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Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the Invitation to Apply for the Capacity Building Institute (Year 8). The Capacity Building Institute (CBI), offered by ODP and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), provides an in-depth learning opportunity to professionals across the entire service partnership, including direct support staff and supervisors, supports coordinators/case managers and supervisors, agency trainers, managed care organizations, behavior specialists, psychiatrists, professional counselors and therapists, and dual diagnosis treatment teams.

The Capacity Building Institute will meet for nine two-day sessions, beginning September 2024 and ending April 2025. These sessions will present current best practices and supportive models to best provide support to individuals with a dual diagnosis (individuals with an Intellectual Disability and Autism with co-occurring mental health issues and challenging behaviors) to lead healthy, happy, and meaningful lives.

Please refer to the invitation for information on how to express interest in participating, session information, and requirements.

The meeting documents from the May 8, 2024, Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting are now available. These documents include the transcript and PowerPoint presentations. You can view the documents below:

The next LTSS Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for June 5, 2024, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm in the PA Department of Education’s Honors Suite at 333 Market St. in Harrisburg, PA. The option to participate via webinar is also available. The agenda for the June meeting is here.

To participate in the meeting via webinar, please register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you plan to participate via phone, the dial-in number is: (213) 929-4212; PIN: 914 913 021#. Comments and questions may be sent electronically.

RCPA recently signed two letters, one to Governor Shapiro and one to the PA Department of Human Services (DHS), alongside dozens of other organizations and the Pennsylvania Community Health Worker Collaborative (PACHW) regarding the state’s plan for an amendment to authorize payments for Community Health Worker services under Pennsylvania State Medicaid. The letters outlined several key features PACHW wished to highlight regarding these payments, including:

  • Requesting DHS set “an equitable and adequate” reimbursement rate;
  • The creation of a Community Health Worker provider type; and
  • Recognizing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) as a primary diagnosis code.

The Pennsylvania Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and Temple University will be conducting an upcoming PA Business-to-Business Mentor Network event on how organizations can be more inclusive specific to hiring people with disabilities.

The webinar will be held on May 23, 2024, from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Additional information, as well as a link to register, is available in the flyer here.

Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

Press Release from Angler West Consultants, Inc.

May 13, 2024 — Inperium, Inc. and Resources for Human Development (“RHD”), multi-state nonprofit providers of behavioral health and other social support services, have agreed to affiliate and create one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive human services networks, spanning eighteen states. In its first year, the combined enterprise is expected to generate $800 million in annual revenues.

Inperium will invest in RHD to advance its mission, and the parties will combine their administrative operations to generate economies of scale and enhance overall performance. The affiliation is expected to close the third quarter of 2024 following the regulatory approvals. In the interim, pursuant to a Transitional Services Agreement, Inperium will deliver services to enhance RHD’s operational and financial performance.

Jay Deppeler, Interim Chief Executive Officer of RHD, commented: “I and the other members of the RHD management team look forward with great anticipation to this next chapter in the evolution of this extraordinary nonprofit organization. Inperium is one of the fastest growing nonprofits in America with an impressive record of consistently exceptional performance. Combining the RHD and Inperium service networks will enhance the continuum of care for the people we support. I commend and thank the RHD Board for the enormous energy and determination it invested to lead this transformational undertaking to a successful conclusion.”

Ryan D. Smith, Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Inperium, explained: “Inperium creates opportunities for mission-driven human services providers like RHD to grow and innovate by providing them with capital and state-of-the art infrastructure, which in turn enables Inperium’s affiliates to devote all their focus on providing best-in-class supports and services to vulnerable and underserved populations. Our affiliation with RHD represents a defining moment and a major next step in expanding the scope, scale, and success of the Inperium network. As we approach our tenth year of operations, our affiliation pipeline remains robust, and I expect to announce additional affiliations in the near term, including Inperium’s inaugural affiliation on the West Coast.”


About Angler West Consultants

Angler West is an intermediary that assists nonprofit consolidators in the execution of acquisition and divestiture programs involving specialty healthcare and human services organizations. Founded in 1996, Angler West has the transaction experience and industry relationships to help your company grow profitably.

Angler West Consultants, Inc.
J. Kevin Fee, President
Phone: 215-630-8336
Email

Keep Your Providers Happy and Thriving With Going Back to In-Office Care
Monday, June 10, 2024
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST
Register Here

Join RCPA Partner Eleos Health on June 10 for a webinar focusing on recruiting and retaining staff across behavioral health in PA. Andrew Schimitt from Gaudeniza will join Eleos to share insights around how implementing Eleos has helped increase staff satisfaction. We will also show a brief demonstration of Eleos to see it live in action!

Webinar attendees will:

  • Evaluate how Eleos Health’s augmented intelligence can help to address top workforce challenges while improving care;
  • Witness Eleos live in action through a brief demonstration; and
  • Apply lessons learned from Gaudenzia to their own organization.

Register today!

Overview of HHS’ Final Rule Implementing Section 504 of the Rehab Act
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
2:00 pm ET
Register Here

On May 1, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made disability rights history with the release of a long-awaited final rule implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This comprehensive update — the first since the initial regulation was put into place more than 40 years ago — creates one of the most powerful tools we have ever had to combat discrimination based on disability in health care and human services.

In this webinar, leaders from the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will provide an overview of the rule’s critical provisions for the disability and aging networks. ASL and CART will be provided. A recording will be available on ACL’s website shortly after the webinar.

ACL was proud to work with their partners in the OCR and the disability community to achieve this top priority, and they are looking forward to working with OCR, the disability and aging networks, and the broader community to ensure that people with disabilities know about the rule’s powerful provisions to uphold their civil rights and guarantee they have equal access to health care and human services.