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Authors Posts by Melissa Dehoff

Melissa Dehoff

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Melissa Dehoff is responsible for all medical rehabilitation and brain injury service issues. Ms. Dehoff attends multiple state-level meetings to advocate on behalf of members on brain injury and rehabilitation issues and is a member of the Department of Health Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board.

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The Council on Brain Injury (CoBI) released the following information regarding a free webinar they will be offering through their clinical forum series on brain injury and substance misuse that will feature opioid misuse. The webinar is scheduled for July 12, 2022, from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm. Details are below.

CoBI Clinical Forum Series presents: Brain Injury and Substance Misuse, Featuring Opioid Misuse: Practical Implications for Brain Injury Providers (A Webinar)
A Presentation and Discussion With Monica Vaccaro
Tuesday, July 12, 2022   |   3:30 pm – 5:00 pm   |   Webinar

Monica Vaccaro is the Director of Programs for the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania (BIAPA), providing oversight and direction to multiple programs, including the Brain Injury Resource Line, NeuroResource Facilitation, Brain Injury and Opioids Training, and the BrainSTEPS School Re-Entry Program. In addition to her role with BIAPA, she is a Research Associate at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, with a particular interest in interventions for common effects of brain injury, including anger management, depression, and goal setting.

This session is intended for a professional audience. There is no cost to attend. 

Register Here

Questions? Please contact MJ Schmidt.

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The following updates have been released regarding the Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) ListServs:

  • As of 6/22/2022, the PCH and ALR ListServ(s) have been merged. This action was taken in order to maintain consistency and streamline the flow of information, as well as to decrease duplicate emails in your inbox.
  • As of 6/22/2022, all provider emails will be subscribed to the ListServ. Please maintain your subscription and ensure that your email servers are set up to accept emails from [email protected], as well as emails from PA.GOV addresses.
  • Archives from the previous ListServ(s) can be accessed by visiting:
  • If we are unable to maintain email contact, you will undoubtedly miss information that is crucial to the operation of your facility. Any changes to facility administrator or email contact information should be reported to your regional office or to PWARL Headquarters.
  • Anyone who wishes to subscribe to the ListServ may do so by visiting OLTL Adult Residential Licensing ListServ.

Questions about this information should be addressed by calling the Operator Support Hotline at 866-503-3926 or by email.

**This communication was originally sent on 6/9/2022, but due to technical issues, the actions outlined below were not completed until 6/21/2022.**

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The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) by launching two new online education resources.

The first resource is a new web page that focuses on the growing problem of financial exploitation of older adults. The new Financial Exploitation Resource Web Page features information for older adults, caregivers, and other aging professionals on warning signs, preventive measures, and an expandable menu of resources on key topics such as banking and finance, legal services, and dementia. Future resources will include short educational videos from their Financial Exploitation Task Force experts explaining financial exploitation topics in everyday terms, as well as a social media toolkit.

The second resource is an elder abuse awareness web-based training. This interactive module is available to Commonwealth employees, Pennsylvania’s aging network, and the public. The module was developed to reach a broad audience and covers the four major types of abuse and how to recognize them; signs to watch for, mandatory and voluntary reporting of abuse, when and how to report; and more. The training takes about 20 minutes to complete and is available on the PDA Learning Management System.

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Medicare binary sign concept illustration design over black

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting interactive training webinars that cover Medicare basics today, June 14, 2022, and tomorrow, June 15, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. The topics and registration links for both days are provided below:

Day 1 (June 14) — Topics will include Medicare enrollment and eligibility; SSA and CMS roles and responsibilities; cost and coverage under Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance); why enrolling on time is important; and an overview of Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policies.

Register for the Day 1 webinar here.

Day 2 (June 15) — Topics will include Medicare drug coverage (Part D); Medicare Advantage Plans; coordination of benefits; how to detect and report suspected Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse; and different resources to help you find answers to Medicare policy and coverage questions.

Register for the Day 2 webinar here.

These webinars will be recorded and posted to the National Training Program (NTP) website. You can view the recordings here.

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On June 7, 2022, the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council (PA-SILC), along with the Pennsylvania Council on Independent Living (PCIL), will be holding a rally titled “Our Lives, Our Services, Our Agencies, Our Choice,” at the Capitol Building on Commonwealth Avenue from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. The primary focus of the rally is to discuss the issues surrounding major changes regarding the Agency With Choice (AWC) aspect of in-home care, which is being rushed into implementation. A number of speakers are scheduled, including Fady Sahhar, President/CEO of ProVantaCare.

Please see the following documents for additional information:

If you have any questions, please contact Jeffrey Iseman, Public Policy and Outreach Coordinator for PA SILC.

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The documents from the June 1, 2022, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting are available for review. The documents include:

  • The agenda;
  • A “Money Follows the Person and Nursing Home Transition” update;
  • A Value-Based Purchasing update from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Community HealthChoices Managed Care Organizations (CHC MCOs); and
  • A CHC Financial Management Services (FMS) Transition update.

The next MLTSS Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for July 6, 2022, and will be held in person (and also via remote streaming).

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There is a significant intersection between behavioral health and brain injury. As many as 75 percent of those seeking services for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders are living with the effects of brain injury. Further complicating this fact is that many individuals seeking behavioral health services have not been properly diagnosed or screened for brain injury. These individuals may not even be aware that a brain injury may be part of why they are struggling. Additionally, many state behavioral health systems have policies or practices in place that can inadvertently turn someone with a brain injury away from much needed behavioral health services. Behavioral health clinicians often feel ill-equipped to address the needs of someone with a brain injury, which can lead to poor treatment outcomes.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Technical Assistance and Resource Center’s (TARC’s) will be offering a webinar to introduce their Behavioral Health Guide, designed to provide state brain injury professionals with the tools to effectively partner with their state behavioral health entities and improve outcomes. This webinar, “Introductory Webinar to the Behavioral Health Guide: Considerations for Best Practices for Children, Youth, and Adults with TBI,” will be held on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. To participate in this webinar, register here.

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The agenda for the June 1, 2022, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting was recently released by the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL). The June meeting will continue to be offered via webinar and remote streaming. OLTL is planning to hold the July 6, 2022, MLTSS Subcommittee meeting in person with optional webinar and remote streaming.

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On May 23, 2022, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s advisory that highlights the urgent need to address the health worker burnout crisis across the country. The advisory titled “Addressing Health Worker Burnout” warns that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated longstanding system challenges in the health care system. Health workers, including physicians, nurses, community and public health workers, nurse aides, and others have risked their own lives throughout the pandemic.

A series of recommendations are included in the advisory.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) continues to remind participants of the in-person drop-in sessions for those that are in Community HealthChoices (CHC) participant-directed services due to Tempus taking over as the fiscal/employer agent for these services. These sessions are scheduled to assist with the completion of the Common Law Employer (CLE) and Direct Care Worker (DCW) packets and provide training on how to use the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system. Appointments do not need to be scheduled, and the entire process will take one hour. Session dates and locations are provided below.

Wednesday, May 25
Allentown
Renaissance Allentown
12 North 7th Street
Allentown, PA 18101
10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Thursday, May 26
Philadelphia
Liacouras Center at Temple University
1776 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19121
10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Tuesday, May 31
Erie
Bayfront Convention Center
1 Sassafras Pier, Room 103 A/B
Erie, PA 16507
10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Wednesday, June 1
Pittsburgh
UPMC Harbor Gardens
1650 Metropolitan Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Thursday, June 2
Altoona
Altoona Public Library
1600 5th Ave.
Altoona, PA 16602
10:00 am – 7:00 pm

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