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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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ODP Announcement 19 -036 provides information regarding The Arc of Pennsylvania hosting two ACRE certification training sessions in June. This ACRE certification training, a combination of both in-person and online training, is for providers of Supported Employment services.

Training in Hermitage, PA is scheduled for June 3 – 6, 2019 at 850 North Hermitage Road, Hermitage, PA 16148. Registration is required and is open until May 10, 2019.

Training in State College, PA is scheduled for June 11 – 13, 2019 at 318 South Atherton Street, State College, PA 16801. Registration is required and is open until May 28, 2019.

The project will reimburse attendees up to $25 for travel expenses they incur to attend and participate in the training, upon successful completion of the ACRE certification. Priority will be given to ODP and OVR-approved Supported Employment providers. Small Group Employment and Community Participation Support – Prevocational Services providers may register and attend as space allows. Please email any questions about the trainings.

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ODP published Announcement 19-032 to announce that all Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs) and Providers delivering supports and services for participants in the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) program will be integrated into the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) QA&I process beginning July 1, 2019. The QA&I process will replace the existing AAW monitoring process and will be one of the tools used to evaluate the current system of supports and identify ways to improve it for all individuals supported by ODP.

The QA&I process was first introduced in July 2017 with ODP’s ID/A Waiver programs. The process is designed to conduct a comprehensive quality management review of county programs, Administrative Entities, SCOs, and Providers delivering services and supports to individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders.

The comprehensive quality management review is accomplished using a combination of self-assessment, desk review, onsite review, individual interviews, corrective action, Plan to Prevent Recurrence and quality management plans. The QA&I process occurs over a three-year cycle with each of the entities receiving a full review at least once within that period.

To support this integration, ODP will provide QA&I process training for SCOs and Providers serving AAW participants in the spring of 2019. Look for a date, time, and any specific instructions for this training in a future communication.

For more information about the QA&I process, please visit “QA&I Process Resources” on MyODP. Please submit any questions regarding this communication to Patrick Keating.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) offers participant direction, also known as self-direction, to provide participants with a high level of choice and control over their services and supports in the ID/A waivers. In ODP’s self-direction models, the participant directs the provision of waiver services provided by Support Service Professionals, who are known as Direct Support Professionals in the Adult Autism Waiver. Support Service Professionals are the person(s) who will be hired to provide waiver services to the participant.

Participants can take advantage of self-direction opportunities through the utilization of a Financial Management Service (FMS) Organization. Participants who wish to self-direct services may do so though one of two FMS models: Agency with Choice or Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent.

Since participant-directed services models are not available in the Adult Autism Waiver, ODP included a reserved capacity category called Participant Direction Transfers in the ID/A waiver amendments effective November 1, 2018. Each waiver reserves 5 spaces each year (for a total of 15 per year) for individuals who wish to self-direct the majority of their waiver services but are enrolled in the Adult Autism Waiver.

To begin implementation of this reserved capacity, each participant in the Adult Autism Waiver will receive a letter and a flyer from ODP announcing the availability of this reserved capacity and providing information about participant-directed services. Since there are only 5 spaces available per year in each of the ID/A waivers, the Adult Autism Waiver Supports Coordinator will need to have a discussion with each person enrolled in the Adult Autism Waiver at the first regularly scheduled meeting or monitoring to determine if he or she is interested in self-directing the majority of their waiver services and enrolling in one of the ID/A waivers. Detailed information about this process can be found in ODP Announcement 19- 036. Also see Attachment #1, Attachment #2, and Attachment #3 to the announcement.

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Registration is open for a free statewide professional training: Succeeding in an Environment of Change: Exploring the Evolving Dynamic of the Adult Autism Waiver by the Office of Developmental Programs, Bureau of Autism Services (ODP/BAS). The trainings will be held in April and May, and detailed information, such as dates and locations, can be found in ODP Announcement 19-027.

In an environment of constant change, Supports Coordinators (SCs) and Supports Coordination Supervisors (SCSs) must be flexible and aware of available resources and support available to help them optimally perform their roles. This training session will focus on the impact key changes, such as new regulations and BAS policy changes, have on the roles and responsibilities of SCs and SCSs. Questions about this announcement can be sent via email.

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2019 marks the official 18th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) — but did you know we can trace its history even further back?

Even before its official declaration, SAAM was about both awareness and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. Looking at the history of the movement to end sexual violence, it’s clear why: it’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution. The two work in tandem, and they always have. From the civil rights movement to the founding of the first rape crisis centers to national legislation and beyond, the roots of SAAM run deep.

