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PA ABLE Turns 5!

Please join PATF in celebrating the fifth anniversary of the PA ABLE Savings Program.

PA ABLE helps Pennsylvanians with disabilities and their families save safely.

Since the first PA ABLE accounts opened five years ago, Pennsylvanians have saved nearly $72 million for current and future expenses, including assistive technology, education, housing, transportation, health care, financial management, and more.

The program provides a tax-free way to save without affecting eligibility for critical means-tested benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (up to $100,000) or Medical Assistance.

Learn how to set up an ABLE account here.

“Having the ability to save through the ABLE program provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to escape the cycle of poverty that is so often their reality. The ABLE program can make it possible for people with disabilities to be empowered to have greater control over their financial future.”
– Susan Tachau, PATF CEO

This month, our CEO, Susan Tachau, joined PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Senator Lisa Baker (R-20), Sherri Landis of The ARC of PA, and other disability advocates in Harrisburg to mark PA ABLE’s fifth anniversary. Read the full News Release.

PATF’s Financial Capability Resources

April is Financial Capability Month so now is a great time to check out our interactive and accessible financial education website. The website is a companion to our book, Cents and Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management. Explore our financial education resources.

Financial education is the key for living independently and access to this information is crucial. With these financial capability tools, people have a solid foundation for success.

In recognition of our financial education work, we were awarded the Non-Profit Organization of the Year 2021 Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award.

Planning for the Future

PATF’s Board of Directors adopted a three-year Strategic Plan Framework, placing equal focus on our four programs: financial loans, information and assistance, financial education, and advocacy.

Additionally, PATF is working on succession planning as CEO Susan Tachau will be transitioning to a new role as Innovations Officer at PATF in September.

PATF has also launched a DEI+A initiative, which includes an internal audit, recommendations for individual and organizational growth, and learning sessions on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.

Smart Homes Made Simple Webinar Draws International Attention

In 2021, we published Smart Homes Made Simple: Your Guide to Smart Home Technology and launched Smart Homes Made Simple to help the disability community learn about mainstream smart home devices and how they can be financed. In March of this year, PATF hosted a smart home webinar, Real Life Stories: Using Smart Home Technology for Independence, with more than 500 attendees from around the world!

Upcoming Events

The Center for Independent Living of Central PA is hosting a free Youth-Adult Wheelchair Basketball Clinic on Saturday, May 14. PATF’s Outreach Director, Wendy Davis, will be there and can talk more about how PATF can help people with purchasing adapted sports equipment. Learn more about this event.

Disability Pride PA kicks off Disability Pride Philadelphia Week with a flag-raising at City Hall on Monday, June 6 at 3:00 pm. The parade takes place on Saturday, June 11. Get more details.

The Technology Enhancing Capabilities Virtual Conference will be held on Wednesday, June 22. PATF CEO Susan Tachau will be joined by Michael Anderson, Alexa Brill, and George Russo, as they discuss how they use smart home technology to live safer and with greater independence. Additional information.

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Understanding an Infant Mental Health-Informed Approach to Care Delivery:
Optimizing Relational Health in Young Children With Medical and Developmental Complexity Through Safe Nurturing Environments Within the Hospital and at Home

Wednesday, June 8, 2022
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CDT,
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm MDT, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PDT

Edith Chernoff, MD
Amelia Miller, MS
Laura Kahan, M.Ed

Speaker Bios:
Edith Jacobson Chernoff, MD, is a practicing, board-certified pediatrician at La Rabida Children’s Hospital, a children’s hospital dedicated to children with chronic disease and developmental disorders, where she is medical director of outpatient services. Dr. Chernoff is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics’ section of academic pediatrics at the University of Chicago and a board-certified clinical geneticist. She is medical consultant for Early Intervention CFC#10. Her interests are in Medical Home for children with medical complexity, genetic disorders, patient and family quality of life, and patient safety/quality improvement.

Amelia Miller serves as the Premier Kids Program Lead & Infant Mental Health Specialist at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. She received her Master’s in Child Development along with a specialization in Infancy from Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL. Amelia pursued further specialization with the Infant Mental Health Certificate program at Erikson Institute, completed in 2015. She received her certification from Parent-Child Relationship Programs as a trainer of the Keys to Caregiving & NCAST Parent Child Interaction tools. Amelia also practices as a DIR practitioner and an Infant Massage Instructor.

