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The Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee will convene for their next meeting on May 12, 2023, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the Honors Suite, 1st Floor, at 333 Market Street in Harrisburg. The meeting will be held in person and will also offer the ability to participate via webinar and remote streaming. The links to participate are provided below. Comments and questions prior to the meeting should be sent via email.

The agenda has been released for the meeting. Please note: this will be the first MLTSS meeting that the Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) new Deputy Secretary, Julie Marsala, will be attending.

Conference Line and Bridge Number:
1-415-655-0052
PIN: 377387993#

Webinar Link

Remote streaming Link

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Join RCPA as we host the 2023 Annual Conference, A Decade of Unity: Enhancing Lives and Shaping the Future, October 10–13. RCPA staff and the Conference Committee are excited to return to the Hershey Lodge, as we have new opportunities for sponsors and exhibitors to showcase their services! Be sure to complete the Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Advertisers brochure to reserve your spot, as space and opportunities are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

We already have a growing number of sponsors and exhibitors and wish to recognize the following organizations for their contributions and support for what is shaping up to be a packed week of sessions and events!

Platinum
Carelon Logo
SilverMagellan Healthcare LogoBronze
CBH LogoSupporting

Berks Counseling Center Logo

PatronExhibitors
Butler Human Services Furniture Logo

As a reminder, sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by September 8. In order to be considered for booth self-selection, a completed contract with payment must be submitted, and no reservation is considered complete without payment. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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The sustained funding of community-based mental health services, such as community residential programs, family-based support, outpatient care, and crisis intervention, are critical to the wellbeing of our constituents and our communities. Funding levels for county mental health services have direct impacts on whether these important community and family supports will be available. Yet for too many years, state funding for mental health services has lagged far behind its needs. Counties find themselves advocating for the prevention of funds being cut instead of achieving the increases that are needed to catch up from years of underfunding.

This week’s letter, sent on behalf of the Coalition for the Mental Health Safety Net, stands as an open call to the PA General Assembly and stakeholders. For Pennsylvanians with a mental illness, the impact of the county funding shortfalls is already evident. The effects include: shortages of key mental health professionals; chronic underpayment of mental health providers; reductions/closures in mental health residential programs and supportive services, including employment and psychiatric rehabilitation services; uneven crisis response services; outpatient program closures; and the continuing criminalization of mental illness. Across the Commonwealth, there is no consistent level of mental health services available, and access to critical services largely depends on which county a patient lives in.

The Coalition is open to all new partners who wish to join our mission of advocacy for this 2023/24 initiative, as the time to act and engage with your representative is now. The Coalition will also be developing an advocacy toolkit for members to come together to sustain the safety net and serve those who need it most. The reality is that the demand for service far outweighs capacity and rate structures to serve this population.

If you have additional questions or would like to join the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Administrative Entities are asked to assist the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) in achieving the request below of all Supports Coordinators. Please keep the survey available and ensure that SCOs are providing the information as requested.

Supports Coordinators have been asked to provide the following information to the individuals and their families at any contact in May and June 2023.

  • Digital Version of Supporting Families Survey — This could be emailed and includes the link to the survey as well as the QR code to access the survey.
  • Printable Version of Supporting Families Survey — This could be printed and mailed and includes the QR code to access the survey.
  • Texting — The QR code itself could also be texted by itself; the information on the flyers is included on the first page of the survey.

For Those Who Need Help Taking the Survey:

Both flyers explain how to request help taking the survey by sending an email to ODP outreach. Once a request is received, the person will be called by a member of the PA Community of Practice (CoP) for Supporting Families Leadership Team. They will be asked the questions over the phone, and the person assisting will enter their responses. This is a great opportunity for people who have limited or no access to the internet.

The survey was developed by the PA CoP for Supporting Families Leadership Team as the measure for our Quality Management Plan for Supporting Families. The results of the 2021 survey showed that 70% of families have the information and support that they need when and how they need it. In 2023, we hope to learn more about how people want to receive support and topics of information across all life domains that people would find helpful. It is hoped that this survey will help ODP, Supports Coordinators and Organizations, as well as Administrative Entities to know more about how to support people in the context of their families.

If you would like further information about the CoP for Supporting Families or the Quality Management Plan and/or survey, please contact Candida Walton.

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Technology for All
Thursday, June 15, 2023
9:00 am – 12:30 pm

Technology For All invites you to register for its free technology summit on June 15, 2023. Technology For All is a technology training consortium who aims to increase technology literacy for individuals with disabilities and their families. Keynote speakers include:

Dr. Shea Tanis

Dr. Tanis is a well-respected professor from the University of Kansas. Her research is focused on how technology can benefit people with disabilities. As the Director of the Project of National Significance, State of the States, she is an expert on “Technology for All” projects in more than 15 states across the US. Dr. Tanis will discuss how technology is disrupting all aspects of our lives and the impact it can have on people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She will explore how technology can provide new opportunities and support for individuals with disabilities to live more independently, work more effectively, and participate more fully in their communities.

Dr. Michael Gamel-McCormick

Michael Gamel-McCormick, PhD, is the Disability Policy Director for Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. He held a similar position in the office of Sen. Tom Harkin, as well as being Sen. Harkin’s senior education staffer. He began his career as an early childhood education teacher, teaching in inclusive settings. He also was a special education technical assistance provider for over 40 counties and cities in Virginia. For 15 years, he was a professor and dean at the University of Delaware as well as the director of the university’s Center for Disabilities Studies. He earned his doctorate in human development and education from Virginia Commonwealth University, his masters in family and school counseling from the University of Wisconsin, and his B.S. in early childhood education and B.A. in psychology from the University of Delaware.

Other session topics include:

  • Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT;
  • Smart Homes, Part 1;
  • How do you obtain funding for tech;
  • Remote Supports (staff are just a phone call away);
  • VoiceIT communication translator for people with hard to understand speech;
  • Staying safe on the internet; and
  • Using technology to get and keep a job.

Learn More and Register

See the flyer for more information.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Technology Task Force is seeking input from providers about the use of Remote Supports, Assistive Technology, Teleservices, and Video Monitoring. The information collected will develop baseline data and inform future decisions related to supportive technology. We would like to thank all providers that have participated in the survey so far. We have extended the deadline so that all providers may have a chance to participate.

This brief survey should take approximately 5–10 minutes to complete. Please include information for all individuals served and for all service locations throughout your organization. Once collected, ODP plans to publish the results for all stakeholders.

The survey will close on Friday, May 5, 2023, at 4:00 pm.

Thank you for your participation.

To complete the survey, please use this link.

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