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The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Advisory Board, established under section 1252 of the Federal Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C.A. § 300d-52), will hold a public meeting on May 6, 2022. The meeting will be held in person at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), 6340 Flank Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112, in the Dauphin Conference Room from 10:00 am–3:00 pm. There will also be a virtual option available by means of Microsoft Teams. To join the Microsoft Teams meeting, call (267) 332-8737. The conference ID is 126 841 107#.

Meeting materials will be sent out before the public meeting and will also be available on the website as well as the meeting location. Questions about the meeting should be directed to Nicole Johnson.

The Department of Health’s (DOH) Head Injury Program (HIP) strives to ensure that eligible individuals who have a TBI receive high quality rehabilitative services aimed at reducing functional limitations and improving quality of life. The Board assists DOH in understanding and meeting the needs of persons living with TBI and their families. This quarterly public meeting will provide updates on a variety of topics, including the number of people served by HIP. In addition, meeting participants will discuss budgetary and programmatic issues, community programs relating to traumatic brain injury, and available advocacy opportunities.

For additional information, or for persons with a disability who wish to attend the public meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to do so, contact Nicole Johnson, Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach at (717) 772-2763, or for speech and/or hearing-impaired persons, contact V/TT (717) 783-6514 or the Pennsylvania Hamilton Relay Service at (800) 654-5984.

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ODP Announcement 22-045 announces that the renewals of the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS waivers were submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 1, 2022. CMS requires Medicaid waivers to be renewed every five years. The submitted waivers included revisions made as a result of over 500 public comments received from individuals and self-advocates, families, agencies, and organizations. Each full waiver application, as well as the Record of Change document that contains the substantive changes made as a result of public comment, is available online.

It is anticipated that the waiver renewals will be approved and effective July 1, 2022. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will inform all stakeholders when the waiver renewals have been approved. The approved versions will be made available online at that time.

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In 2021, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) disseminated The Best Practice Standards for Behavioral Support. They also hosted several Virtual Office Hours (VOHs) for Behavioral Specialists, Administrative Entities (AEs), Supports Coordination Organizations, and Residential Providers. As a follow-up to these efforts, they have created a hub on MyODP that captures all things Behavioral Supports-related to the standards. Check it out and visit often, as ODP intends to update, and they have some additional resources in the works to upload in the future, including FAQs and Sample BSPs.

ODP intends to host additional sessions with providers and AEs to talk about the standards, but in the meantime, they are interested in hearing from those of you who have reviewed the standards or attended a VOH in the past year. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey.

If you have any questions or comments about this communication, feel free to email ODP directly.

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ODP Announcement 22-042 shares the News Alert for providers to assist in managing and developing infection control strategies, including COVID-19. The News Alert from the Infection Prevention Specialist Partnership With Health Care Quality Units has been released with information regarding sites performing COVID testing, up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine booster dose recommendations, and the Powassan Virus (POW).

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has received funding through a Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appropriation under the 2019 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) — Enhanced Detection Expansion (EDE) Grant. This grant funding is being used to build capacity and provide additional support for infection prevention and control through the Health Care Quality Units (HCQUs) in partnership with a team of infection prevention specialists from Infectious Disease (ID) Connect. This project will run through June 2023.

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ODP Announcement 22-043 provides information regarding the part of the Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) ARPA plan wherein providers can receive a one-time supplemental payment for technology-related activities that strengthen and enhance home and community-based services (HCBS). The following activities would be supported by this initiative:

  • Purchase of assistive and/or remote support technology;
  • Purchase and implementation of new software or technology for electronic health records;
  • Technology associated with improving quality or risk management functions;
  • Technology professional credentialing identified in ODP provider qualifications; and
  • Purchase of consultation services to enhance technological capabilities.

This initiative is designed to enhance HCBS by:

  • Replacing staff functions with the use of technology, allowing staff time to be directed to other care activities;
  • Providing individuals greater independence and choice using technology; and
  • Improving quality of care through implementation of solutions like electronic health records and integrated data solutions.

Supports Coordination Organizations: As part of the ODP ARPA plan, SCOs can receive a one-time supplemental payment for technology-related activities that enhance HCBS by:

  • Improving capacity to conduct remote monitoring of individuals;
  • Improving efficiency of Supports Coordinators, including maximizing time in the field;
  • Obtaining or enhancing secure inter-office communications; and
  • Implementing technology-dependent quality improvement strategies.

This announcement includes the Application for Providers and Application for Supports Coordination Organizations.

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The National Alliance for Direct Support Professional’s Joseph Macbeth, President and Chief Executive Officer, & Dan Hermreck, Director of Certification & Accreditation, will be joining RCPA members to discuss NADSP’s program for advancing the professional role of DSPs while we have the opportunity in Pennsylvania to utilize ARPA funds to assist in this effort.

We are hosting the webinar Friday, April 22, 2022, from 10:00 am–11:00 am to discuss how NADSP can help your organization. You can register for the event here.

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals firmly believes that “quality is defined at the point of interaction,” and therefore the knowledge, skills, and values of direct support professionals are the key to providing quality supports. This webinar will explore NADSP’s credentialing program, known as the E-Badge Academy, through which the organization has attempted to measure these three components of quality and recognize DSPs who provide high quality support. The E-Badge Academy allows DSPs to earn electronic badges by describing how their work is consistent with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Core Competencies and the NADSP Code of Ethics. You will learn how it all works, including best practices, successful implementation, outcome measurement, and return on investment.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Ferenz.

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