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From ANCOR:

March 26, 2021

Pre-employment Transition Services

The Employment First Community of Practice will host a webinar on “Pre-employment Transition Services: Implementation Efforts, Successes and Challenges in Minnesota and Idaho” on April 14 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will review the requirements for pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities, including job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational programs, workplace readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy. The webinar will share how Minnesota and Idaho are implementing the requirements.

Inclusive Community College Career Pathways: Access

The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth published a blog on “Inclusive Community College Career Pathways: Access.” The blog discusses how two community colleges increased education access for students with disabilities through an Office of Disability Employment Policy grant program.

PEAT Newsletter

The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology released its March 2021 Future of Work Newsletter. It highlights the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s 20th anniversary and PEAT’s conference session at SXSW 2021 on “Disability-Led Innovation in Future Workplaces.” It also links to resources added to PEAT’s “Telework and Accessibility Toolkit.”

Disability-Inclusive Apprenticeships in the States

The National Conference of State Legislatures published a report, “Apprenticeships: A Pipeline for an Inclusive Recovery,” that examines state and federal actions to enhance disability inclusion in apprenticeships. The report explains why inclusive apprenticeships can be an effective workforce development tool to aid economic recovery in the COVID-19 response and highlights resources for creating inclusive apprenticeship programs. The report is the fourth and final in a series developed in collaboration with the State Exchange on Employment & Disability on the opportunities and challenges stemming from the pandemic and its impact on the employment of people with disabilities.

Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Centers of Excellence

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship announced $31 million in funds for Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Centers of Excellence. The Centers of Excellence will support the expansion and modernization of technical assistance to Registered Apprenticeship Programs to accelerate and support their growth and diversity. Funding applications are due April 29, 2021.

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Donna Martin
American Network of Community Options and Resources
Alexandria VA
401-965-9411
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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has issued guidance related to Tuberculin skin testing regulatory compliance and COVID-19 vaccinations. The official DHS announcement concerning tuberculin skin testing and COVID vaccination is available at the following link: Guidance for Tuberculin Skin Testing and COVID Vaccination.

Current CDC recommendations state that individuals should not take a Tuberculosis skin test within four weeks of their 2-dose COVID-19 vaccination process.

 

Applies to Chapters 2380 (Adult Training Facilities), 6400 (Community Homes for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Autism), and 6500 (Life Sharing Homes) of Title 55 of the Pennsylvania Code.

 

Due to the CDC guidance related to tuberculin skin testing and COVID-19 Vaccinations impact on licensees’ ability to comply with regulatory requirements and with the Governor’s authorization as conferred in the Disaster Proclamation, the Department has temporarily issued a limited suspension of the timing of the tuberculin skin testing provisions.

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Image by Gino Crescoli from Pixabay

Update from ANCOR:

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has now released the NEW application forms Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrowers must submit to apply for first-time loans, or “second draw” loans, as well as indicating expanded eligibility for those second draw loans. 

Additionally, the Senate passed legislation by a 92-7 margin today (Thursday, March 25) to extend the deadline for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to May 31. Under the legislation, which overwhelmingly passed the House last week, PPP applicants have until May 31 to apply for a loan and the Small Business Administration (SBA) has a June 30 deadline to process them. We will keep you informed when the legislation is signed by President Biden, and if the SBA issues new materials as a result of this legislation.

First Draw loan information 

  • Loans are now available for nonprofit organizations:
    • with fewer than 500 employees total who have not already received funding
    • with 500 or more employees across multiple locations, but with no more than 500 employees at a single one of those locations. This group of nonprofits only became eligible to apply when the American Rescue Plan became law on March 11, 2021.

Second Draw loan information

  • Loans are now available for nonprofit organizations that:
    • have already received and spent an initial PPP loan AND
    • can demonstrate a 25% reduction in gross receipts AND
    • have one location with fewer than 300 employees, OR more than 300 employees across multiple locations BUT NO MORE THAN 300 IN ANY ONE LOCATION (this is new information per the updated application form for this type of loan)

More information at the US Small Business Administration!

dmartin@ancor.org

dparfaite-claude@ancor.org

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Image by Dirk Wouters from Pixabay

The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA is creating a patient journey map on use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Recognizing that the impact of providers is critical to the individual journey, providers are being asked for their input and perceptions about working with individuals who have considered or used MAT/MOUD.

Surveys can be accessed at the following links.

Please complete the full survey (open-ended questions are optional). Surveys that are incomplete cannot be used. Responses are confidential, and no personally identifiable information is requested. Full terms of the survey can be read here.

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Shannon Austin, MS, Executive Director of Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and Carole L. Clancy, Bureau Director of Special Education have announced completion of a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The revision of the MOU is a product of ongoing collaboration between both agencies to strengthen agency partnership and enhance transition outcomes for students with disabilities in the Commonwealth.

