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Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

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The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) host a quarterly Statewide Positive Approaches & Practices meeting. This meeting aims to provide the most recent research and resources for people with mental health and behavioral challenges, intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities to live an everyday life.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 8:30 am – 10:30 am and 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. The topic for the morning session is “The Foundation is Communication.” The topic for the afternoon session is “Sensory or Behavior? Diving into Sensory Processing.” This meeting will be held online via Zoom.

Please see the announcement for additional information.

Register Here

The Zoom link for joining the session will be sent to the email you used to register. This link will be unique to your registration. Please do not share this link.

Questions? Email PATraining.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-116. The purpose of this communication is to inform providers of Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) services and Supports Coordination Organizations (SCO) of the updated provider qualification process.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require a statewide process to ensure providers are qualified to render services to waiver-funded individuals. The Provider Qualification Process described in the communication outlines the steps the provider must follow to meet these requirements, and the steps Supports Coordinators (SC) must take to transition individuals if needed. This communication does not describe the qualification process for AAW SCOs.

NOTE: The release of this communication obsoletes ODP Announcement 20-110 New Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) Provider Qualification Process.

Providers that are shared across Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) and the AAW must complete the Provider Qualification processes with both their assigned Administrative Entity (AE) for the ID/A waivers and the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) for the AAW.

Please view the full announcement for complete details.

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Message from National Core Indicators:

The NCI-IDD SoTW is the most comprehensive data on Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce providing direct services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We remain committed to partnering with states, agencies, and people with IDD to use these data to strengthen Medicaid-funded services and supports and ensure DSPs are valued for their essential role supporting people with IDD.

A few report highlights:

In 2024, we collected data from 3,936 provider agencies representing 344,179 DSPs in 26 states and the District of Columbia. The data for 2024 suggest some positive trends for the state of the IDD DSP workforce. For example:

  • Across the nation, the median hourly wage for DSPs is $18.39, which is more than a dollar increase from the median hourly wage of $17.20 in 2023.
  • The weighted average turnover ratio was 37%, with nearly two in three DSPs who left their employers (64%) having been with their agency for less than one year.
  • On average, 26% of agencies report they turned away or stopped accepting referrals due to staffing issues, down from 38% in 2023.

State DD agencies have worked tirelessly to address the ongoing workforce shortages for DSPs, and these data suggest slight but hopeful trends in key indicators. Altogether, NCI-IDD SoTW provide valuable insights about opportunities to enhance retention of DSPs and improve the continuity of services.

The full report can be found here at this link.

For questions or comments, please contact Tim Sohosky.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-114. This communication notifies all interested parties of the recorded webinar that explained the January 2026 Waiver Amendments. This webinar and is now posted on the MyODP website.

The webinar contains a brief high-level overview of Performance-Based Contracting as well as changes not related to Performance-Based Contracting that impact ODP’s Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Supports (P/FDS) waivers.

Please review the announcement for more details.

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The agenda and link to join the January 7, 2026, Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting have been released. The call on January 7, 2026, will be held via webinar and remote streaming only and will take place from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

A few of the key agenda topics, in addition to an update from the Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) Deputy Security, include information being shared by OLTL on the 2026 OBRA Waiver renewal and the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver amendment. Additionally, there will be a presentation from OLTL’s Enrollment Unit on enrollment and redeterminations/data requests.

To participate in the meeting, the information is below:
Conference line — Bridge Number: 1 (415) 655-0052 PIN: 571-523-182#
Webinar Link
Remote Streaming Link

Comments and questions may be sent electronically.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-113. This communication includes an updated version of the Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) Individual Support Plan Signature Form (DP 1032) that was released with the ODP Announcement 25-012: Updates to the Individual Support Plan (ISP) Bulletin Attachments. After the release, ODP was informed that the MCI Number and the individual’s name needed to be added to each page of the form. This form has also been translated into Spanish.

The revised and translated forms may be found on the MyODP Forms page.

Questions about this communication should be directed to the appropriate Office of Developmental Programs Regional Office.

