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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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0 1606

ODP Announcement 105-18 addresses the requirement for Supports Coordinators (SCs) to review and complete the Right to Report Abuse Notification handout annually with all individuals and record the action in an SC Monitoring Tool in the Home and Community Services Information System (HCSIS). Documentation of this activity is not satisfied by strictly answering “Yes” to the question of: “Was the individual (and involved family or other unpaid caregivers, as appropriate) informed about abuse, neglect, and exploitation protections AND was information about how to report provided?” SCs must record detailed information outlining completion of all steps listed below. To meet ODP’s expectation for completing the Right to Report Abuse Notification handout, the following must occur:

  • In a location that affords the individual privacy, discuss the meaning of abuse, neglect, and exploitation
  • The discussion must take place in a format understood by the individual and using means of communication which the individual prefers
  • Advise the individual/surrogate that they have the right:
    – To be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation
    – To report abuse, neglect, and exploitation
  • Discuss with whom the individual may report (e.g. family members, friends, SCs, Disability Rights of Pennsylvania (DRPA), protective service organizations, law enforcement, etc.)
  • Complete the handout by filling in the blank space, indicating contact information and establish a place where the individual may readily access it
  • Advise the individual that they can report abuse, neglect, and exploitation to another person, if the first person they notified failed to take action
  • After the meeting, document the conversation and the contact information (names and phone numbers) in an SC Monitoring Tool in HCSIS. The record must clearly indicate that the conversation took place in a location that affords privacy.
  • As part of the monitoring process, SCs should revisit the discussion with the individual to ensure that they continue to feel safe, remember the handout, and have access to it.

If an individual discloses any allegation, the SC must be prepared to take all necessary actions to ensure that the individual’s immediate health and safety needs are being addressed per ODP policy and according to law.

INQUIRIES REGARDING THIS COMMUNICATION:
Please direct questions regarding this announcement to the appropriate ODP Regional Office.

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ODP has announced that the Medication Administration Training Program will be unavailable as a result of scheduled maintenance from Tuesday December 18, 2018 through Friday December 21, 2018.

The outage is scheduled to start at 2:00 pm on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 18, 2018. If you are able to access the course after 2:00 pm that afternoon, please note that the system may become unavailable at any time later in the day, without additional notice. That means that if you are working in the system after this date and time, the system could suddenly become unavailable and your work would be lost.

*Please do not access the system after the scheduled outage period begins.*

Please check the following places for updates on this outage:

If the outage ends sooner than 12/21/2018, notice will be provided at the above-mentioned sites. Please contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with any questions.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has announced that the document, “Action Plan: Information Sharing and Advisory Committee (ISAC) Plan for Sexual Abuse Prevention and Healthy Relationships,” is available now on MyODP. The document is the product of conversations and commitments made by ODP’s ISAC membership and emphasizes the shared responsibility of everyone to help prevent sexual abuse.

The Department of Justice reported that people with intellectual disabilities are sexually assaulted at seven times the rate of those without a disability. This is almost certainly an underestimate. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have raised the national consciousness, illuminating how sexual assault is pervasive in our country. Yet, it is still too often ignored, downplayed, justified, or rationalized.

For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this suppression of the reality of sexual abuse is exacerbated because people often aren’t believed, or their testimony is discounted or devalued. As a result, ISAC organizational representatives have laid out these plans to tackle the problem and begin implementing a solution.

Contact RCPA IDD Division Director Carol Ferenz with any questions.

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Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Acting Deputy Secretary Kristin Ahrens has officially been named Deputy Secretary of ODP.

Deputy Secretary Ahrens formerly served as Director of Bureau of Policy and Quality Management. She was instrumental in developing the ODP waivers and has been responsible for policy development, training, quality, and communications for the past two years. Prior to her appointment at ODP she served as the Policy Director at Temple University, where she was responsible for directing all policy-related activities for the institute, including policy analysis; training and technical assistance to staff, community groups, and policymakers; and creating and/or disseminating briefs on local, state, and federal policy issues that affect people with disabilities and families. Ahrens also provided consultation to ODP on fiscal policy and the HCBS settings rule, served on the Adult Protective Services Coalition, Disability Budget Coalition, DHS Regulatory Revision Work Group, and Association for University Centers Legislative Affairs Committee. She also has experience in Person-Driven Services, including her work at Self Determination Resources (SDRI) for six years, where she was instrumental in the growth of SDRI from a pilot project to a fully operational model brokerage which was replicated statewide. In addition, Ms. Ahrens served as a consultant on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Transformation Transfer Initiative for building sustainable self-directed services in PA’s mental health system.

RCPA extends our congratulations to Deputy Secretary Ahrens and we look forward to continuing collaborative work in her role at ODP. Contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with questions.

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The RCPA Board of Directors recently approved full membership for the association with the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), which in turn will benefit all members of RCPA. ANCOR represents over 1,400 service providers and 52 state provider organizations who support more than one million Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Medicaid Program. ANCOR provides advocacy on a federal level and represents the workforce of community providers across the country who empower people with developmental disabilities including Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism, to live and work with dignity in their own communities.

Effective in January 2019, all RCPA members will be considered members of ANCOR, and will enjoy the benefits of their membership. There is no additional charge to our members for this; you will receive a welcome email and may choose to opt out or sign up for pertinent email lists.

