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Photo by Sebastian Spindler on Unsplash

A Message from Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care:

On November 13, 2020, Dr. Gregory Cherpes, the Medical Director for Pennsylvania’s Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), presented a webinar in which he provided an update on COVID-19 and holiday safety. During the webinar, we learned that COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death in the US! In April 2020, the highest number of COVID-19 cases reported in any one day was 2000. Current data is now showing that 5000 cases have been reported in one day, and this trend is expected to continue. At this time, our hospital capacity is not exhausted, but we are reaching a dangerous point, especially as we approach the holiday season. To keep you and your loved ones safe during the holidays, Dr. Cherpes stated, “The safest way to celebrate the holidays this year is to celebrate with people in your household.” Take into consideration the following points:

  • The duration or length of your celebration. Shorter celebrations can prevent viral transmission.
  • The number of people who are attending; smaller gatherings are safer than larger gatherings.
  • Where are people traveling from? County transmission rates vary, so stay informed of yours.
  • Are people wearing masks, washing their hands, and staying socially distant?

Consider alternative ways to celebrate the holidays this year such as virtual parties or remote game nights.

During this pandemic, we have also learned that an individual with an intellectual disability is three times as likely to suffer from complications and death from COVID-19 in comparison to the rest of the population. Learn more from The New York Times, Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care, and AID in PA.

Happy holidays! Stay safe and healthy!

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Photo by Dario Valenzuela on Unsplash

National Family Caregivers Month – a time to celebrate the contributions of caregivers, provide them with tools that they need, and continue to advocate for individuals with mental illness.

There are over 53 million Americans who are unpaid caregivers to family, friends, and neighbors. Twenty-seven percent or nearly a third of adult caregivers are helping someone with a mental illness. Caregiving can often have a significant impact on the life of the caregiver in more ways than one. It can make maintaining your physical and mental health more difficult and may put a strain on work and social life.

[View Mental Health America web page for information, resources, and toolkits]

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Washington, DC * November 18, 2020 – Today the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the official launch of the AskUSDA Contact Center program. The AskUSDA Contact Center will serve as the “one front door” for phone, chat, and web inquires. It will transform how the public interacts with USDA and provide an enhanced experience for the public.

Prior to the creation and implementation of AskUSDA, members of the public had to navigate dozens of phone numbers and had no chat function or online platform for self-service. This situation created frustrations and inefficiencies. AskUSDA was created to make USDA more responsive to the public by providing a single destination for phone, chat, and web inquiries. Whether it’s talking to a USDA representative via phone, chatting with a live agent on our website, or communicating with USDA via email, the public will have streamlined access.

The launch of AskUSDA delivers a centralized contact center that offers customer service and consistent information for the public. With over 29 agencies and offices, USDA’s mission impacts every single person in the US and hundreds of millions around the globe. AskUSDA assures that farmers, researchers, travelers, parents, and more have efficient access to the information and resources that they need.

AskUSDA is set up to handle common questions across programs that service a variety of audiences. For example, customers who may have basic questions about USDA’s nutrition services can be assisted via phone, email, and web chat by trained AskUSDA representatives. Meanwhile, customers who may have complicated questions about loan programs can be quickly connected to agency experts. AskUSDA also hosts over 5,000 articles for a self-service option to help with more common questions such as food safety inquiries or pet-travel guidance.

Over the course of its pilot program, AskUSDA successfully assisted with over 93,000 citizen inquiries, and the AskUSDA website received over 1.4 million knowledge article page views. USDA looks forward to continuing to implement this enhanced best-in-class contact center across the department.

The public can contact AskUSDA by phone at (833) ONE-USDA. Representatives are available from 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on weekdays. The website is available 24/7 and includes live chat agents who are available from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm EST on weekdays. Inquiries can also be sent via email at any time.

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The direct support professionals (DSP) workforce is essential in ensuring that individuals with intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities (ID/DD) have the support they need to live independently in their communities. However, home and community-based service providers are seeing a shortage in the DSP workforce. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is seeking innovative solutions to address this shortage with the goal of encouraging the development of inventive business models to help stabilize the DSP labor market.

This prize competition includes three phases. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners of each phase.

Submissions will be accepted starting Friday, November 20, 2020. They must be received by Friday, February 12, 2021.

Learn more here.

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