP using the following pathway:
- Resources > Intellectual Disability Resources > Waiver Services > Qualification and Enrollment.
These guiding documents steer applicants through the complicated qualification/enrollment processes.
Additionally, a detailed flowchart depicting the process to apply for and obtain a Certificate of Compliance for licensed services is available on MyODP through the same path specified above.
NOTE: Announcement 19-044 “Qualification Process for New Providers” will become obsolete as of the date of this publication.
Providers who plan to qualify for ODP’s Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) must contact the Bureau of Support for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) via email to begin the initial qualifications. Templates and additional documentation can be found below:
- New Provider Qualification — Approval Template
- New Provider Qualification — Additional Information Needed Template
- New Provider Qualification — Not Approved Template
Please read the full announcement for more details.
IDD Supports Coordination Organization Committee Announcements
ODP Announcement Regarding Transition of Individuals Into a Nursing Facility
ODP Announcement 22-039 describes actions the Administrative Entities (AE) and Supports Coordination Organizations (SCO) must take when an Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) waiver or base participant is admitted to a nursing facility in order to ensure a coordinated transition to Long-Term Care (LTC) services and prevent service interruptions. Read the full announcement for details.
Cancelled: Children With Medical Complexities Training Series Part 1
Children with Medical Complexities Training Series Part 1: Expanding Supports for Children with Medical Complexities
The session previously scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 2022, is now cancelled. The session will be rescheduled at a later date, and an announcement will be sent with new details.
Posting of CI Forum Q&A Documents and Announcement of Open Registration for June CI Forum
ODP Announcement 22-053 serves to communicate that the Temple University Harrisburg Certified Investigator Program and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will be facilitating Forums for Certified Investigators (CIs) and others involved in the incident investigation process, as well as to announce the posting of Q&A documents from past CI Forums on MyODP.
The session date is June 10, 2022, and the topic is “Peer Review Overview.” There will be two sessions available on June 10, 2022, from 10:00 am – 11:30 am and 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. The same topic will be covered in each session.
Seating is limited, and you can only sign up for one forum session per date. Participants can submit questions via email prior to the session until close of business (COB) the Friday before the scheduled forum on June 3, 2022. Registration for June 10, 2022, is currently open and will close at the end of the day on June 8, 2022.
For any questions regarding registration for the CI Forums, please contact Amanda Black.
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