ANCOR membership offers a multitude of benefits, including:

  • Up to date information regarding federal policy;
  • Opportunities to be involved in shaping public policy;
  • Access to the ANCOR Amplifier – an interactive website that enables members to easily and efficiently communicate with elected officials on important issues;
  • Collaboration with other providers through the use of a private, professional networking community, sharing information and advice with peers across the country;
  • National Advocacy Campaign working to advance the professionalism, recognition of, and improved wages for Direct Support Professionals;
  • Educational offerings including webinars;
  • Technical assistance including guidance on HIPAA, Wage and Hour, and other regulations, including (limited) free access to legal consultation with Gilliland, Maguire & Harper, PC;
  • Shared Resource Purchasing Network that also offers some benefits to employees of organizations; and
  • Publications including weekly updates, Capitol Correspondence, and bi-monthly newsletters.

For a full description of benefits now available to you as members:

RCPA will notify members once this agreement is in full effect. Please contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with questions.

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The Office of Developmental Programs issued ODP Communication Number 102-18 announcing delays in two areas that were scheduled to go into effect for ODP Waiver programs. Amendments to the Consolidated, P/FDS, and Community Living Waivers were recently approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) effective November 1, 2018. This communication is regarding the following two changes in the amendments that were scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2019:

  1. Transportation Trip was to transition from a cost-based rate to a fee schedule rate

Implementation of the changes to Transportation Trip will be delayed until July 1, 2019. This delay includes all of the following changes associated with transitioning Transportation Trip from a cost-based service to a fee schedule service:

  • Changes to the number of miles covered in each zone designation;
  • Expanding the service to be provided by relatives, legal guardians, and Organized Health Care Delivery Systems; and
  • Expanding the service to be self-directed through the Agency With Choice or Vendor  Fiscal/Employer Agent participant-directed services models.

These changes are not to be included in a person’s Individual Support Plan effective January 1, 2019. ODP has submitted an amendment to CMS to maintain the Transportation Trip service definition and cost-based rate methodology in its current approved state with no changes effective January 1, 2019.

  1. As part of qualification requirements, staff were to complete the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) credential, Basic Employment Services Certificate of Achievement or a Professional Certificate of Achievement in Employment Services certification for certain employment services and components of Community Participation Support.

ODP has received feedback that providers are struggling to have all required staff complete the Basic Employment Services Certificate of Achievement or Professional Certificate of Achievement in Employment Services prior to the pending January 1, 2019 deadline. As a result, the requirement for staff to have one of those qualifications will be delayed until July 1, 2019.

It is imperative that all impacted providers and common law employers that have staff who are required to have one of these employment credentials or certificates start the process now if they have not already done so. There will be no further delays granted in implementation of this qualification criteria.

ODP is drafting another set of amendments to the Consolidated, P/FDS, and Community Living Waivers that will be effective July 1, 2019. Both the changes to transition Transportation Trip to a fee schedule rate and the delay of the qualification criteria regarding employment credentials and certificates discussed in this communication will be included in those amendments with other proposed changes. ODP anticipates that the proposed amendments will be released for public comment in February or March of 2019.

All other changes contained in the waiver amendments effective November 1, 2018 remain effective and must be followed. The current approved waivers can be accessed here.

Contact RCPA IDD Division Director Carol Ferenz with questions.

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In June of this year, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) established a new Special Populations Unit within the Bureau of Autism Services. This unit oversees the management of the Harry M. Settlement and supports efforts to build system-wide capacity to support individuals with communication challenges. A focus of the work will align with the Everyday Lives recommendation that emphasizes the need to build communication supports for the individuals assisted by ODP programs.

ODP has announced a kickoff series of training webinars presented by the Special Populations Unit in the month of December. These trainings will focus on specific topics related to communication. ODP Communication Number 101-18 includes a listing of the training topics, dates and times, and intended audience; this is the reissue of 101-18 which has the correct dates. To register, click on the linked title of each training you plan to attend. Once you pre-register, you will receive an email with instructions to participate, including a new link to join the meeting.

Questions about this ODP Communication should be directed to the ODP Deaf Services Mailbox.

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November 15 is Pressure Injury Prevention Day. ODP Medical Director Dr. Gregory Cherpes, MD released a Health Alert with important information for those who provide care to individuals at risk of developing pressure injuries.

The skin is the largest organ of the body. Skin protects the body by creating a barrier to the environment, regulates the body’s temperature, supports peripheral circulation, and helps maintain fluid balance. Skin also is a reservoir for the formation of Vitamin D. The nerves in the skin provide sensations that detect changes in the environment such as heat, cold, touch, and pain. The skin is made of two layers, the epidermis and dermis, which cover the underlying tissues, muscles, and bones. “Skin integrity” refers to the intact, unbroken nature of healthy skin. Open wounds to the skin, such as those that occur with pressure injuries, make an individual more vulnerable to infection, sickness, and death.

This document provides information defining pressure injuries, why prevention is important, who is at risk of developing pressure injuries, signs and stages, treatment, and prevention of these injuries.

Due to the serious nature of pressure injuries, the pain associated with these injuries, and the additional conditions that may result from pressure injuries, prevention and immediate action at the first sign of pressure injuries are of utmost importance. In addition to skin, muscle, and bone loss, bacteria entering the sore can cause infection. In some cases, infection in the tissue can lead to bone infection, also called osteomyelitis. Infections can worsen and result in sepsis (when infection enters the blood), which can lead to shock and even death.

IMPORTANT: Notify the health care practitioner (HCP) if there are concerns for a pressure wound. Because pressure injuries can have many different appearances, the HCP should be alerted to any skin changes that are noted, particularly in areas at risk for pressure injury. Notify the HCP at the first sign of redness that does not resolve within 15 minutes after relieving the pressure.

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