One Year After Ida: Downingtown Nonprofit Survives Storm to Help Those With Autism — RCPA Member PAAL Featured
Carol Ferenz
Clarification for SCOs on Resuming SC In-Person Monitoring
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has released updated information for ODP Announcement 22-085. Of note, for all individuals residing in a residential setting, remote monitorings are not permitted and no more than six months can lapse between face-to-face monitorings at the residential setting.
Earn CE Credits Through Exciting Workshops at the 2022 RCPA Conference: Together!
The 2022 RCPA Conference Together! is looking to be packed full of exciting and thought-provoking workshops. Gathering in person at the Hershey Lodge October 11 – 14, 2022, presenters from across the state will be discussing everything from telehealth to the workforce crisis to COVID-19 and beyond. Our full brochure is available, and some of our upcoming workshops include:
- Building a Strong School-Based Outpatient Therapy Program: Providing Quality Services and Enhancing Community Partnerships
- Presented by Amanda Katchur of Community Services Group
- ATLAS: A Tool for Connecting Your Community to Evidence-Based, High-Quality Addiction Treatment
- Presented by Angad Buttar of Shatterproof and Kim Coleman of DDAP
- Expert Panel on Recruiting and Retaining Behavioral Health Staff During Challenging Times
- Presented by Christine Axford of Berks Counseling Center, Rosa Davis of POWER, Cassie Dundon of Achievement Center of LECOM Health, Amy Herschell of Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Elissa Nulton of Peer Star, and Kate Pompa of Wesley Family Services
- Provider and Member Centric VBP Development in IBHS – A Success Story That Benefits All Parties
- Presented by Debra Luther of Beacon Health Options of PA, Steven Herr of Advanced Metrics, and Kim Bowser-Murtha of Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration
- Programs That Promote Change for Sexually Problematic Behaviors
- Presented by Jack Berkenstock Jr. of The Bodhana Group
- Identifying and Addressing Health Disparities Related to Tobacco Use Among Individuals With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
- Presented by William Stauffer of the PA Recovery Organizations – Alliance and Tony Klein of PA Statewide Tobacco Free Recovery Initiative
Be sure to register now to see these workshops in person and earn continuing education credits! Note that sessions will be recorded to allow registered participants to take advantage of sessions after the event.
In addition to an amazing roster of speakers, our 2022 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have committed to our conference thus far! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, visit here for more details.
We’d like to give a special shoutout to our Connections Hall sponsor Beacon Health Options as well as our Welcome Reception sponsor UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Thank you for your support!
Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.
Complete the 2022 Direct Support Workforce Survey Today!
ANCOR Stateside Report — August 29
PA Abuse/Neglect Registry Task Force
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has taken the lead in creating a task force to develop recommendations for legislation supporting an Abuse and Neglect Registry in Pennsylvania. This group was formed due to the concern that care-dependent adults with disabilities and older adults are highly vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Carol Ferenz, IDD Division Director at RCPA, has been appointed as RCPA’s representative, along with representatives from ODP, OLTL, OMHSAS, DHS general council,
PDA, OCYF, Senate and House Human Services staff, Temple Institute on Protective Services, National Adult Protective Services, Autism Connection, Vision for Equality, Arc of PA, Disability Rights PA, Speaking for Ourselves, Self-Advocates United as 1, PA Association of County Administrators, PAR, and The Provider Alliance.
When abuse/neglect occurs, a substantial gap in preventing recurrence is that, even in serious cases of substantiated abuse/neglect in PA’s Adult Protective Services (APS) or Older Adult Protective Services (OAPS), unless there is a successful criminal prosecution, the responsible caregiver is not prevented from employment at another agency, obtaining guardianship of an individual, or volunteering in agencies supporting individuals with disabilities. In Pennsylvania, without a criminal conviction, there is no mechanism to identify or track caregivers who abuse or neglect the individuals they look after, because PA does not maintain a registry of caregivers who have abused or neglected individuals in their care.
The task force was charged with the following objectives:
- Outline desirable parameters for a registry (PS populations, types of caregivers, bar for inclusion);
- Analysis of challenges for implementation; and
- Provide recommendations for implementation of a Caregiver Abuse/Neglect Registry in PA.
The proposed timeframe for completion is October 2022.
It is recognized that there are several challenges that must be considered, such as the fact that there is no statutory authority for a registry and there must be a process to address appeal rights for caregivers. Additionally, current investigations for APS only substantiate that abuse/neglect occurred, but not responsible person(s) as well as the implications and interface between CPSL, APS, and OAPS.
