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Authors Posts by Tim Sohosky

Tim Sohosky

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The Pennsylvania House Human Services Committee is scheduled to vote on HB1939 on Tuesday, October 29, 2025.

HB1939, along with its companion bill in the Senate (SB617), would establish annual rate increases for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) services based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). This bi-partisan legislation, supported in both chambers, would help ensure that provider reimbursement rates keep pace with inflation, supporting workforce stability and maintaining high-quality services across the system.

RCPA supports HB1939 and encourages members to contact the House Human Services Committee to express support and request a “Yes” vote on the bill.

Please direct any questions to Tim Sohosky.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is hosting a series of discussion boards and focus groups focused on 1-person licensed residential homes. The discussion boards will be online forums open for 48 hours, allowing participants to log in and out at their convenience throughout the two-day period. Total participation time is expected to be about 2 – 3 hours, and the forums will be semi-anonymous (participants will be identified only by first name). Focus groups will follow the discussion boards and will be scheduled at a later date.

The provider participant group has reached capacity, and no additional provider representatives are needed at this time. However, ODP continues to seek participants for the DSP, family, and self-advocate stakeholder groups. Interested individuals should submit their name, agency (if applicable), and contact information to Tim Sohosky no later than October 20, 2025. Agencies may designate representatives for more than one stakeholder group where applicable.

Stakeholder Groups & Dates

DSP Group
Discussion Board Dates: December 4 – 5, 2025
ODP is seeking DSPs who:

  • Support individuals in 1-person homes and can share their experiences, successes, and challenges;
  • Have helped individuals transition from 1-person to 2+ person homes; and
  • Support individuals with significant behavioral support needs in 2+ person homes.

Family Group
Discussion Board Dates: December 11 – 12, 2025
ODP is seeking family members who have a loved one living in a 1-person licensed home and are willing to share their perspectives and experiences.

Self-Advocate Group
Focus Group (Virtual): Date TBD
ODP is seeking self-advocates who:

  • Currently live in a 1-person licensed home, or
  • Have transitioned into or out of a 1-person home from a 2+ person setting.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is hosting a series of discussion boards and focus groups focused on 1-person licensed residential homes. These sessions are designed to gather input from a variety of stakeholder perspectives, including providers, direct support professionals (DSP), family members, and self-advocates.

The discussion boards will be online forums open for 48 hours, allowing participants to log in and out at their convenience throughout the two-day period. Total participation time is expected to be about 2 – 3 hours, and the forums will be semi-anonymous (participants will be identified only by first name).

Focus groups will follow the discussion boards and will be scheduled at a later date.

How to Participate
Interested individuals should submit their name, agency, and contact information to Tim Sohosky no later than October 20, 2025. Agencies may designate representatives for more than one stakeholder group.

Stakeholder Groups & Dates

Provider Group
Discussion Board Dates: December 1 – 2, 2025
ODP seeks provider representatives who can share insights on:

  • Factors contributing to individuals being supported in 1-person licensed homes;
  • Approaches to successfully supporting individuals with significant behavioral needs in 2+ person homes;
  • Successes and challenges in managing 1-person homes; and
  • Strategies for introducing roommates and supporting transitions to multi-person homes.

ODP aims for balanced representation across agency roles (program, executive, clinical), geographic regions (urban/rural), and provider size (small, medium, large).

DSP Group
Discussion Board Dates: December 4 – 5, 2025
ODP is seeking DSPs who:

  • Support individuals in 1-person homes and can speak to their experiences, successes, and challenges;
  • Have helped individuals transition from 1-person to 2+ person homes; and
  • Support individuals with significant behavioral support needs in 2+ person homes.

Family Group
Discussion Board Dates: December 11 – 12, 2025
ODP is seeking family members who have a loved one living in a 1-person licensed home and are willing to share their perspectives and experiences.

Self-Advocate Group
Focus Group (Virtual): Date TBD
ODP is seeking self-advocates who:

  • Currently live in a 1-person licensed home, OR
  • Have transitioned into or out of a 1-person home from a 2+ person setting.

For questions or to submit interest, please contact Tim Sohosky by October 20, 2025.

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Two Virtual Office Hours (VOH) for Trainers, Primary Contacts, and/or Agency Administrators are available on Thursday, October 23, 2025. If interested in joining, please click on the registration link available on your Med Admin Trainer Dashboard.

Registration is only available for Trainers, Primary Contacts, and/or Agency Administrators. Please only register for one session, listed below:

  • October 23, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
  • October 23, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the communication, ODPANN 25-092: Medication Administration (MedAdmin) Training Program – Agency/Entity/Role Designation/Verification Form Update and its accompanying attachment.

The purpose of this communication is to announce that an updated Agency/Entity/Role Designation/Verification Form is now available. Please review the announcement for additional information and detail.

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Monday, October 27, 2025, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
At the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) – Central

About This Event

Join the PA APSE Day on Employment at Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) – Central on Monday, October 27, for a day filled with learning and networking opportunities. This event aims to bring together professionals in the field to discuss employment strategies and best practices. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with like-minded individuals and enhance your knowledge in the area of employment. Attendees must register.

Agenda

10:00 am to 11:30 am – Statewide Updates

  • Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR): Ryan Hyde, Executive Director
  • Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL): Randy Loss, Employment Lead
  • Office of Developmental Programs (ODP): Nolan Schaaf, Employment Lead
  • Workforce Development: James Martini, Executive Director
  • PA CareerLink: Crystal Houser, Director

11:30 am to 12:00 pm – Round Table Conversation and resource sharing (please come with resources to share with colleagues if you can)

  • Housing
  • Transportation
  • Benefits Access (i.e., cell phone, food insecurity, etc.)
  • AT/Accommodations, no tech/low tech
  • Youth

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm – Lunch and networking/resources continued. This is included for free to attendees (if, after you register, you cannot make it, please let us know).

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm – Collaboration between Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services (BJJS) and OVR

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Youth Workforce Development Panel

For more information, please contact APSE directly.

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