Additionally, there will be a series of webinars in April and May: Understanding the Memorandum: OVR and BSE Working Together as One. This series will overview the MOU agreement between OVR and the Bureau of Special Education (BSE), pertaining to the provision of transition services for students with disabilities. Throughout the series, participants will be introduced to tools for collaboration between OVR, BSE, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), youth, and families.

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Deadline, as Letters on a Clock

In a meeting on March 18, 2021 the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) met with the behavioral health managed care organizations (MCOs) and HealthChoices primary contractors to discuss its expectations of providers’ initial alignment with DDAP’s mandates that are part of the ASAM transition. The deadline for providers to align their services with ASAM services at each level of care is July 1. In part, the purpose of the meeting was to stress to the MCOs and primary contractors that ASAM alignment is a continuous process, not a date to be met, and alignment is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Rather, DDAP is seeking substantial compliance with the criteria and does not expect payers to be punitive in their audits of providers’ alignment with ASAM.

This document defines “Initial Alignment” at each level of care. Per the document, at Levels 2.5 and 3.7, “DDAP will document initial alignment for licensed facilities.” RCPA sought clarification on this point.

According to DDAP, at those levels of care, during a provider’s first audit after July 1, DDAP will be looking for “substantial” alignment. What constitutes “substantial” alignment, what happens if DDAP determines substantial alignment has not occurred, and how other audits by other regulators and payers will be conducted relative to the determination of “substantial” alignment are still being determined.

In addition, RCPA continues to work with DDAP, the Department of Human Services/Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, MCOs, the legislature, and the governor’s office, among other key stakeholders, to illustrate the challenges this transition is placing on providers, the potential consequences, and workable solutions for providers. RCPA will make an in-depth presentation of its efforts to date and plans going forward at the Tuesday, April 6 Drug and Alcohol Committee meeting.

Please contact Jason Snyder with any questions or concerns.

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Registration is required for this FREE event:
Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

PA Care Partnership is offering a free webinar: What’s the Big Deal about Trauma? Many organizations today are under a lot of pressure to become trauma-informed. Both professionals and parents are hearing about the importance of recognizing – as well as preventing – trauma from happening to the children in their lives. These demands can be a source of confusion: what does being trauma-informed mean? Why is it so important? What is trauma about, anyway?

You are invited to attend this webinar, which will feature Dr. Sandra Bloom, author of Creating Sanctuary: Toward the Evolution of Sane Societies, and Diane Wagenhals, Program Director for the Lakeside Global Institute. Together, they will describe what history and science have taught us about the nature of trauma, what becoming trauma-informed and trauma-responsive means, and why it is such a big deal.

Learning Objectives:

  • Define trauma and its impact, why it is such a big deal;
  • Describe the causes and neurobiological underpinnings of trauma; and
  • Explain what being trauma-informed means for organizations and individuals.

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As organizations continue the practice of telehealth, outcomes continue to support telehealth utilization and expansion, as well as the development of resources and guidance. In the coming weeks, RCPA will release the results of its recent telehealth member survey as a follow up to the original RCPA Telehealth Survey Overview in 2020. This updated initiative, in partner with Woods Services, takes a deeper look into the intersects of service delivery, funding, and satisfaction metrics. This new RCPA Telehealth overview will be available the week of March 29, 2021.

The Department of Health and Human Services recently shared a new best practice guide on telehealth for behavioral health care. Behavioral health – like other areas of health care – has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It is now easier for mental health providers to offer and be reimbursed for telebehavioral health services. Telehealth can also make behavioral health services safer, more private, and convenient for patients who can access care from their home. Find resources in the telebehavioral health best practice guide on getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing patients, and more.

Additionally, in response to the increased use and expanded coverage of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS’s From Coverage to Care (C2C) released two new resources to support providers and patients in making the most of virtual care:

  • Telehealth for Providers: What You Need to Know – Providers can learn how and when to use telehealth. Topics include how to set up telehealth services, how to conduct a successful visit, and how to keep up to date on telehealth payment (particularly for Medicare and Medicaid).
  • Telehealth: What to Know for Your Family – Patients can find out the types of care they can receive through telehealth, how to prepare for an appointment, what to expect during a visit, and more. This resource is also available in Spanish.

Providers and partners can download graphics to post on their social media channels and help spread the word about these new resources. All of these resources can be downloaded at go.cms.gov/c2ctelehealth.

If you have feedback or questions regarding your organization and telehealth, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

Governor Wolf announced his intention yesterday to nominate Meg Snead to be the next Secretary of the Department of Human Services (DHS). RCPA President/CEO Richard Edley remarked, “With Ms. Snead’s broad, extensive background in the human services community, we are confident that positive change will continue, in our mutual goals towards serving the most vulnerable residents of our Commonwealth. RCPA has worked with Ms. Snead in the past on several key issues and we look forward to continuing this collaboration with her in this new role as Secretary.” View the official press release.

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