Teen Artist With Autism Gets Prime Display for Designs
Carol Ferenz
Register Today for the 2022 HCBS Conference!
You are invited to join ADvancing States for the 2022 Home and Community-Based Services Conference on August 14–18, 2022! Register before July 1 to secure a discounted Early Bird rate.
The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Conference is ADvancing States’ annual national conference gathering leaders and policy makers in the aging and disabilities field. Every year, the HCBS Conference offers unparalleled learning and networking opportunities for our attendees.
The 2022 HCBS Conference will be a hybrid event, so if you are not able to join us in person, we hope you will join us virtually. Visit here to learn more about the event.
Lodging
We are thrilled to be at the beautiful Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, D.C. for this year’s conference. After registering for the conference, attendees will receive a link to reserve rooms at the Marriott Marquis in our conference blocks. Members will be able to reserve rooms at a government lodging rate of $172 per night. If you have any questions, please contact us via email.
Sponsorship and Exhibitors
Whether you have been an HCBS sponsor or exhibitor before or are new to the HCBS conference, we would love to have you join us this year! Sign up now to put your brand in front of a targeted audience of professionals working to improve LTSS systems and programs throughout the country.
Showcase your products and services with branded items, sponsored activities, and your virtual and in-person exhibit booths. Network with key influencers and industry leaders at your exhibit booth, over dinner, or on the conference app!
Visit here or contact Gabe Passos to learn more about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.
Learn more about the HCBS Conference.
If you have any questions about the conference or registration, please contact via email.
Statewide Quarterly Positive Approaches & Practices Meeting — July 14
You are invited to participate in the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) quarterly Positive Approaches & Practices Meeting. Details can be found below:
Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Topic: Behavioral and Mental Health Supports for Dually-Diagnosed Individuals
Please review the flyer for detailed session and registration information.
Long-Term Care Facilities Eligible for Department of Health Therapeutics Network for COVID
Message from the Department of Health (PA DOH):
With the recent rise in COVID-19 case counts across the Commonwealth and the country, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) wants long-term care facilities (LTCFs) to be aware of the multiple ways to access lifesaving COVID-19 treatment and preventive products.
We distribute the following outpatient therapeutics directly to LTCFs that enroll in the PA DOH network:
- Treatment: Oral antivirals (Paxlovid & Lagevrio);
- Treatment: Monoclonal antibodies (Bebtelovimab); and
- Preventive: Monoclonal antibodies for pre-exposure prophylaxis (Evusheld).
Stocking therapeutics on-site can help eligible patients access preventive protection and receive timely treatment, which must be initiated within a matter of days from symptom onset. Most patients who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for treatment.
The one-page guide for LTCFs covers how to enroll in the PA DOH therapeutics network. The first step is to complete our therapeutics enrollment form. You will receive additional instructions after form submission. To enroll, your facility will need a pharmacy license and/or a licensed medical director to take responsibility. If you do not have either of these, please reference the guide for alternative options to access COVID-19 therapeutics.
In addition to reviewing the guide, we appreciate you sharing it with other relevant LTCF stakeholders.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via email. Thank you for all that you do to protect vulnerable residents across the Commonwealth. We appreciate your partnership in the fight against COVID-19.
Rate Increases for Supported Employment and Pre-Employment Transition Services
ODP Announcement 22-063 announces rate increases for Supported Employment (SE) services and OVR Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is committed to providing quality services to Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Effective partnership with Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) is essential to fulfilling this commitment. Recognizing the unique challenges affecting our CRPs, OVR is modifying service rates for both Supported Employment and Pre-Employment Transition Services. Please see the Supported Employment and Pre-ETS Rate Increases Memo for full details.
The Arc Discovery Training: September 7–9
The Arc of Pennsylvania is offering Employment Discovery training September 7–9, 2022. This 3-day training provides a comprehensive overview of Discovery (an alternative to traditional vocational assessments) and instruction on facilitating the Discovery process. For those seeking to become certified providers of Discovery through Marc Gold and Associates, it is the prerequisite face-to-face training to complete certification. Individuals not seeking certification will gain valuable information and insight and may attend as auditors of the course.
This course is for:
- Job Coaches and Job Developers;
- Supports Coordinators;
- Parents and Families;
- OVR Counselors;
- Transition Coordinators; and
- School Transition Teams.
Cost
Auditing — $200
Certification — $1200
Register
Visit The Arc of PA and complete the online registration form for Discovery.
Questions? For more information, please contact Anthony Chan.
988: A Direct Link for Suicide Prevention & Crisis Support
ODP Announcement 22-062 is to inform interested parties of the 988 lifeline. Trained crisis response professionals can provide support to individuals considering suicide, self-harm, or any behavioral, mental health, or substance abuse need.
Starting on July 16, 2022, people who call, text, or chat with 988 will be directly connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The existing Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will remain available.
Callers can also connect with the Veterans Crisis Line or receive assistance in Spanish. These services will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are free to any caller no matter where they live.
Additional resources can be found here.
RCPA 2022 Conference Together — A Thank You to Our Early Sponsors!
RCPA staff and the Conference Committee are gearing up for our long-awaited in-person conference to be held in Hershey, PA, October 11 – 14, 2022! We have a great lineup of speakers underway to cover a wide range of topics, including:
- Strategies to help organizations attract and keep quality staff;
- Value-based care and reimbursement;
- The importance of data to inform service provisions;
- Use of technology to improve services and increase independence; and
- Telehealth and the legal considerations when utilizing this model.
There will be sessions covering leadership, supervision, trauma-informed leadership, “how to” effectively advocate for legislation, and many sessions focusing on our members’ specialties — Intellectual Disabilities and Autism, Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol, Children’s Services, Physical Disabilities and Aging, and more.
Registration will be opening in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for the Early Bird rates!
We would also like to thank some of our early sponsors. Thank you for showing your support of our 2022 Conference!
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We have additional sponsorship opportunities available and invite you to contact Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster for more information. You can also see our brochure for contract details.
We look forward to seeing you all Together this October!
Reminder: Data, Data Everywhere: It’s Time to Stop and Think — Free Member Training on June 10
This training is made available to RCPA members through the NEON Project, with the goal of assisting Employment Service Providers so they can offer effective services to the individuals they serve.
Improving operations and outcomes is the goal, but how do we decide what data to capture? This presentation will discuss important data metrics that improved the NEON Project’s bottom line and helped the organization improve its operations. They will also tell their story of why employment is so important.
This training will be held Friday, June 10, 2022, from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. You can register for the session here. The presenter will be Jeannine Pavlak, Chief Executive Officer at New England Business Associates.
If you have any questions, contact Carol Ferenz.
OVR Implements Rate Increases for the Provision of Supported Employment and Pre-Employment Transition Services
The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is committed to providing quality services to Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Effective partnership with Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) is essential to fulfilling this commitment. Recognizing the unique challenges affecting our CRPs, OVR is modifying service rates for both Supported Employment and Pre-Employment Transition Services as outlined in a memo from OVR Acting Executive Director Ryan Hyde. This change will provide equitable compensation for comparable services funded through both agencies.
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