Budget Reconciliation Negotiations Continue
Carol Ferenz
2022 DSP Recognition Week is September 11–17 — Here’s Everything You Need to Celebrate!
Community Supports in Crisis: No Staff, No Services
The system of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has come a long way in the last 30 years — from segregated care in remote institutions to a robust and varied network of community supports. This progress took decades and was not inevitable. It was achieved through persistent advocacy on multiple levels. It took lifting the voices of people with disabilities and family members, litigation and legal action to secure rights, federal legislation that codified the values of inclusion and access, and building a body of research and evidence-based best practices.
All the progress toward community living that has been made in services for people with IDD over decades is now in jeopardy — because of catastrophic labor shortages and pervasive high turnover rates in the workforce that supports them, direct support professionals (DSPs). This white paper from the Institute of Community Integration (ICI) and its partners at the Human Services Research Institute and the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services provides an overview of the depth of the crisis in the workforce and the impact on people with IDD and sounds the alarm about the nature and scope of the workforce crisis in the IDD service system.
Small Business Ownership by People With Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities — Webinar on July 28
Harrisburg Partnership Teaches Workplace Skills to Young People With Disabilities: RCPA Member Goodwill Keystone Area Quoted
Direct Service Workforce Webinar on July 18
ADvancing States and NASHP are hosting a webinar on Direct Service Workers and Direct Service Professional initiatives. Speakers from Missouri and Indiana will share initiatives taking place in their states. The webinar will include information on a direct support professional apprentice program, a value-based purchasing model for training direct support professionals, and a direct service worker Advisory Board.
This webinar will be held on Monday, July 18 at 4:00 pm ET. Register here.
ODP Implementing New Data Collection Mechanism for CPS Program Data
A message from Deputy Secretary Ahrens:
Dear Administrative Entity Staff and Providers,
The purpose of this message is to notify Administrative Entities (AE) and providers of Community Participation Supports (CPS) that as of July 15, 2022, the routine reporting to AEs and/or the applicable regional office of ODP on the operating status of CPS programs is no longer required. ODP is initiating a new mechanism for data collection on the status of CPS programs.
Going forward, ODP will periodically issue a brief survey to providers to collect information on areas of program operation, including but not limited to:
- Current capacity;
- Infection control strategies;
- Barriers to individuals who were served prior to COVID resuming service;
- Total number of individuals waiting for service; and
- Barriers to program expansion.
The frequency of these surveys is dependent on changes in pandemic and workforce dynamics but will not exceed once a quarter.
ODP will also provide a list of individuals currently authorized for CPS services who have not utilized CPS services at the time of the survey being released. The survey will ask specific questions related to why the individual has not utilized the CPS service as authorized. The first provider survey is targeted for release August 1, 2022. CPS providers will have up to 30 days to complete the survey. Raw data from the survey will be provided to AEs. Summary data will be shared with stakeholders.
Please note: For CPS providers who still have locations closed, we ask that you complete the survey and notify the appropriate AE and/or ODP regional office prior to any program reopening.
Additionally, any program closure should be reported in EIM per the ODP Incident Management Bulletin.
Thank you for your cooperation as we seek to use more efficient methods of collecting program information in order to improve access for those in need of services.
ODP will be sharing this notice on ODP’s Provider Listserv and with the Provider associations. To ensure all CPS providers are aware, AEs, please ensure the CPS providers in your area receive this notice.
Please direct questions to the appropriate regional CPS lead.
ICF Task Force Meeting to be Held on July 19, 2022
Referring Children to the County ID/A Programs Bulletin Training Now Available on MyODP
ODP Announcement 22-081 announces that the Department of Human Services (DHS) collaborative training for the Referring Children to the County Intellectual Disability and Autism (ID/A) Programs bulletin is now available on MyODP.
Nominate Your DSPs Today!
DSPs are a vital part of agencies everywhere.
MITC is awarding $5,000 in September to Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who stand out and go above and beyond to provide exemplary service. MITC values the hard work put forth by DSPs every day and hopes to show their appreciation through these prizes!
Your participation is important — it shows DSPs you appreciate their hard and, at times, dangerous work. Nominate your DSP here.
- 13 prizes will be awarded:
- One prize of $1,000;
- Two prizes of $500; and
- Ten prizes of $300.
MITC will share the awardees’ stories with providers. The winners will be announced during DSP Recognition Week in September 2022. The deadline to nominate a DSP is August 1, 2022.
Join John Graham, MITC CEO and Software Architect, for a special presentation on Thursday, September 15 at 2:00 pm ET to hear the 2022 winners’ stories! Register here.
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