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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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When: March 3, 2022 12:00 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Real-Life Stories: Using Smart Home Technology For Independence.
Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.


Webinar Speakers

Michael Anderson (Legislative Advocate @The ARC of Philadelphia)
Michael Anderson has been a legislative advocate for The ARC of Philadelphia since 2015. He meets with lawmakers from the Philadelphia area at local, state, and federal levels to make the case for legislative changes that will improve the lives of people with disabilities. Mr. Anderson is also a member of Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation’s (PATF’s) Smart Home advisory committee. In a previous life, Mr. Anderson worked for three years as a statistician for the Philadelphia 76ers. He has also worked on a number of political campaigns. Mr. Anderson is a proud graduate of Lower Merion High School and received an associate’s degree with a concentration in journalism from Edinboro University. Currently, he is co-owner of a home in Merion Station, PA. Mr. Anderson has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user.

Alexa Brill (Social Media and Website Manager @The Arc of Pennsylvania)
Alexa Brill graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2013. She has worked for The Arc of Pennsylvania since 2014 as their Social Media and Website Manager. Alexa also serves as the President on the Board of Self Advocates United As 1 (SAU1). She also serves on the Smart Home Advisory Committee through the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF). Alexa is very passionate about advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, as well as helping to make sure they have access to the right technology. She wants to help as many people learn about and access the technology they need to be as independent as possible.

George Russo (Assistive Technology Assistant @Easterseals)
I’m George Russo. I’ve been working as an assistive technology assistant at Easterseals for fifteen years. Easterseal has been a part of my adult life since 1996 as a client, a volunteer, an ambassador for PRC, and now as an employee. I have an Associate Degree in Computer Science from Miami Dade Community College. I’ve been a member of the Smart home Committee for about a year.

Laura Slotkoff (Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Specialist @Easterseals of Southern Pennsylvania)
Laura Slotkoff, MS, OTR/L, ATP is an Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Specialist for Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Through her role as AT Specialist on an interdisciplinary AT team, Laura works to provide innovative solutions to individuals with disabilities across the lifespan. Over the past 2 years, she has worked collaboratively with teachers, therapists and the AT team to design 3D printed assistive technology and utilize the tools within maker spaces to benefit students with special needs. Laura is excited about the ever-evolving potential of Smart Home Technology to improve her clients’ independence and quality of life.

ODPANN 22-019 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding for Respite and Family Driven Support Services (FDSS) informs stakeholders of ARPA funds that are available to AEs to disperse in order to meet respite and/or the Family Driven Support Services (FDSS) needs of individuals on the waiting list who do not currently receive waiver funded services. This communication is intended to:

  • Describe eligibility criteria for the use of these funds;
  • Describe eligible expenditures;
  • Describe responsibilities of counties in allocating funding; and
  • Reporting requirements.

You can also view the family supports funds tracker here.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) and Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP) providers are invited to sign up for a scheduled one-on-one VOH session to discuss incident management topics with the Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP).

Providers may sign up for one 30-minute session, and multiple staff from the provider may join at the provider’s discretion. Topics for discussion may include: provider-specific IM issues or concerns; EIM reports; general questions about certified investigations; brainstorming ideas of how to improve “performance” related IM tasks; review of provider IM data and compliance; discussion of provider trends; etc.

Due to the positive feedback received from attendees of our previous sessions, ODP will be offering additional 30-minute sessions on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sessions begin Wednesday, March 9, 2022, with the first scheduled session beginning at 12:30 pm.

Register here. Be sure to complete all required information to reserve a time slot.

Please contact the Provider Support Mailbox with questions.

ODP Announcement 22-017 is to announce that Residential ISP Staffing training sessions are now available to Administrative Entities (AEs), Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs), and Providers of Residential Services in the Consolidated and Community Living Waivers from February through June 30, 2022. Residential ISP Staffing trainings described in ODP Announcement 21-057 have been completed, but additional training can be provided by agency professionals who have volunteered to provide training and participated in delivering training in the fall of 2021, referred to ODP Designated Trainers.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022
1:00 pm CST | 2:00 pm EST
Complimentary 1.0 CEs — Nurses & QIDPs

Register here.

Presenter: Nanette Wrobel, RPh

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the various complications affecting many aspects of the body secondary to the diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus.
2. Identify those individuals most at risk for the development of complications of diabetes.
3. Discuss the treatment algorithm for the ongoing treatment of cardiovascular disease in the individual with diabetes.

For registration questions or more information, contact Tarrytown Expocare via email.

About Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy
Founded in 2007, Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy is the fastest growing Long Term Care cycle-fill pharmacy in America 100% dedicated to servicing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This is accomplished by a talented team of over 250 dedicated associates operating from pharmacy locations in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey. We are Licensed in over 40 states and servicing 17,000 individuals across over 500 distinct locations nationwide. For additional information contact Marc Altholz or call 512-566-3525.