Laura Kahan is the section chief of Infant Development in the Developmental & Rehabilitative Services Department at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago. She holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Development, with an Infancy Specialization, from Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL, and an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Credential from the Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health. She has been a practicing Developmental Therapist in the Illinois Early Intervention system since 2004 and is a Certified Infant Massage Instructor. Laura has over 25 years’ experience supporting underserved parents and children in Chicago.

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

  • Discuss how infant attachment affects development into adulthood and how traumatic events, including medical trauma, adversely affect brain development and the ability to interact and learn.
  • Review the design of an inpatient program using a specially trained rehabilitation team and validated assessment tools to support healthy parent–child attachment to enhance child development.
  • Learn how a primary care medical home for children with medical complexities embedded mental health care into the program through use of screenings and specialty sessions during and outside of primary care visits.
  • Review changes made to care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, including successes and failures.
  • Explore findings on quality of life ratings from families receiving care and discuss how these findings were used to enhance program offerings and improve family supports.

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

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The Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) recently issued updated information on the Plan of Correction (POC) process. Beginning on May 1, 2022, the following will be implemented:

  • A new one page Effective Plan of Correction Guide, which the licensing representative will review and leave behind at each Exit Conference;
  • The availability of staff to schedule a phone consultation for technical assistance prior to the submission of the initial Plan of Correction;
  • One reminder phone call and email for any overdue initial or revised Plans of Correction;
  • Return of unacceptable initial submissions of the Plan of Correction in Sanswrite with specific comments on what is required on the resubmission for the Plan to be accepted;
  • One phone call and email to schedule an appointment to walk through the Plan of Correction process for any unacceptable second submission of Plans of Correction; and
  • The opportunity to request an extension of due dates for initial and revised submissions of Plans of Correction.

These actions have been taken so that providers have every opportunity to submit an acceptable POC and, when possible, avoid a directed POC.

Other changes that BHSL is implementing to address quality, consistency, and timeliness include:

  • Initial POC that are missing information or do not adequately address the violation will not be accepted or directed. If the Plan is missing any of the required information, such as when the corrective action will be implanted or who is responsible, OR the plan is inadequate to correct for the violation, the plan will be returned with comments in Sanswrite, even for minor errors.
  • If a POC has not been received past the due date, BHSL will direct the POC no sooner than three business days after one reminder phone call and email have been made. BHSL may accept the provider’s late submission of a POC if a directed POC has not yet been started.

To request technical assistance at any point in the process or an extension of due dates, providers should contact their licensing supervisor (or licensing representative in the Central region) prior to the POC due date. Additional information on submitting an acceptable POC is also available at Personal Care Home Licensing under “Plans of Correction.”

For additional information, please refer to the Effective POC Guide and the Sample Acceptable Plans of Correction for Personal Care Homes (PCHs) and Assisted Living Residences (ALRs).

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    Do you know a social enterprise that is doing great work in your community? Many of the agencies in our communities run amazing social enterprises (businesses that serve a social purpose). These businesses help employ underserved communities, connect individuals with communities, and provide additional funding for the agency. If you know a social enterprise doing amazing work, nominate that social enterprise for a chance to win a $500 donation to help support their programs. View the web page for more information and to submit a nomination.

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    ODP Announcement 22-044 serves to clarify that ridesharing services, such as Lyft, Uber, or other similar transportation services, may be reimbursed through the public transportation service. Public transportation services are provided to or purchased for an individual to promote self-determination and enable an individual to gain access to employment, services, and activities specified in the Individual Support Plan (ISP). Public transportation may be purchased by an OHCDS or by an FMS organization for individuals who self-direct services. In addition, public transportation vendors may enroll directly with the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP).

    For individuals receiving residential services (Residential Habilitation, Life Sharing, or Supported Living), transportation services may only be used to enable an individual to get to his or her competitive, integrated job. If the individual is using public transportation for other needs, such as community activities, volunteering, visiting family or friends, etc., the cost of this service is included in the rate paid to providers of Residential Habilitation, Life Sharing, and Supported Living.

    The cost of ridesharing services, such as Uber, Lyft, or similar public transportation options, can be reimbursed through the Transportation service. If the Transportation service is under consideration by the individual and their ISP team, the team must determine if using a ridesharing service is a cost-effective, beneficial, and practical transportation option for the individual.

    The team must consider other options available through the transportation service, including publicly available bus passes, rail service, taxi service, and Transportation Trip to ensure the most cost-effective, beneficial, and practical use of the service.

    Please see the full announcement for more details about the use of these services.

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