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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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Join RCPA and its members for a virtual rally on Labor Day (Monday, September 2) to advocate for increased funding for intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) services to help raise wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSP) and Front Line Supervisors (FLS). The Labor Day Virtual Rally is kicking off our advocacy efforts for the FY 20/21 Pennsylvania Budget. We are advocating to Governor Wolf and our legislators to include funding in the budget to raise DSP and FLS wages by $1.50 and reduce the wait list for services.

What is a virtual rally? A rally is when a group of people congregate in support of a certain cause, typically a political one. A virtual rally is the same, but instead of congregating somewhere in person like the Capitol steps, we’re congregating on social media! Just like an in-person rally, make signs, take pictures, post them on social media, and get lawmakers’ attention by tagging your legislator and the governor!

Guidelines for Providers: We are asking each provider to develop a few posts on Labor Day (September 2). These can be scheduled ahead of time or posted the day of. Photos of the individuals you support and DSPs working with them throughout the day and photos of people holding homemade rally signs are encouraged! Signs can say things like “Raise DSP Wages,” “We Work 365/24/7,” and “Support Me Support DSPs,” but creativity is also encouraged!

Tag Governor Wolf and your legislators; you can look up their social media information here. You can also tag your employer. Use the hashtag: #SupportMeSupportDSPs.

We are asking each provider to get 3–5 DSPs who are working on Labor Day to commit to posting a selfie on the day of the rally to their personal page! Make sure that you talk with each DSP you choose about your social media policy so they know what they can and can’t post on their social media. For example, most providers do not allow employees to take photos with individuals or with any identifying information in the photo (such as address and medical information). See more guidelines below.

For the rest of your staff, the individuals you support, and their family members, please encourage them to share posts from your organization’s page on the day of the virtual rally and also add their own story to the post.
We also encourage the executive of the organization to post a supporting message on the day of this event, either from their personal account or on the company account! Use the hashtag: #SupportMeSupportDSPs

Use the Virtual Rally photo frame (download it here).

Guidelines for DSPs (who are working on Labor Day and selected by employer to post a picture):

  • Make sure you understand and adhere to your organization’s social media policy. Do not post pictures of the individuals you support if it is against your organization’s social media policy. Once you know the do’s and don’ts of your organization’s social media policy, be creative! For example, you could post a selfie on the way to work and the way home from work (please, not while driving).
  • Make sure you note in the post that you are a Direct Support Professional (DSP) and talk about what you do. Many of your followers on social media may not know what a DSP is; this is your opportunity to educate them about what you do! Try to show the range and depth of the services you provide for people with ID/A. Talk about how your job has positively impacted you, and also talk about the challenges you face.

Contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with questions.

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Public forums have been scheduled throughout September and October 2019 in various locations throughout Pennsylvania in order to receive input about the issues that matter most to Pennsylvanians with disabilities and their families. Written comments can also be submitted by October 4, 2019.  Comments can be submitted to: Pennsylvania Disabilities Council, 2330 Vartan Way, Suite 130, Harrisburg, PA 17110 — Attn: Listening Tour, or via email.

Specifically, they would like to hear your ideas about:

  • The disability and social issues they should pursue to better support people with disabilities and their families and provide information and education for all Pennsylvanians.
  • How they can ensure that civil and human rights of people with disabilities are protected.
  • The training opportunities they should make available for people with disabilities and family members, for people who provide supports, and the general community.
  • The research needed in Pennsylvania to guide policy; improve services, supports, systems, and communities; and ensure civil and human rights.

These listening sessions are extremely important as the feedback received from stakeholders will guide development of the 2022–2026 Five-Year State Plan. For dates and locations of the sessions, please see the announcement.

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RCPA’s Human Resources Committee met this week, and there was discussion regarding provider responsibilities for trainings for their employees and resources available to provide the needed training. We want to clarify that these requirements apply to providers of Medicare services, not Medicaid.

CMS offers an online resource – Medicare Learning Network (MLN) as a free resource to the public. One area covered in the MLN is Medicare Parts C and D Compliance and Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Trainings. Prior to January 1, 2019, CMS required providers of Medicare services to utilize their training to meet this requirement. Beginning January 1, 2019, CMS no longer requires health care providers participating in Medicare Advantage and Part D plans to complete CMS issued training, in order to allow the training to be offered in a manner that is tailored to each organization’s operations and risks.

Providers of Medicaid Services (Waiver services are funded through Medicaid) are not mandated to provide FWA training to their employees. Although this is not a mandated training, providers may offer this training as a part of your compliance training for all staff.

For more information regarding these training requirements, please refer to the CMS website and the Compliance Program Frequently Asked Questions document. If you have any further questions, please contact Carol Ferenz.

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ODP Announcement 19-108 communicates upcoming dates for face to face classroom sessions for the Medication Administration training. Additionally, this announcement communicates the completion of the Medication Administration System transition and provider access to the new system. The mandatory transition to the sole use of online training has been extended; a new deadline has not yet been determined.

Face to face classes have been scheduled throughout PA in various counties beginning August 27, 2019 through December 2019. Please see the ODP Announcement for more details and registration information. The face to face class is required for new trainers as well as for recertifying trainers.

ODP Announcement 19-109 provides updates to the schedule of virtual trainings and virtual office hours available in September 2019. Virtual training opportunities include Vocational Assessments for AAW/ACAP Vocational Assessment Providers, and Goals and Objectives training for AAW and ACAP SCOs and Providers.

Virtual office hours will be available with the Deaf Services Coordinator to answer any questions professionals in the field may have.

Please see the announcements for dates and registration information.

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ODP Announcement 19-106 announces the publication of a new issue of Positive Approaches Journal, written by and for professionals who provide supports and services to individuals with mental and behavioral health challenges, intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities.

This issue focuses on Meaningful Community Engagement and highlights thoughts and cases from the field. This “new” Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading here. The journal is published quarterly. Please send any questions via email.

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ODP Announcement 19-105 announces that an updated version of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Contact Information for ID/Autism Coordinators is now available. On February 14, 2019, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) released Bulletin 00-19-01, OVR Referral Process for ODP Employment-Related Services.

Attachment 4 to the bulletin is the OVR Contact Information for ID/Autism Coordinators. Attached, please find an updated version of this contact information. This version, dated 8/14/19, replaces all previous versions of Attachment 4.

This updated contact information and Bulletin 00-19-01 in its entirety can be found on the MyODP Employment page.

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ODP Announcement 19-104 provides a list of current AWC FMS organizations that are available to support participants and surrogates who have chosen to self- direct some or all their Participant Directed Services (PDS) using the AWC FMS model and are in the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) waiver

ODP requires each AE to have at least one qualified AWC FMS organization to provide AWC FMS. The table at the end of this document provides a complete listing of the AWC FMS organizations and the area in which they provide services across the state.

If there are any changes to the information contained in the table, the AWC or AE should notify the regional FMS lead.

These AWC FMS organizations are not to be confused with the statewide Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent (VF/EA) FMS organization. Currently, ODP contracts with Palco Inc. to provide FMS to waiver participants who elect to use the VF/EA FMS model.

For more information, regarding the two FMS models (AWC and VF/EA), please visit
MY ODP.org.

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