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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) held a listening session today, August 6, 2021 to hear public comments regarding future waiver programs in Pa. The Consolidated and Person/Family Directed Waivers are due for renewal in June 2022, and ODP is also looking to align dates of the Community Living Waiver renewal with the others.  The slides from the webinar are available here. There are several additional sessions scheduled in August. You may also still submit any comments by the close of business August 31, 2021 using email or paper mail.

Email
Physical Address:
Julie Mochon, Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs
625 Forster Street, Room 510
Harrisburg, PA 17120

ODP will review the information received during this time period to consider when developing the draft waiver amendments. There will be another public comment period when the draft documents are published.

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ODP Announcement 21-062 communicates that the following items are now available:

  • 2021 Certified Investigator Manual
  • Registration for the August Certified Investigators’ Forum
  • Registration for the September– December 2021 Initial Certified Investigator Courses

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), along with Temple University, has released an updated 2021 Version 1.1 Certified Investigators’ (CI) Manual. This document replaces the manual that was published in 2018. Prospective, newly certified, and current Certified Investigators are now required to follow the 2021 Version 1.1 Certified Investigator Manual.

A Summary of the CI Manual Changes, including new and modified sections along with the Manual, can be found on MyODP by using the following path: – Training > Certified Investigator Program > CI Help and Resources > All Documents > Manuals, or by clicking on the highlighted blue link below: 2021 CI Manual and Overview of Changes.

The topic of the August 2021 CI Forum will be the changes to the CI Manual and investigation standards to align with Incident Management (IM) Bulletin 00-21-02. Sessions are scheduled for August 20, 2021 (10:00 am–11:30 am) and August 27, 2021 (2:00 pm–3:30 pm). There will be one session available each day.

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ANCOR staff submitted a written response to the Better Care Better Jobs Act to Leader Schumer, Chairman Casey, Chairman Wyden, Senators Duckworth, Hassan and Brown, and Representatives Dingell, Pallone, Schakowsky, and Matsui to express support for their efforts and the recognition of the fact that the direct care workforce has been decimated by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving American families without critical support and people with disabilities at increased risk of hospitalization and institutionalization.

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ODPANN 21-061 ISP Staffing Virtual Training Sessions 2021 announces that registration is open for a full-day virtual training session occurring in August, September, and October 2021 on Residential ISP Staffing as described in ODP Announcement 21-057. Please note: This announcement contains a new session date, September 27, inadvertently excluded from the original announcement document.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Regional Collaborative interactive map on Pennsylvania’s Community of Practice (CoP) for Supporting Families web page has been updated with contact information for each county as well as website/social media links, communication and meeting structures, goals, next steps or action plans, and community partners where available. The CoP web page on MyODP also includes contacts for the ODP Regional Leads, information about the Charting the LifeCourse framework and tools, and vision and ways to connect with the four Areas of Innovation work groups within the CoP: Employment, Front Door, Supports Coordination, and Supporting Families. An account is not needed to access these pages, though more of the MyODP platform can be accessed with an account.

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Pennsylvania Autism (Virtual) Training Conference
Conference Dates: October 5–7, 2021

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is requesting proposals from professionals who provide support for individuals with autism for stories that focus on their lived experience. As a provider, you probably experienced many challenges and adversity in the past months, both related and unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic. How can we take the hardships, learn from them, and integrate that knowledge as we move into the future?

During PATC 2021, we will be highlighting the concept of post-traumatic growth, that from difficult experiences comes opportunity and the chance for progress. We want to give you the opportunity to share your experience, your stories of ordeals and difficulties, and of recovery and resilience.

Further instructions, including how to submit your story, can be found here.
Submission due date has been extended to August 20, 2021!

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In February 2020, ANCOR surveyed providers of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) services regarding their workforce issues. The survey closed March 15, 2020, just before the pandemic hit our nation.

The findings include data that is very concerning:

  • 66% of providers were turning away new referrals due to insufficient staffing;
  • 43% of providers had discontinued programs or services due to insufficient staffing;
  • 65% of providers reported delaying the launch of new programs or services; and
  • 7 in 10 reported experiencing difficulties in achieving quality standards.

To read the survey results, follow this link.

ANCOR is requesting that all providers participate in an updated survey to allow them to collect data that is up-to-date. Please take the time to complete this updated survey.

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A Review of PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 2021 – PAHAN – 569 – 4-30 – UPD UPDATE: Work Restrictions for Healthcare Personnel with Exposure to COVID-19

Friday, August 6, 2021
9:30 am–10:30 am

COVID-19 infection rates are projected to increase in Pennsylvania due to a number of factors. There is concern that this increase in infections will exacerbate the already straining staffing capacity of long-term care facilities. To ensure that we are prepared to support some of the most vulnerable populations, Holly Simpson from the Pennsylvania Department of Health will present a review of the information contained in PA HAN 569. This review will include topics such as defining a “high-risk” exposure for healthcare personnel (HCP), how and when work exclusion for HCP should occur, testing strategies for HCP, and criteria for reducing work exclusion for HCP to mitigate staffing shortages.

Register here.

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ODP Announcement 21-061 announces a full-day virtual training session available for registration in August, September, and October 2021 on Residential ISP Staffing, as described in ODP Announcement 21-057.

The 20 full-day virtual training sessions are geared toward key residential provider and SCO staff who regularly attend team meetings, supervise staff who attend team meetings, or train staff that attend team meetings, and AE staff who review and approve plans. It is expected to be conducted in “mixed” audience groups (Provider, SCO, AE reps and Office of Developmental Programs’ staff) to better assure exposure to a variety of perspectives and roles.

One person per entity is invited to attend to provide a maximum of 30–35 people per session. Participants and their agencies will need to commit to the understanding that, upon completion, they will be a resource at their home agency. The training will be interactive. All training participants must complete the prerequisites located on MyODP on the course registration page.

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