Roots of the Movement
As long as there have been people who care about making the world a better place, there have been individuals advocating for sexual assault prevention. In the United States, movements for social change and equality began to gain traction in the 1940s and 50s with the civil rights era. Although open discussion of the realities of sexual assault and domestic violence were limited at these times, activists for equal rights began to challenge the status quo.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is about more than awareness — the ultimate goal is prevention. Since consent is a clear, concrete example of what it takes to end sexual harassment, abuse, and assault, this year’s theme centers on empowering all of us to put consent into practice. The campaign theme, I Ask, champions the message that asking for consent is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of everyday interactions.

Sexual assault is a serious and widespread problem. Nearly one in five women in the US have experienced rape or attempted rape at some time in their lives, and one in 67 American men have experienced rape or attempted rape. When we talk about prevention, we mean stopping sexual violence before it even has a chance to happen. This means changing the social norms that allow it to exist in the first place, from individual attitudes, values, and behaviors to laws, institutions, and widespread social norms. Prevention is everyone’s responsibility: All of us can create and promote safe environments. We can intervene to stop concerning behavior, promote and model healthy attitudes and relationships, and believe survivors and assist them in finding resources.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is the leading nonprofit in providing information and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence. NSVRC translates research and trends into best practices that help individuals, communities, and service providers achieve real and lasting change. The center also works with the media to promote informed reporting. Every April, NSVRC leads Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a campaign to educate and engage the public in addressing this widespread issue.

Be sure to share your sexual assault awareness programs and activities on social media, and feel free to share on the RCPA Facebook page and Twitter feed as well.

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Colorful puzzle ribbon as symbol autism awareness

National Autism Awareness Month begins April 1 and ends April 30. Autism is a complex brain disorder that often impacts a person’s ability to communicate, respond to surroundings, and form relationships with others. Autism affects people of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), celebrated each year on April 2, was adopted by the United Nations in 2007 to shine a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis. Autism is one of only three health issues to be recognized with its own day by the United Nations. WAAD activities increase world knowledge of autism and impart information about the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism around the world.

On World Autism Awareness Day, Autism Speaks celebrates its international Light It Up Blue Campaign. Thousands of iconic landmarks, communities, businesses, and homes across the globe unite by shining bright blue lights in honor of the millions of individuals and families around the world affected by autism. Share your autism awareness programs and activities online and be sure to include the RCPA Facebook page and Twitter feed!

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ODP Announcement 19-034 clarifies requirements regarding the number of individuals that can be served in a licensed Adult Training Facility (55 Pa. Code Chapter 2380) or a licensed Vocational Facility (55 Pa. Code Chapter 2390). This communication contains requirements that apply to new licensed Adult Training Facilities and Vocational Facilities as well as relocations of these facilities.

The Community Participation Support service definition in the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS Waivers, as well as the Day Habilitation service definition in the Adult Autism Waiver, state that services may not be provided in a licensed facility that is newly funded on or after March 17, 2019 and serves more than 25 individuals in the facility at any one time. This number includes individuals who receive services funded through a source other than the waivers included in this communication; such as private pay, base funding, Community Health Choices, etc. Due to the delay in the publication of the 55 Pa. Code Chapter 6100 regulations, this requirement is being delayed to July 1, 2019. For the purposes of this requirement, from July 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, only new licensed Adult Training Facilities and Vocational Facilities will be considered “newly funded.”

Effective January 1, 2022, relocations (facilities that are currently licensed to operate at one physical site that subsequently move to a new physical site) will be considered “newly funded” and will have to meet the requirement to serve no more than 25 individuals at any one time in a licensed setting.

From now until December 31, 2021, licensed Adult Training Facilities and Vocational Facilities that relocate an existing service location to a new service location, who intend to serve more than 25 individuals at any one time in the new location, must submit justification to ODP regarding the request to serve a larger number of individuals (submitted to the ODP staff on Attachment 1). The information required includes:

  • Explanation why the provider cannot relocate and/or reconfigure their business model to comply with the requirement to serve no more than 25 individuals at any one time.
  • Information about how much time individuals receiving Community Participation Support and/or Day Habilitation services are spending in the current facility and target dates for increasing time in the community in the new location. The expectation is that providers should be looking for new service locations that promote more community participation and integration in the individuals’ communities. This may mean that the provider should be considering locations in multiple communities to support those they serve.
  • The number of individuals currently served in the licensed setting at any one time, as well as assurance that the provider will not exceed this number after the relocation occurs. Providers are not to relocate to new licensed settings to increase the number of people they can serve in that setting.

ODP staff will inform the provider of whether the relocation is approved or denied for the purpose of being eligible for funding through an ODP Waiver.

Also, effective January 1, 2022, Community Participation Support and Day Habilitation services may not be provided in any licensed Adult Training Facility or Vocational Facility that serves more than 150 individuals at any one time. This number includes individuals who receive services funded through a source other than the waivers included in this communication.

Questions about this communication should be emailed here.

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