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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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The Finance & Reimbursement Committee would like to remind members that recipients of Federal Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments must report on the use of those funds by March 31, 2023.

Per the HRSA website, PRF Phase 4 is under the following timeframes:

  • Payments Received Period: 7/1/2021 – 12/31/2021
  • Period of Availability: 1/1/2020 – 12/31/2022
  • Reporting Time Period: 1/1/2023 – 3/31/2023

For further information, please visit the HRSA website.

Image by Shotkitimages from Pixabay

LRA Consultants is offering two online classes. Registration and additional information for all classes may be found on their website. The classes are:

  • Mortality Review and Death Investigations: LRA Consultants is offering a 2-day training opportunity for State Oversight, Licensing and/or Survey Agencies, Protection and Advocacy Organizations, Provider Organizations, and Mortality Review Committee Members.
  • Conducting Serious Incident Investigations: This three-day program is designed to teach participants the fundamental principles of investigation.

In addition to open registration classes, LRA Consultants can schedule online or in-person classes for your organization, usually at a per person cost savings. For more information about their courses, including self-paced options, contact Laura Nuss at 202-355-0799 or visit their website.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) invite provider agencies enrolled to deliver the following services to complete a survey on employment services:

  • Supported Employment;
  • Advanced Supported Employment/Customized Employment; and/or
  • Pre-Employment Transition Services.

Information gathered from the survey on staffing, training, service options, and coordination may influence the provision of employment services funded by ODP and/or OVR for people with disabilities.

This approximately 10 minute survey is voluntary. Responses may be submitted anonymously. The survey should be completed by provider staff responsible for hiring, training, and programmatic decision-making.

This survey will remain open until close of business February 10, 2023. You can complete the survey here.

RCPA has partnered with several other ID/A associations to develop a unified budget ask to send to Governor Shapiro. RCPA, The Provider’s Alliance, The Arc of PA, PAR, MAX, and The Alliance sent a letter asking the governor to include $430 million in the 2023/24 state general fund budget proposal to significantly improve the wage rates for the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide care to individuals with ID/A. This funding, along with its federal match, is crucial because the ID/A system is in crisis. Nearly 60,000 Pennsylvanians with ID/A are at risk of losing or experiencing a reduction of essential services because there are not enough DSPs to care for them. The letter outlines several specific challenges in the ID/A system.

The letter was also sent to Dana Fritz, Chief of Staff; Lindsey Mauldin, Deputy Chief of Staff; The Honorable Uri Monson, Secretary of the Budget; The Honorable Akbar Hossain, Secretary of Policy and Planning; The Honorable Mike Vereb, Secretary of Legislative Affairs; and The Honorable Valerie Arkoosh, Secretary, Department of Human Services.

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Members, Please Share With Anyone You Know Who May Be Interested/Qualified. Thank you for your consideration!

The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA) is proud to be among the largest and most diverse state health and human services trade associations in the nation. Our mission is to represent providers of health and human services committed to effective, efficient, and high-quality care. To that end, RCPA is seeking a Policy Analyst – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Division, who will support the IDD Director and RCPA members regarding policy, legislation, and support services locally as well as on a national level.

Duties will include:

  • Conducting policy analysis and research; responding to member requests regarding IDD policy-related issues, as appropriate.
  • Researching, analyzing, and responding to legislation, regulation, and other policy influencing documents and activities in the IDD field.
  • Preparing position papers, written analyses, and other written documents pertinent to the dissemination of policy information in the area of IDD services.
  • Studying existing and potential industry trends and laws (on a national, state, and local level) and issues pertinent to IDD providers.
  • Responding to member requests regarding IDD-related issues.
  • Representing the association at various meetings, including local and national, committees, and work groups.

Qualified applicants for our Policy Analyst – IDD Division opportunity will possess a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study, and two to four years related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Additionally, candidates should possess:

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills;
  • Demonstrated excellence in establishing and maintaining collaborative partnerships;
  • Demonstrated success in developing and implementing strategic plans;
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
  • Excellent time-management skills and excellent attention to detail; and
  • Fluency in the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

This is a full-time position that entails approximately 40 hours of work per week. RCPA is proud to offer a robust benefits package that includes paid medical and dental insurance, life, AD&D and disability insurance, as well as the opportunity to participate in the 401(k) benefit with company match.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to respond to this posting with their resume and salary requirements. RCPA is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

ODP Announcement 23-009 shares that MyODP’s redesigned navigation structure is now live. Resource pages now reside on MyODP’s home page without the need for a login. MyODP will continue to host all Trainings and role-specific resources that require login.

The website will now be the primary site to access ODP-related resources. Many resource pages that were on MyODP have been consolidated for simpler navigation on the home page and are accessible without the need for login. The home page will also be the main point of access for Everyday Lives content, news, and communications. The home page search bar will search materials on MyODP, ASERT, and AIDinPA.

If you have bookmarks to any resource pages, they will remain accessible until February 28, 2023. Please change your bookmarks to the new resource pages before this date.

Along with this announcement is a Navigation Guide. Please submit feedback through the following MyODP New Navigation Feedback Form.

Based on feedback that the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has received, it has been determined that there is a need for people who are providing Behavioral Support to gather and discuss the service requirements and ODP’s Best Practice Standards, share resources, and develop a network of those providing this critical service.

In 2022, ODP provided this opportunity to Behavioral Specialist Supervisors in their first two cohorts of the Behavioral Support Roundtables. They are looking for more supervisors to participate in the third cohort. If you are willing to be a part of this cohort, they ask that you commit to:

a) Joining ODP virtually for three-hour roundtables once per month for three months (you must be able to attend all 3 sessions in their entirety):

  • February 22 — 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
  • March 29 — 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
  • April 26 — 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

b) Participating during the roundtable with your camera on — ready to share and engage.

If you are interested in participating in this cohort or think you would be interested in future cohorts, please fill out this survey by February 10. ODP will accept providers into the third cohort on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please know that if you are unable to participate in the above dates or if ODP has closed registration, there will be additional opportunities to join — ODP intends to host cohorts on an ongoing, quarterly basis. Once they have finalized the BSS Roundtable Cohort, they will follow up with additional instructions and information.

Please note that ODP is only able to accept one Behavioral Specialist Supervisor per provider agency. If your organization has multiple supervisors, please choose just one to participate.