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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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Join RCPA as we host the 2024 Annual Conference Embracing Challenges, Empowering Success from September 24 – 27 at the Hershey Lodge. The event is a highlight for the Pennsylvania behavioral health, brain injury, children’s, intellectual and developmental disabilities, medical rehabilitation, and physical disabilities and aging provider communities. RCPA staff and the Conference Committee are excited to release this year’s Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Advertiser Brochure, which features new opportunities to get in on the action and network with providers. Booth self-selection will also be available for exhibitors and exhibiting sponsors. In order to be considered for self-selection, a completed contract with payment must be submitted.

Network and Compete in Connections Hall
Connections Hall activities take place during the two busiest days of the conference, and many networking opportunities are available throughout the event. You’ll also be able to compete and have a chance to win “Best of Show!”

Sponsorship Opportunities Available
RCPA is privileged to have the backing of the finest organizations in the field for our conference. Through the use of sponsorship circles, RCPA is able to honor all supporting organizations.

Sign Up Now!
Sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by August 23. Space and opportunities are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, and no reservation is considered complete without payment. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator. The association looks forward to welcoming you at the conference!

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Governor Shapiro has proposed a significant increase of funding to the ID/A system, and the legislature will begin deliberating the Governor’s plan. Now is the time to ask to secure this funding and maintain it in the next fiscal year’s budget.

RCPA has partnered with The Arc of PA, TPA, PAR, The Alliance, and MAX to develop a document for our members to share with legislators and other stakeholders that summarizes our message regarding support for the Governor’s budget. This document is now available to use. Additionally, RCPA has made available our legislative priorities one-pager that covers all divisions. We ask that you use both the ID/A document and the one-pager during your legislative visits, including those scheduled during our Capitol Day event on March 19.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Carol Ferenz.

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RCPA submitted comments to the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) regarding the proposed amendments to the Consolidated, Person/Family-Directed Support (P/FDS), Community Living, and Adult Autism Waivers to allow providers to request a one-time supplemental payment to cover recruitment, retention, and any unusual staffing expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic for direct support professionals, frontline supervisors, or supports coordinators.

ODP will review and consider all comments received by 11:59 pm today.

While we are grateful for the opportunity for members to access additional funds this fiscal year, we wanted to express our strong belief that the calculation of the dispersal of funds includes the NEA rates. There has been discussion with ODP staff that indicates they may not be including those amounts in the calculation.

Please see our comments and feel free to share your thoughts with ODP as well by 11:59 pm tonight.

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The deadline for RCPA’s request for proposals is just one week away! Proposals must be submitted by COB next Monday, March 11 to be considered for the 2024 Annual Conference Embracing Challenges, Empowering Success, which will be held September 24 – 27 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. Our Conference Committee seeks workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence, telehealth innovations, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective businesses; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism. Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share. Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 17, 2024. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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ODP Announcement 24-025 provides information regarding the accreditation of MyODP trainings by the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). The NADSP credentialing process is important to DSPs, as it puts them on a path for portable credentialing, creates a career ladder, and is an opportunity to demonstrate an up-to-date and relevant skill set, highlight professional achievements, and document the DSP’s value to the employer and supported individuals.

Training hours (certificates) that were achieved for accredited ODP trainings prior to ODP’s accreditation approval will be accepted and applied towards DSP E-Badge requirements. Accredited trainings available in MyODP will be identified with the “NADSP Accredited DSP Training” icon. The list of Accredited trainings can be found here. Please contact ODP via email with any questions.

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Photo by Dario Valenzuela on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are pleased to announce that the latest edition of the Positive Approaches Journal is now available!

This issue of the Positive Approaches Journal focuses on the aging process in those with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism (ID/A) and mental health. Pennsylvania has seen significant growth in their older adult population, and this trend certainly applies to those with ID/A and mental health.

The articles presented in this issue of the Positive Approaches journal offer insight and expertise into several aspects of the issues that Pennsylvania’s aging population is confronting. Discussion on such key topics as dementia, social isolation, mental health and substance abuse, and the Pennsylvania Master Plan on Aging are addressed.

This issue of Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading at MyODP’s website. To print a copy of the PDF, online journal, or a specific article, you will find these options within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. A new window will open with your selected document. In your browser, you may click the Print button in the top left corner of the page, or by using the Print capability within your browser.

Please submit feedback regarding your experience with the Positive Approaches Journal on MyODP by selecting the feedback image on MyODP within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page.

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