This registry will require the development of an infrastructure, revision of investigatory processes, and IT changes to support collection of new investigatory information. There will be a need for policy, procedures, and IT to support assignment of — and database for — unique identifiers for all DSPs/DCWs; and of course, there will be a fiscal impact.
Several other states have implemented a similar registry, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Delaware, and Ohio. The group has reviewed information from those existing policies as well as current policies in PA with Children and Youth services.
Don’t Delay! Early Bird Registration for Together! Ends Sept. 9
Registration for the RCPA Conference 2022 Together! is now open! Together! will be held October 11 – 14, 2022, at the Hershey Lodge in person this year. Be sure to register soon, as early bird rate is available now until September 9, 2022.
We are excited for the lineup of speakers who will be presenting at this year’s conference, as there will be pertinent information available and discussed for all service areas. Workshop sessions include:
- Northwest Pennsylvania Veteran Suicide Prevention Program
- Presented by Greg Griffith of University of Pittsburgh PERU as well as Mandy Fauble and Stacey Buettner of UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor
- Evaluating the Use of a Digital Therapeutic to Improve Client Engagement and Access to Post-Discharge Outcomes
- Presented by Jennifer Irvin and Winnie Nagle of Pyramid Healthcare, Inc.
- Father Engagement Through the Eyes of the Child
- Presented by George Fleming and Misty Woody of Allegheny Family Network
- You Have All the Data — Now What? How to Leverage Data to Demonstrate Quality
- Presented by Rayni McMahon of Consulting for Human Services, LLC.
- Technology Solutions to Elevate the Level of Independence for Individuals With Disabilities
- Presented by Shaleea Shields of LumiCare
- Possibilities of Play — Board Games for Skill Building
- Presented by Jack Berkenstock Jr. of The Bodhana Group
- How Supportive Care Services Addressing Social Determinants of Health Impact Quality of Life
- Presented by Mia Haney and Phil Wilkins of Modivcare
Be sure to check out the entire list of sessions in our brochure, and note that sessions will be recorded to allow participants to take advantage of sessions after the event.
In addition to an amazing roster of speakers, our 2022 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have committed to our conference thus far! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, visit here for more details.
We’d like to give a special shoutout to our Connections Hall sponsor Beacon Health Options as well as our Welcome Reception sponsor UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Thank you for your support!
Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.
Monkeypox: What You Need to Know — Webinar August 31
Learn the facts about the symptoms, prevention, and what to do if you or someone where you work gets sick. This webinar will include presentations by leaders and clinicians from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Health (DOH), as well provide an opportunity for Q&A.
Please forward the webinar invitation along to any other relevant stakeholders in your network. For those unable to attend live, a recording of the session will be made available.
Visit HERE to register for this webinar scheduled for Wednesday, August 31 at 1:00 pm. When registering for the event, you must fill out the registration information by clicking “Register” on the left side of your screen as shown below.
Revision to the Enhanced Communication Rate for Services
ODP Announcement 22-099 provides a revision to the rate for the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) services for enhanced communication. The enhanced communication rate is available for services from providers who have proficient signing staff to serve signing d/Deaf individuals or utilize PA registered, certified Sign Language Interpreters during service provision.
Attachment A is available to explain the differences between having staff who are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) versus using an ASL Interpreter.
Providers who wish to request an enhanced communication rate must complete either the: Enhanced Communication Rate Request Form (Signing Staff) — Attachment B, or Enhanced Communication Rate Request Form (Sign Language Interpreting Services) — Attachment C.
Questions about the contents of this announcement may be directed to the ODP Deaf Services inbox. This communication obsoletes ODP Announcement 20-011, Revision to the Enhanced Communication Rate for Services.
Letter of Thanks to Senator Casey
RCPA, along with 285 disability service providers and associations representing disability service providers, signed onto a letter from ANCOR thanking Senator Casey for his advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities in the past year.
The letter states, “Thank you for your steadfast leadership in supporting the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program, which enables individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to live full and independent lives in their communities.
Thank you for being a sponsor and champion of the Better Care Better Jobs Act, which would strengthen the HCBS program and address a decades-long direct care workforce crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for shining a light on the importance of home-based services through a hearing in the Senate Aging Committee this past March.
We especially appreciate your relentless efforts to include the Better Care Better Jobs Act as part of the budget reconciliation bill. Although an investment in HCBS was not ultimately included in the Inflation Reduction Act, we know that time and again you pressed Senate leadership and your fellow colleagues to support people with I/DD through inclusion of HCBS funding.”
The full letter can be accessed here.
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