ADvancing States and NASHP are hosting a webinar on Direct Service Workers and Direct Service Professional initiatives. Speakers from Missouri and Indiana will share initiatives taking place in their states. The webinar will include information on a direct support professional apprentice program, a value-based purchasing model for training direct support professionals, and a direct service worker Advisory Board.
This webinar will be held on Monday, July 18 at 4:00 pm ET. Register here.
A message from Deputy Secretary Ahrens:
Dear Administrative Entity Staff and Providers,
The purpose of this message is to notify Administrative Entities (AE) and providers of Community Participation Supports (CPS) that as of July 15, 2022, the routine reporting to AEs and/or the applicable regional office of ODP on the operating status of CPS programs is no longer required. ODP is initiating a new mechanism for data collection on the status of CPS programs.
Going forward, ODP will periodically issue a brief survey to providers to collect information on areas of program operation, including but not limited to:
The frequency of these surveys is dependent on changes in pandemic and workforce dynamics but will not exceed once a quarter.
ODP will also provide a list of individuals currently authorized for CPS services who have not utilized CPS services at the time of the survey being released. The survey will ask specific questions related to why the individual has not utilized the CPS service as authorized. The first provider survey is targeted for release August 1, 2022. CPS providers will have up to 30 days to complete the survey. Raw data from the survey will be provided to AEs. Summary data will be shared with stakeholders.
Please note: For CPS providers who still have locations closed, we ask that you complete the survey and notify the appropriate AE and/or ODP regional office prior to any program reopening.
Additionally, any program closure should be reported in EIM per the ODP Incident Management Bulletin.
Thank you for your cooperation as we seek to use more efficient methods of collecting program information in order to improve access for those in need of services.
ODP will be sharing this notice on ODP’s Provider Listserv and with the Provider associations. To ensure all CPS providers are aware, AEs, please ensure the CPS providers in your area receive this notice.
Please direct questions to the appropriate regional CPS lead.
ODP Announcement 22-081 announces that the Department of Human Services (DHS) collaborative training for the Referring Children to the County Intellectual Disability and Autism (ID/A) Programs bulletin is now available on MyODP.
DSPs are a vital part of agencies everywhere.
MITC is awarding $5,000 in September to Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who stand out and go above and beyond to provide exemplary service. MITC values the hard work put forth by DSPs every day and hopes to show their appreciation through these prizes!
Your participation is important — it shows DSPs you appreciate their hard and, at times, dangerous work. Nominate your DSP here.
MITC will share the awardees’ stories with providers. The winners will be announced during DSP Recognition Week in September 2022. The deadline to nominate a DSP is August 1, 2022.
Join John Graham, MITC CEO and Software Architect, for a special presentation on Thursday, September 15 at 2:00 pm ET to hear the 2022 winners’ stories! Register here.
Except from Morning Times
July 15, 2022
Mental health services are now more easily accessible for Pennsylvania residents under a bill sponsored by Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) that has been signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf. Act 76 of 2022, formerly House Bill (HB) 2419, allows for the expanded use of telehealth technology in the treatment of mental health patients. The new law removes the statutory requirement of 50% of onsite psychiatric time, giving the Department of Human Services more flexibility in issuing waivers to accommodate individual clinics in providing mental health services virtually.
RCPA thanks our General Assembly members for their partnership and support in ensuring these critical services remain in place for those in need of care. If you have questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
ODP Announcement 22-080 informs stakeholders that Temple University Harrisburg Certified Investigator Program and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will be facilitating Forums for Certified Investigators (CIs) and others involved in the incident investigation process. It also announces the posting of Q&A documents from past CI Forums on MyODP.
The session date and time is Friday, August 12, 2022, at 10:00 am – 11:30 am.
Topic: Investigatory Process
Registration for August 12, 2022, is open. Registration will close at the end of the day on August 10, 2022.
Please submit investigatory process questions and provide input on future forums. Complete this questionnaire by close of business Wednesday, July 27, 2022.
For all CI Forum-related questions, please send an email to Amanda Black.
The Office of Developmental Programs and Keystone Peer Review Organization, Inc. (“Kepro”) will host a Supports Intensity Scale – Adult (SIS-ATM) Basics training webinar, which will provide an overview of the SIS- ATM and PA Supplement assessments as well as tips on how to prepare for the assessment interview to ensure quality outcomes. Both sessions will cover the same material, so you only need to register for one session. Choose the preferred session date below to register.
Thank you. Your advocacy made all the difference this year.
Pennsylvania’s 2022/23 General Fund budget is finally in the books, having been enacted one week after the official June 30 deadline. The $45.2 billion spending plan represents a 2.9% increase in state spending over the previous fiscal year. The wide-ranging budget, made possible by higher-than-expected revenues that led to a multibillion-dollar surplus, includes some extra funding for human services providers who assist individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families as well as more money for mental health services.
Despite record surpluses, the administration and lawmakers still negotiated a spending plan that keeps many other broader budget initiatives flat-lined. Although some of our line-item increases were less than requested, and even though direct payments for workforce issues are limited, the funding boosts we did receive will help human service providers that have faced chronic underfunding for years.
This much is clear: none of the modest success we achieved would have been possible without you.
Over the last five months, you helped our coalition deliver 8,296 messages directly to members of the General Assembly and the administration, plus another 706 social media hits tagging representatives and senators. Your engagement was evident from the start, as our social media platforms exploded and continue to grow. All of this is on top of the phone calls you made to legislative offices, the letters you wrote to your local papers, and the events you attended in your community and even at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg.
The people we serve, their families, and their providers of care were seen and heard.
Lawmakers are more informed than ever. They know who we are, and they are coming to understand our issues and appreciate how important they are to our communities. That education process will continue because our advocacy doesn’t end when the budget bill is signed. It’s a sustained effort that we undertake each and every day on behalf of those who rely on us — individuals with disabilities and mental health needs and their families.
You can view the specifics related to our budget priorities here. And make no mistake about it. This small success is a sign of bigger things to come.
Thank you for all you did, for all you continue to do, and for your continued support and engagement. Your support made the difference.
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