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Brain Injury

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Message from the PA Department of Aging:

You are invited to complete a survey for people who are Direct Care Workers in Pennsylvania who provide Long-Term Services and Support for older adults and people with disabilities. This includes people who work in home care community, or facility settings, and includes personal care homes, assisted living, and nursing homes. The survey is being conducted by the University of Pittsburgh in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. The results will be used to help improve the Direct Care Workforce.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.

The survey is being sent to members of organizations affiliated with the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Council, Pennsylvania State Agencies, and related organizations.

Your responses to the survey are completely anonymous. The results will be summarized and reported statistically. No attempt will be made to identify any individual.

Everyone who completes the survey will have a chance to win a $100 gift card. One gift card will be given away each week for 5 weeks. The chance of winning depends on the number of people who respond to the survey. The survey will be sent via email to about 50,000 people and is available publicly on the Department of Aging website and at public “Listening Session” meetings.

If you have any questions about the survey, you can email Howard B. Degenholtz, PhD.

Visit here to start the survey. Or paste this link into your browser: https://bit.ly/DCWSURVEY2026

Thank you for taking the time to help with this important project.

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RCPA is excited to once again host our Annual Conference from September 29 – October 2 at the Hershey Lodge. Our 2026 Annual Conference, Power in Purpose: Promoting Possibilities, will be a highlight for the Pennsylvania behavioral health, brain injury, children’s, early intervention, intellectual and developmental disabilities, medical rehabilitation, and physical disabilities and aging provider communities.

RCPA staff and the Conference Committee have released this year’s Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Advertiser Brochure, which features many opportunities to get in on the action and network with providers. Booth self-selection will also be available for exhibitors and exhibiting sponsors. In order to be considered for self-selection, a completed contract with payment must be submitted.

Network and Compete in Connections Hall
Connections Hall activities take place during the two busiest days of the conference, and many networking opportunities are available throughout the event. You’ll also be able to compete and have a chance to win “Best of Show!”

Exciting Sponsorship Opportunities
RCPA is privileged to have the backing of the finest organizations in the field for our conference. Through the use of sponsorship circles, RCPA is able to honor all supporting organizations.

Sign Up Now!
Sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, on the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by Tuesday, September 8.

The association looks forward to welcoming you at the conference! Space and opportunities are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, and no reservation is considered complete without payment. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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As the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) prepares for the upcoming changes in the federal Medicaid standards set for implementation in January 2027, DHS has convened a statewide HR1 Steering Committee. This group is tasked with reviewing policy and practice drafts from the Department as it relates to their response to the pending Medicaid changes, including new eligibility and work requirements for recipients and communicating the implementation of Pennsylvania’s overall plan.

The steering committee is comprised of state leadership, advocates, and payers. RCPA providers will be represented by RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley. RCPA’s involvement will bolster our role as a lead advocate for members and stakeholders as it relates to Medicaid HR 1 activities. Additionally, RCPA has contracted with former Pennsylvania Medicaid Director Leesa Allen to assist in developing our internal strategies and advocacy platform.

The steering committee had its initial meeting yesterday, March 5, 2026, to lay out the groundwork for the group and presented an initial PowerPoint presentation that looks at some of the foundational information around Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP changes.

If you have questions or feedback, please contact your respective RCPA Policy Director or COO Jim Sharp.

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Over the past few months, there have been important changes to SNAP that may affect Pennsylvanians’ eligibility for the program.

To help SNAP recipients and those who work with them understand what’s new, the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) has posted a new video to their YouTube channel. The video explains changes to SNAP over the past six months, including who is subject to new work and reporting requirements, how to meet those requirements, and tools that are available to help Pennsylvanians meet the requirements.

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The National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) will be offering a free webinar that will focus on Brain Injury Resource Facilitation (BIRF) and the new Moody Implementation Guide. This free webinar will be conducted on May 6, 2026, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm.

Brain Injury Resource Facilitation is a structured intervention that connects individuals with brain injury to essential resources to enhance independence and improve outcomes, using a flexible, person-centered approach. It involves needs assessment, resource navigation/service connection, and progress monitoring to identify a person’s strengths and challenges to set goals and coordinate supports. BIRF is an effective intervention for academic, employment, and community success.

This webinar will include a discussion of BIRF and the new Resource Facilitation Implementation Guide, geared towards addressing these challenges and providing a map to follow for best practice in this area. Funded by the Moody Endowment and created collaboratively through NASHIA, this guide will be a current and future tool for consistent service delivery and data collection/utilization for rationale to sustain these supports.

To participate in this webinar, registration is required.

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Time is running out to submit your workshop proposal for the RCPA 2026 Conference Power in Purpose: Promoting Possibilities. The Conference will be held September 29 – October 2 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience, and RCPA’s Conference Committee is looking for workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant.

The deadline for submissions is COB Monday, March 23, so don’t wait to submit your proposals! The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Discuss strategies for C-Suite leadership to advance their organization with adapting to challenges and opportunities;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence and technology in service provision;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention; and/or
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to brain injury, medical rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, autism, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities. Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is COB Monday, March 23, 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically with the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 minutes in length. If the topic requires an in-depth presentation, a double session can be scheduled for a total of 180 minutes. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be asked to confirm the ability to submit workshop slides and handouts electronically two weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation may not have their materials available to participants during the conference.

Individuals are welcome to submit more than one proposal; however, we ask that you submit no more than three total. Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Monday, May 11, 2026. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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On February 28, 2026, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) published a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin announcing a change in the fee schedule rates in the OBRA Waiver and the Act 150 Program for Participant-Directed Personal Assistance Services (PAS) procedure codes W1792 and W1792 TU. This fee schedule rate change is effective January 1, 2026. A revised fee schedule is available here.

Written comments regarding these fee schedule rates can be sent to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments can also be submitted via email. Comments received within the 30-day comment period will be considered in subsequent revisions to the fee schedule.

OLTL previously issued a listserv on December 19, 2025, confirming the Fiscal Year 2025/26 budget, signed into law on November 12, 2025, which included a $21 million investment to strengthen the workforce through increased wages for direct care workers (DCW) providing services in the Participant-Directed model for OLTL Fee-for-Service programs.

To support the January 1, 2026, effective date, OLTL updated the PROMISe™ system and the Home and Community Services Information System (HCSIS) with the revised rates. Service Coordinators (SC) did not need to make any service plan updates for the rate change, as a HCSIS system-wide update was implemented to make the necessary service data rate updates to the affected service plans.

SCs are encouraged to reach out to OBRA Waiver and Act 150 Program participants that utilize Participant-Directed PAS to ensure they are aware of the rate change and that their DCWs may receive increases in their pay rates.

SCs may also receive specific questions from OBRA Waiver and Act 150 Program participants that utilize Participant-Directed PAS supported by Financial Management Services (FMS) through the FMS vendor Public Partnerships, LLC (PPL). SCs should refer participants to the PPL Customer Service hotline at 877-908-1750 for specific questions about how the rate increase in the OBRA Waiver and Act 150 Program will impact the pay of their DCWs.

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