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Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): An Overview and Practical Application

Note: This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance-Based Contracting (PBC). Please see more details below on Continuing Education (CE) Credits. This training is an approved alternative to the SPeCTRUM offered on MyODP.

Over the years, the prevalence of autism has increased, Pennsylvania’s service delivery system for individuals with autism has expanded, and best practices to provide quality supports have emerged. To support the individual needs of each person with autism across the lifespan, an understanding of core characteristics must be established. It is also important to learn how the individual’s presentation of autism may change across settings and situations.

This training will provide attendees with an in-depth presentation on core characteristics of autism and the impact of the characteristics on daily life, routines, and activities. A review of common terms and basic principles used to change behavior, teach new skills, and develop practical application of best practices will be included. Opportunity for discussion and engagement will occur throughout the training in the virtual setting.

Who should attend?

  • Direct Support Professionals, Front Line Supervisors, and Program Managers supporting individuals with autism in residential and other home and community-based settings.
  • Professionals supporting individuals in the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW), Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP), Consolidated Person/Family-Directed Support (P/FDS), and Community Living waivers are encouraged to attend.

Where and when will sessions be held?

You must register separately for each session.

Continuing Education Units (CEU)
This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance Based Contracting measures CN-DD/Bx.01.1S and CN-DD/Bx.01.1CE for all Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), Frontline Supervisors (FLSs), and program managers.

This training also fulfills 6100 ongoing training requirements.

Please contact the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) Training inbox with questions.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) convened for the Provider Performance Review Subcommittee on December 18, 2025, to provide updates on service utilization, National Core Indicators (NCI), and family engagement initiatives.

Service Utilization Updates

The statewide summary for services in CY 2025 highlights a continued focus on community-based and non-residential options.

  • Residential and Non-Residential Distribution: As of late 2025, Non-Residential Services account for the majority of utilization at 71.12%.
  • Residential Service Breakdown: Within residential settings, Residential Habilitation remains the most common at 25.68%, followed by Life Sharing at 2.76% and Supported Living at 0.44%.
  • Housing Support: ODP tracked the percentage of enrolled individuals receiving Housing Transition and Tenancy Services by SCO for CY 2025, with participation rates reaching up to 6% among certain providers.

National Core Indicators (NCI) and Satisfaction

ODP shared findings from the NCI-IDD In-Person Survey (2023/24) to measure person-centered outcomes and satisfaction.

  • Community Inclusion (NCI-IDD PCP-5): Pennsylvania’s average satisfaction with community inclusion was 84% for FY 2023/24, consistently exceeding the NCI-IDD national average of 82%.
    • Activity Satisfaction: High percentages of participants reported they “go out to eat enough” (77%), “go shopping enough” (81%), and “go out into the community enough” (80%).
    • Future Performance-Based Contracting: Beginning January 1, 2026, SCOs will be required to attest to supporting ODP data collection for this measure to inform future performance benchmarks.
  • Service Plan Relevance (NCI-IDD PCP-2): 92% of respondents reported “Yes,” their service plan includes things that are important to them.
    • Benchmarking: By 2027, SCO performance on this measure is expected to meet or exceed 90%.

Residential Services: Family Engagement

ODP is actively measuring how well providers engage with and support families through communication and relationship building.

  • Performance Measure (QI.03.3): Effective January 1, 2025, providers must attest to assisting ODP in collecting data on family satisfaction with provider engagement.
  • Family Satisfaction Survey Status: As of December 2025, 1,790 family members of individuals in residential habilitation have responded to the survey.
    • Provider Participation: Currently, 350 providers have positive response rates, while 18 providers have not yet been heard from.
    • Deadline: The survey is scheduled to close on December 31, 2025.

For Questions or Additional Information
Please contact Tim Sohosky for any follow-up or inquiries related to this update.

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Please share these important workshops and support groups with your networks! Register for upcoming events at PA Family Network’s website.

Good Life Group, Support Groups

LifeCourse Workshops

Waiver Workshops

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