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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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On July 24, 2020, Senator Casey hosted a Virtual Disability Employment Summit. The Summit included conversation with APSE, OVR, and employment support providers to examine the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis on disability employment, as well as discussing strategies to improve the disability employment rate and ensure people with disabilities are able to return to work.

The full recording of the Summit with ASL or Closed Captioning is available on the Senator’s web page. If you have trouble loading the video on the website, you may need to clear your browser’s cache or restart it. Alternatively, you can view the Summit on Senator Casey’s Facebook page. You can find additional resources about the topics discussed on the Senator’s web page as well.

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The Department of Community and Economic Development has posted Frequently Asked Questions for the COVID-19 Hazard Pay Grant Program.

Additional details about the program, including eligible applicants, eligible industries, and instructions on how to apply can be found in the program guidelines, which can be accessed on the COVID-19 PA Hazard Pay Grant web page.

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ODP Announcement 20-082 is to inform all interested parties that the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) Provider Information Table (PIT) is being released with updated procedure codes for the Specialized Skill Development: Behavioral Specialist service.

In response to a change in Federal procedure codes for Behavioral Specialist services, the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) changed the codes for these services in the AAW. These changes, effective May 26, 2020, were announced in ODP Announcement 20-073 on June 16, 2020. The PIT has been updated with these changes and is being released with this announcement.

Questions about this communication should be directed to Tom Flynn. If you encounter any problems with billing using the new codes, please contact Amber Bennett.

Attachment: Adult Autism Waiver Provider Information Table (Updated July 1, 2020)

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The 21st Century CURES Act requires Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) systems for Medicaid-funded personal care services (PCS) and home health care services. The Department of Human Services has been implementing an “open” EVV system to capture data specified by the CURES act since November of 2019.

This will be an opportunity for staff from Administrative Entities and Supports Coordination Organizations to learn about the execution, status, and processes associated with EVV in Pennsylvania. Office of Developmental Programs staff will be available to answer questions.

Register for this session Monday, July 27, 2020 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Virtual Targeted Trainings (VTT) are traditional learning sessions containing a PowerPoint presentation.

They are recorded for posting onto MyODP. Questions are addressed at the end of the training. Pre-registration is required. Please use the link above to register for the session. Once registered, you will receive an email with instructions describing how to participate, including a new link to join the training. You can join the audio portion of the webinar by telephone or computer. For questions, please use this email.

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On March 6, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf issued a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency (“the Disaster Proclamation”) to enable agencies to respond promptly to address the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. With the Governor’s authorization as conferred in the Disaster Proclamation, on March 30, 2020, DHS announced that it “will not be conducting any annual licensing inspections until Governor Wolf lifts the current Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for COVID-19 or until such other time set by DHS” to support the Commonwealth’s efforts to prevent transmission and spread of COVID-19. In doing so, DHS suspended 62 P.S. §§ 911(a)(2) and 1016, to the extent those statutory provisions may be interpreted to require annual on-site visits, and the regulation at 55 Pa. Code Ş 20.31 (relating to annual inspection), which explicitly requires that DHS conduct an “on-site inspection of a facility or agency at least once every 12 months.”

DHS is responsible for enforcing licensing regulations intended to protect the health and safety of people who are served in licensed settings. Enforcement is primarily achieved by conducting annual on-site inspections of each setting to ensure that the licensee is in full compliance with all applicable regulatory) requirements. Regulatory requirements are applied and enforced by the following DHS program offices:

  • Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)
  • Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF)
  • Office of Developmental Programs (ODP)
  • Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL)
  • Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)

DHS remains committed to preventing and containing the spread of COVID-19. As the Commonwealth reopens in accordance with the Governor’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania, DHS has resumed annual on-site inspections of licensed settings.

To balance the need to contain the COVID-19 virus with the responsibility for regulatory oversight and enforcement of licensed settings, DHS may apply alternative techniques for annual inspections that do not require an on-site presence in the licensed setting and when an in-person presence in the facility may contribute to the spread of COVID-19, e.g., a participant, consumer, or staff person has tested positive or is suspected to have COVID-19 in the past 21 days.

Alternative techniques include, but are not limited to, the use of videotelephony and file-sharing applications that will allow for real-time observations of conditions at the licensed setting. Use of these techniques will ensure that regulatory compliance is maintained in a manner that does not contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

Additional information regarding the application of these techniques for annual inspections will be communicated to the field by DHS program office before the inspections takes place.

This suspension will remain in place only while the Disaster Proclamation remains in effect or such other time as DHS directs. DHS will continue to conduct complaint, incident, and protective services investigations on-site.

Please contact your regional licensing office for any questions.

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On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities. This legislation established a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. On July 26, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) will join in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the signing of this landmark legislation.

The ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions, and increasing full participation in community life. However, there is still work to be done.

We believe that full inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities must also involve financial empowerment. In our view, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act passed in 2014 is one of the most exciting and empowering pieces of legislation since the ADA.

On this 30th anniversary of the ADA, we at PATF pledge to do our part by furthering financial empowerment for people with disabilities through our programs and through our advocacy.

* * * *

In case you haven’t heard, in honor of the ADA anniversary, Disability PRIDE Virtual PA is hosting a month-long celebration with lots of good content. PATF was thrilled to present on three topics that are important to us all:

Slides for each presentation can be found on our website.

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ODP Announcement 20-087, published on July 20, 2020, clarifies guidance related to wearing masks during the provision of direct services. On July 7, 2020, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) released guidance that staff who provide direct services are required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth during the entirety of service provision.

This is to clarify that failure to wear a mask during service provision is not subject to ODP’s Incident Management requirements at this time, and failure to wear a mask during service provision does not need to be reported as an incident in the Enterprise Incident Management (EIM) system unless otherwise directed by ODP.

ODP intends to respond to mask-related inquiries and situations on a case-by-case basis. Education and technical assistance will be the primary means to ensure that masks are worn during service provision.

Substantial or ongoing failure to ensure that staff wear masks during service provision may result in an administrative action or sanction by ODP. ODP may release additional guidance on mask use as needed if frequently occurring situations present.

Meanwhile, providers are strongly encouraged to educate staff on the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the provider’s expectations for mask use while on duty.

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