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This week’s resource update includes quick-links, hotlines, and detailed instructions to help you better serve families in preventing and reporting child abuse. For additional kinship related resources and tips, please visit www.kinconnector.org or call 866-546-2111 for support.
Child Abuse Prevention and Resource Links:
Thank you again for partnering with us to prevent child abuse and help families thrive!
Sincerely,
Your team at PA KinConnector
ODP Announcement 21-033 is to inform all provider agencies employing Direct Service Professionals (DSPs) that the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will be participating in the 2020 NCI® Staff Stability Survey. Since 1997, ODP has partnered with the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) and the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) to administer the National Core Indicators® (NCI) surveys. These satisfaction surveys have provided ODP with a wealth of data about the strengths and challenges within the service system and helped form its policy initiatives.
In 2014 NASDDDS and HSRI added the Staff Stability survey to enable states to examine workforce challenges, identify areas for further exploration, benchmark statewide workforce data, and over time measure improvements made through policy or programmatic changes. ODP requests assistance implementing a Staff Stability Survey among its provider agencies. This 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, to:
Within the next few weeks, providers will receive an email from HSRI inviting them to participate in this Staff Stability Survey. Those wishing to participate will be furnished with a unique login that will enable providers to directly enter survey responses into the HSRI database. Results of the survey will only be reported in the aggregate and organizations will not be identified in any way.
It is recommended that Human Resources or Payroll Office complete surveys and should reflect DSPs who were on agency payroll during any period between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. The deadline to complete data entry is June 30, 2021.
A copy of the survey is included to allow for preparation of data prior to completing data entry. ODP is excited to be a part of this important project. RCPA strongly encourages providers to participate in order to help ODP make sound policy decisions regarding Pennsylvania’s DSPs.
CONTACT:
Ms. Lee Stephens, ODP IM4Q/NCI Statewide Coordinator
888-565-9435
Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force announced that effective tomorrow, Tuesday, April 13, all Pennsylvania adults will be eligible to schedule an appointment for the COVID -19 vaccine.
“We need to maintain acceleration of the vaccine rollout, especially as case counts and hospitalization rates have increased,” Gov. Wolf said. “Therefore, just as President Biden has brought forward universal adult access to vaccines from May 1 to April 19, we are moving Pennsylvania’s timeline of universal adult access to April 13.”
The Department of Health noted that there is ongoing appointment availability in many parts of the state even as Phase 1A and B continue and 1C begins today. With the change in eligibility, those in Phase 2 will become eligible, opening up vaccines to all. Our ongoing initiative with the Area Agencies on Aging to provide assistance to vulnerable seniors for accessing vaccine will continue, as will our other equity initiatives.
“Everyone needs and should be afforded the opportunity to access the vaccine as soon as possible,” Acting Sec. of Health Alison Beam said. “And, this change provides earlier access for many, including college students increasing the likelihood of completion of two-dose regimens prior to leaving campus for the summer. It also means simpler, streamlined operations for vaccine providers that no longer need to check eligibility of people making appointments.”
To date, Pennsylvania providers have administered more than 6 million vaccines and the state is ranked among the top 20 states for first-dose vaccinations. More than 2.4 million Pennsylvanians are fully vaccinated.
Pennsylvanians can find providers on the COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Map here.
“Please get vaccinated,” said Sen. Art Haywood.
“It is precisely the bipartisan cooperation of this Joint Task Force coupled with the tremendous work of our provider network that has allowed our Commonwealth to make rapid progress in our vaccine rollout, now expanding eligibility so that every Pennsylvanian who wants to be vaccinated has the opportunity to do so immediately,” said Sen. Ryan Aument. “Because we have maintained our commitment to residents within phases 1A and 1B, we can now further accelerate the rollout and protect our communities, particularly by ensuring that college students can be vaccinated before returning home to their families for the summer.”
“The administration, our task force, and all of our local providers have collaborated together to achieve the goal put forth by President Biden,” said Rep. Bridget Kosierowski. “With the number of COVID-19 positive cases continuing to rise some areas of our state, it is imperative that everyone who wants to schedule an appointment for a vaccine can have that opportunity to do so.“
“I’m pleased we are able to speed up eligibility so that all Pennsylvanians who want a vaccine can schedule one,” Rep. Tim O’Neal said. “Western Pennsylvania has hosted a number of vaccine clinics in recent days where supply has outstripped demand. We were able to get approval to expand eligibility at one of these clinics, but it only makes sense to open vaccinations to all. The work of the task force has shown when all parties work in a collaborative fashion, we can accomplish a lot in a short timeframe.”
“This further-accelerated plan will move us much closer to the goal of vaccinating Pennsylvanians as quickly and equitably as possible,” Gov. Wolf said.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lyndsay Kensinger, Governor’s Office
Barry Ciccocioppo, Health
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests that all Private Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) Program Financial personnel hold Thursday, April 22, 2021 10:00 am–1:00 pm on your calendars for an important webinar. At that time our consultant, Mercer, will be presenting the new reporting mechanisms for Fiscal Year 2021–2022. This will include Waiver Requests, Budget Submissions, and Cost Reporting.
An agenda and meeting link will follow. Please make every effort to tune in to this presentation and participate in the Q&A portion of the session.