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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared an important online training that is being offered through the Western Region Health Care Quality Unit (HCQU) called “Internet Safety for Self-Advocates.”

This online training was developed for both those we support and their supporters. An overview of internet safety is reviewed and discussed. Different topics each week range from social media to dating sites to pornography use and even scams. Various safety skills are reviewed, and tips are provided on using the internet more wisely and safely.

There will be six sessions.

Who is expected to attend?
Self-advocates can attend privately or can have a support person with them.

Training Dates:

  • Tuesday, January 7, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am

To enroll, please call 724-283-0990.

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Hands touching in a circle
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are pleased to announce the latest edition of the Positive Approaches Journal.

This issue of the Positive Approaches Journal takes a deep dive into the importance of community safety and wellness for individuals and families. Topics include emergency preparedness, interventions and programs for youth, justice and community supports and services, and navigating crises situations. Remember, a community that prioritizes health, safety, and well-being is one that thrives and prospers.

This issue of Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading at MyODP’s website. To print a copy of the PDF, online journal, or a specific article, you will find these options within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. A new window will open with your selected document. In your browser, you may click the Print button in the top left corner of the page, or by using the Print capability within your browser.

Please submit feedback regarding your experience with the Positive Approaches Journal on MyODP by selecting the feedback image on MyODP within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page.

The Positive Approaches Journal is published quarterly. For additional information, please contact ODP Training’s inbox.

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The Department of Human Services will be holding a webinar designed for provider agency leadership, supervisors, and anyone responsible for quality assurance or health outcomes. This is to share with providers how to get information out of the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) that can drive quality assurance initiatives, improve quality of care, and support agency outcomes. You will also look at reports to monitor compliance and identify areas of highest health risks for the people you support as well as cover HRST reports related to performance-based contract standards and customizing reports to get exactly what you are looking for quickly!

Please note the following:

  • This is supplemental training with no pre-requisites.
  • IntellectAbility does not provide certificates of attendance.
  • No CEUs are being offered for attending this training.
  • All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST).

**When registering, if you do not see your agency name under the “client” section — look for your state, and then your agency name will appear in the “provider agency” section.**

Presenters:
Tammy Armstrong: Client Engagement Manager, IntellectAbility
Ingrid Durbin: HRST Clinical Services Representative, IntellectAbility

Audience: Those with an active Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) account

Please register here.

January 17, 2025, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Note: If you are experiencing issues accessing the link, try right clicking the link, selecting “Copy Link”, and pasting the link into your browser. If the problem persists, try a different browser.

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The Department of Human Services is holding a live, virtual Zoom training to provide Support Coordinator (SC) Supervisors and Support Coordinator Organization (SCO) Trainers the opportunity to apply learning from the Supports Coordinator Monitoring Residential Services training to support their SCs to effectively monitor Residential Services. Each session will include small and large group discussions of two scenarios an intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) or adult autism waiver (AAW) SC might encounter during a residential monitoring. SC Supervisors and Trainers can use these scenarios and discussions as a model for similar discussions with their SCs to improve the thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and quality of residential monitoring.

Session recordings (6 scenarios) will be made available on MyODP and announced through ODP Communications. The recordings can be viewed by SCs and used by SC Supervisors/Trainers to support additional SC staff development.

Audience: ID/A and AAW Supports Coordinators, SC Supervisors, and Support Coordination Organization administration

Please register here.

Three sessions are being offered, with each session exploring different scenarios. You are invited to register and attend one or more of the sessions.

  • Monday, February 3, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
  • Friday, February 7, 2025, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Prior to the sessions, completion of the Supports Coordinator Monitoring Residential Services training is required.

Note: If you are experiencing issues accessing the link, try right clicking the link, selecting “Copy Link,” and pasting the link into your browser. If the problem persists, try a different browser.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has released the OMHSAS-24-05 Peer Support Services (PSS) Bulletin and PSS Provider Handbook, updating the requirements for Peer Support Services. OMHSAS significantly reorganized the existing language in the Handbook to better clarify which requirements apply to OMHSAS licensure and which apply to Medical Assistance payment. Along with these formatting changes, OMHSAS-24-05 includes the following updates:

  • Staff Qualifications and Requirements for Certified Peer Specialists (CPS)
    • The requirement for a CPS to have a high school diploma or GED has been removed.
    • The requirement for a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) or Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) has been replaced with a requirement to have a mental health diagnosis. Please note, to be eligible to receive PSS services, there is still a requirement for “the presence or history of an SMI or SED.”
    • The clause requiring CPSs “to attain certification through the PCB within six months of hire” has been removed, as the certification examination is now available on-demand, eliminating the need for a grace period for testing to be completed.
  • Staff Qualifications and Requirements for CPS Supervisors
    • Adding a new qualification category for individuals with an associate degree.
    • Supervisory meetings held in an audio-only format shall not be considered supervision.
    • Supervisory meetings shall be provided at a minimum of one hour each week.
  • Telehealth
    • The prior requirement that only 25% of total services provided per beneficiary per calendar year can be delivered by telephone has been removed.
    • PSS may be provided via telehealth technology, including audio-only service delivery, when it is clinically appropriate to do so.
    • PSS providers must ensure that the preference of individuals receiving services (or their legal guardian) is given a high priority when determining the appropriate service delivery modality.

Please review all other revisions to OMHSAS-24-05 here.

Comments and questions regarding this bulletin should be directed to:
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Policy, Planning and Program Development,
P.O. Box 2675,
Harrisburg, PA 17105
General Office Number: 717-772-7900
Email

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Capitol hill building in the morning with colorful cloud , Washington DC.

On December 21, President Biden signed into law the 2025 American Relief Act, a stopgap funding bill passed by Congress on December 20 that funds the federal government through March 14, 2025, and includes over $110 billion for disaster relief.

The bill extends certain Medicare telehealth flexibilities through March 31, 2025, under Section 3207, including the six-month in-person requirement for mental health services, the expanded originating sites, and coverage of audio-only services.

The bill also extends funding for several expiring health care programs through March 31, 2025, including the National Health Service Corps at $85 million and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program at $43 million, both under Section 3101.

In addition, the stopgap bill delays scheduled reductions to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals allotments, which are currently set to result in a total reduction of $32 billion between 2025 and 2027. Under Section 3401, the bill delays these cuts through April 1, 2025.

You can read the bill text and a summary of the health care provisions.

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