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The purpose of this bulletin is to provide guidance on documentation needed to substantiate a claim as well as provide guidance on the service documentation processes. This information is applicable to providers and Supports Coordination Organizations (SCO) that render services through the Consolidated, Community Living, P/FDS, and Adult Autism Waivers as well as Targeted Support Management (TSM) and base-funded services.

Documentation to provide a record of services delivered to an individual must be prepared and kept by the provider, SCO, or common-law employer for the purposes of substantiating a claim and documenting service delivery. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has developed Technical Guidance for Claim and Service Documentation for providers of services in the Adult Autism Waiver and providers of services for all other waivers and base-funded services, which provide specific information for providers and SCOs on the documentation that must be kept for each service in order to support a claim and to document service delivery. These apply to services rendered by providers and SCOs that have enrolled directly with ODP, organized health care delivery systems, and services delivered through both self-directed services models, Agency with Choice, and Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent.

Providers are encouraged to review and consider using the Medical Assistance Provider Self Review Protocol to proactively identify and address any claim documentation-related problems. The protocol can be found here.

ODP Announcement 22-073 announces that the Department of Human Services (DHS) is preparing for the eventual end of the Public Health Emergency. Under the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration, Pennsylvania has continued Medical Assistance (MA) coverage for most people unless they moved out-of-state, passed away, or asked to end their MA.

When the federal PHE ends, the Department of Human Services must determine if people are still eligible for MA. MA recipients will have to complete a renewal to maintain their MA coverage.

DHS is seeking trusted partners to assist in this PHE unwinding process through means of connection to individuals that will need to renew MA benefits. Today, an email newsletter called the DHS Helper Portal is being launched.

Sign up to become a helper today!

  1. Fill out the simple online form.
  2. The form will generate an email to the email address given.
  3. Confirm the address by walking through the prompts in the email.
  4. Congratulations! You are a helper!

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.

Photo by visuals on Unsplash

Monday, July 11
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Self- Advocates United as 1 invites individuals with disabilities and their families to join a town hall meeting with the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) representatives. Use this call as an opportunity to voice your questions and concerns. See the flyer for more information, including instructions on how to join the event.

Deadline, as Letters on a Clock

ODP Announcement 22-072 is to announce that the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) has extended the deadline to participate in the 2021 NCI® Staff Stability Survey to July 31, 2022.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) encourages qualified providers that have not already done so to participate in the 2021 Staff Stability Survey. This important survey includes questions relating to volume, stability, compensation, and benefits of DSPs serving adults 18 years of age and older.

The data gathered from this voluntary and anonymous survey will help ODP, along with other policy makers and advocates:

  • Inform policy and program development regarding DSP workforce (DSPW) improvement initiatives;
  • Monitor and evaluate the impact of workforce initiatives;
  • Compare state workforce outcomes with those of other states;
  • Provide context for consumer and family outcomes; and
  • Create systems that more effectively collect, analyze, and use DSP workforce data.

Providers that have already completed the survey may also receive a reminder notification to do so, but this will not be intentional and should be discarded. ODP appreciates their cooperation.

A copy of the survey is available to allow for preparation of data prior to completing data entry. It is a proprietary tool of the National Core Indicators® and is to be used for reference only. For more information, contact Ms. Lee Stephens, ODP IM4Q/NCI Statewide Lead, via email or at 717-783-5773.

IPRC Webinar Series: Seizure Management in Pediatrics
PART I: Seizures and Epilepsy in the Pediatric Patient

Thursday, August 11, 2022
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MDT; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PDT

Christina Patterson, MD
Speaker Bio:
Christina Patterson, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Child Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also the Director of Epilepsy Services, the Medical Director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program, and the Director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Patterson has clinical and research interests in the fields of Child Neurology, Epilepsy, and Clinical Neurophysiology and is board-certified in Clinical Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, and Neurology, with Special Qualification in Child Neurology.

Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner will:

  • Define what a seizure is and what epilepsy is when speaking to patients and parents;
  • Identify seizures in pediatric patients and how different types of seizures are classified and diagnosed as epilepsy; and
  • Learn the treatment and management options for seizures and epilepsy in the pediatric patient, including emergency interventions and non-drug therapies.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all members of the rehabilitation team, including medical staff, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, licensed psychologists, mental health professionals, and other interested professionals.

Level: Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Registration: Registration is complimentary for members of IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today. Multiple registrations per organization are permitted.

REGISTER