Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation Mini-Loan Pilot Program 2021
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Let’s Work! Documentary
The California Transition Alliance produced this documentary about eight young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their experiences and successes in competitive integrated employment.
PA and Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program for Long-Term Care Facilities – Fact Sheet
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) recently released the attached fact sheet on the Pennsylvania and Federal Pharmacy Partnership program for long-term care facilities. The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is sharing this informative document here for your convenience.
EVV Compliance Reminder, ESC Troubleshooting, and EVV Contacts
PA Health Access Network (PHAN) Webinar Series
PHAN has announced an upcoming series of webinars for health-care providers on accessible health-care for people with disabilities. While the webinars will focus on information for health-care providers, the information will also be valuable for people with disabilities and those who support them. All are welcome to attend.
This series is part of the Rural Healthcare Access Project, an initiative funded by the PA Developmental Disabilities Council to improve health-care access for people with disabilities in rural Pennsylvania.
Session 1: Core Competencies on Disability Part 1 – Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 1:00 pm
This session will be a presentation of Disability Core Competencies by Dr. Susan Havercamp, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Ohio State University Nisonger Center.
The Core Competencies are skills and attributes that enable health-care professionals to provide quality care to consumers with disabilities. They were developed by the Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education in partnership with the Ohio Disability and Health Program at the Ohio State University Nisonger Center by using a consensus process, which included people with disabilities, disability experts, health educators, and health-care providers.
Zoom Link
To join by phone, call (646)-876-9923 and enter meeting ID 850 2318 3980.
Session 2: Core Competencies Part 2 and Stakeholder Panel – Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm
This session will include a recap of the Core Competencies. People with disabilities and other community leaders from the Rural Healthcare Access Project will also discuss their care experiences and answer questions.
Zoom Link
To join by phone, call (646)-876-9923 and enter meeting ID 881 9628 8579.
Session 3: Provider Panel – Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at 1:00 pm
In this session, we will hear from a panel of health-care providers about their experiences treating people with disabilities, challenges, best practices, and how providers can help improve access to care.
Zoom Link
To join by phone, call (646)-876-9923 and enter meeting ID 821 1634 1873.
*Register for sessions here.*
Thank you for your interest and involvement.
Casey Pegg, PHAN Community Organizer
Regional Response Health Collaborative Program Update Issued
Today, a joint guidance was issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) about the Regional Response Health Collaborative Program (RRHCP). The guidance includes a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Reminder: Public Comment Period for ID/A and Autism Waivers
ODPANN 20-115 – Public comment for intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) waivers and adult autism waivers (AAW) announces that the proposed amendments to the consolidated, person/family directed support (P/FDS), community living, and adult autism waivers are available for public review and comment. There is a 30-day public comment period that starts on December 18, 2020 and ends on January 18, 2021.
ODP Bulletin 00-20-04: “Participant-Directed Services: Agency with Choice Financial Management Services Model”
The Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is pleased to announce the release of Bulletin 00-20-04: “Participant-Directed Services: Agency with Choice Financial Management Services Model”. This bulletin obsoletes and replaces ODP Bulletin 00-08-08: “Agency with Choice Financial Management Services (AWC FMS)”.
There have been extensive changes in ODP’s waivers, regulations, and structure in the 12 years since Bulletin 00-08-08 was issued. Bulletin 00-20-04, which was developed with significant stakeholder input, updates and modernizes ODP’s expectations for AWC operations to reflect contemporary practices in service delivery.
ODP intends to provide targeted training and education sessions on Bulletin 00-20-04 as soon as it can be accomplished. See the following attachments for additional information:
Attachment 1: AWC Employer Responsibilities
Attachment 2: Managing Employer Skills Training Topics
Attachment 3: Model Managing Employer Agreement Form
Questions about the bulletin’s implementation or contents may be directed to the appropriate ODP Regional Office or to ODP’s Participant Direction Administration Unit.
Making Employment Work: ACRE Basic Certification Training by The Arc of Pennsylvania
The Arc of Pennsylvania’s Making Employment Work course is an Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) basic certification training. Live webinar training will take place from January 13, 2021 – January 15, 2021 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm each day. Register here for the training. If an agency is interested in registering extra staff, please contact Jen Hipps.
CMS New Updates to the COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit
This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new update to the coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine administration and cost sharing under Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Basic Health Program Toolkit that was originally released on October 28 and first updated on November 23. This update includes additional information regarding vaccine administration reimbursement and outlines a streamlined review process that is available to states who are looking to expeditiously adjust vaccine administration reimbursement rates in their state plan.
CMS has also updated the toolkit with further clarification regarding managed care network adequacy and the phased distribution and administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech and other emergency use authorization (EUA) approved COVID-19 vaccines.
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