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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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ODP Announcement 19-146 provides an update regarding provider use of the HRST and training participation. ODP established the ambitious goal of completing screenings for the over 14,000 individuals in residential services over a 12-month period. ODP established benchmarks for a timeline for providers to complete screenings based on the individual’s need level. ODP is grateful to all stakeholders who have contributed to the screening process thus far; a great deal of effort has gone into the implementation of this important initiative. The use of the HRST is already enhancing the health and wellness of individuals, and the sooner that screenings are completed, the sooner the individual will benefit from this process.

To date, completed screenings have fallen behind the established benchmarks; however, screenings are continuing to increase weekly. As of October 29, a total of 1,617 individuals have been screened. 1,043 of the anticipated 2,754 individuals with Needs Level 7 have been screened. 2,555 people have completed the Online Rater Training and 1,358 are in the process of completing.

The number of registered nurses who have completed the face to face Clinical Reviewer Training is also lagging behind anticipated goals. This training is necessary to complete the Clinical Reviews on individuals who score a Level 3 or higher for the Health Care Level (HCL). As communicated in ODP Announcement 19-134, there is one final round of trainings for Clinical Reviewer remaining for 2019. All residential providers are expected to use the HRST.

ODP will continue to monitor provider progress closely to ensure that screenings occur in a timely manner and expects compliance on the tool’s use. As of this time, ODP is not pursuing enforcement activities, recognizing providers that are making a good faith effort to implement and utilize the tool. Contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with questions.

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ODP Announcement 19-145 introduces the availability of online courses via MyODP.org that will satisfy the requirements for staff orientation as outlined in Chapter 6100.142. The requirement to complete orientation pertains to the following positions:

  • Management, program, administrative, and fiscal staff persons;
  • Dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, and ancillary staff persons, except for persons who provide dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, or ancillary services and who are employed or contracted by a building owner and the licensed facility does not own the building;
  • Direct service professionals, including full-time and part-time staff persons;
  • Life sharers;
  • Volunteers who will work alone with individuals;
  • Paid and unpaid interns who will work alone with individuals; and
  • Consultants and contractors who are paid or contracted by the provider and who will work alone with individuals, except for consultants and contractors who provide an HCBS or a base funding service for fewer than 30 days within a 12-month period and who are licensed, certified, or registered by the Department of State in a health care or social service field.

This regulation requires staff to complete Orientation Training prior to working alone with an individual with a disability, and within 30 days after hire or beginning to support an individual with a disability. The Orientation Training must cover the following topics:

  1. The application of person-centered practices, community integration, individual choice, and assisting individuals to develop and maintain relationships
  2. The prevention, detection, and reporting of abuse, suspected abuse, and alleged abuse in accordance with the Older Adults Protective Services Act, the Child Protective Services Law, the Adult Protective Services Act, and applicable protective services regulations
  3. Individual rights
  4. Recognizing and reporting incidents
  5. Job-related knowledge and skills

The free courses offered by ODP cover all these topics and may be accessed on MyODP via this link: https://www.myodp.org/course/index.php?categoryid=466.

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The Pennsylvania Health Access Network is working on a project funded by the PA Disabilities Council to improve access to health care for people with disabilities in Central PA. As a part of this project, they have developed a survey they are asking providers who serve people with disabilities to complete. The data from these surveys will be used to develop trainings and policy initiatives. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey in order to provide input on this project. Please use this contact email for more information.

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ODP Announcement 19-141 provides information regarding upcoming face-to-face sessions for agencies offering Community Participation Support (CPS) Services. All staff providing CPS services through the ID/A waiver programs are required to complete Department-approved training. Due to high demand for these trainings, three additional sessions are being offered in November. The Train the Trainer version of the Community Participation Supports for Direct Support Professionals is the hybrid of the online and face-to face-training and prepares agency staff responsible for training DSPs in the CPS curriculum.

Before registering for the face-to-face course or the individual modules, agency trainers must register as a user via MyODP.org. Prior to participation in a Train the Trainer session, agency trainers must complete via MyODP a self-inventory, pre-test, modules 1–7, a post-test, and certificate of completion. Attendance at one of the sessions is required to access Train the Trainer materials and to provide the instructor-led training.

Each training session is scheduled from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm with a one-hour lunch break. Participants are responsible for their own lunches. Registration is first-come, first-served with a maximum of 20, with a limit of two people per agency.

The trainings are scheduled as follows:

  • Thursday, November 21, 2019 – Allegheny Office of Intellectual Disabilities, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Friday, November 22, 2019 – Capital Area Intermediate Unit, Summerdale, PA
  • Tuesday, November 26, 2019 – Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA

Use this link to register.

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ODP Announcement 19-140 provides further updates to the implementation schedule for the training plan to inform all audiences as to the Chapter 6100 Regulatory Package.

Deputy Secretary Ahrens kicked off the trainings for the new regulatory package with a high-level overview of changes to the regulations. The three opportunities for this topic were filled to capacity. For those who were unable to participate, a recording and PowerPoint of these sessions is available.

The next set of sessions, entitled General Overview and Enforcement and presented by ODP’s Ron Melusky, Director of Division of Program Management, is slated for October 30, November 8, and November 13. This webinar was previously announced in ODP Announcement 19-132. The first two sessions are full; however, there is a third opportunity now offered. Register here for the last available live session on Wednesday, November 13 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am.

The third set of sessions, entitled Approved Program Capacity and Noncontiguous Locations for ID/A Waivers, is scheduled for presentation by Katie Marie-Wilson, Policy Supervisor and Bill Bruaw, Waiver Capacity Manager for the Central Region. This webinar was previously announced in ODP Announcement 19-132 Update. As the first session of this webinar is full, a second session has been added on Tuesday, November 5 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. Please register via this link.

The fourth session, entitled Chapter 6100 Webinar for Professionals (Fiscal), presented by Rick Smith, Director of the Bureau of Financial Management and Program Support, has one session scheduled for Tuesday, November 12 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Register here for this session.

All of the above-mentioned offerings will be recorded and posted on the Chapter 6100 Landing Page, so that those unable to participate in the live sessions have the opportunity to access the materials. A link will be made available to each webinar after the sessions have completed.

For those registering for the live sessions, ODP is encouraging those who can do so to take part in a group setting.

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Hundreds of families and individuals with intellectual disabilities, along with dozens of human service providers from across the Commonwealth, rallied at the State Capitol today to urge the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and its Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) to reverse course on policies that are putting at risk the very programs these individuals rely on daily for support and assistance.

  • View the rally agenda here.
  • View the photo album (Facebook) here.

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ODP Announcement 19-138 provides guidance to providers regarding the process ODP staff will utilize in making a determination for Approved Program Capacity (APC) and Noncontiguous Clearance through the updated form.

Since the release of the Request for APC and Noncontiguous Clearance form and instructions with ODP Communication 071-18, additional changes have been made to align with requirements in the Consolidated, P/FDS, and Community Living Waivers, as well as changes in regulatory requirements. Specifically, the form and instructions have been updated to include requests for Reserved Capacity as enumerated in 55 Pa. Code §6100.55. In addition, the Request for APC and Noncontiguous Location Clearance form has been streamlined based on feedback from providers, and now captures whether providers are completing the form for revalidation purposes where APC documentation is required.

ODP also has developed the following documents for use in coordination with this policy.

This communication obsoletes:

  • ODP Informational Packet 028-15, Changes to the Approved Program Capacity Process Resulting from the Provider Settlement Agreement; and
  • ODP Announcement 071-18, Request for Approved Program Capacity and Noncontiguous Clearance.

Send questions via email here.

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