Save the Date: RCPA 2022 Annual Meeting on May 18
Positive Approaches Journal: “Embracing Behavioral Supports and Meaningful Applications”
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are pleased to announce that the latest edition of the Positive Approaches Journal is now available!
All humans engage in their world in ways that work for them. Yet individuals with complex needs may do that in ways that challenge their supporters. Applying Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS) may provide the key to deciphering and assisting the complex messages being sent by the individual. This issue of Positive Approaches Journal examines the misconceptions associated with behavioral supports, how understanding behavioral supports and applying them in a family setting can improve the outcomes for children, and how supporters can think out of the box and work together to utilize a behavioral support approach to treatment. By redefining how we approach behavioral support, we are able to reach a more thorough understanding of people across the lifespan.
This issue of Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading.
ANCOR Capitol Correspondence: The President to Call on Congress for Action During State of the Union Address
RCPA Member Hope Enterprises Celebrates 70 Years of Serving PA’s DisABILITY Community
Hope Enterprises Celebrates 70 Years of Serving Pennsylvania’s DisABILITY Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2022
Contact:
Mackenzie Howe | 570-326-3745
Hope Enterprises, a non-profit provider for people with intellectual disabilities, announces its 70th anniversary. Founded in 1952 by Dr. Max E. Miller and his wife Leona, Hope Enterprises started as a school for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Parents and local leaders in the Williamsport area worked alongside the Millers to grow an organization that supported each person’s needs, regardless of their perceived disability.
“Hope was founded on a deep desire to provide an everyday life,” said Robert Labatch, Hope’s president/CEO. “For seven decades we have aimed to innovate services that help people rise above their challenges and achieve personal goals and ambitions. Everyone at Hope is passionate about continuing Hope’s legacy as we continue to break the status quo for the next 70 years.”
Examples of this innovative spirit date back to the beginning. At the time, a school for children and adults with intellectual disabilities was quite unique. Since then, Hope has continued to redefine what a truly inclusive community can look like. In 1972, Hope’s residential services gave families an alternative to having loved ones live in institutions. Instead, this service enabled and encouraged community living.
In 1993, Hope introduced job training and placement services to provide integrated and supported employment opportunities so individuals could experience a natural work environment. Then, in 2015, Hope led the transition away from sheltered workshops (still in use by some organizations) by discontinuing the service that paid people with disABILITIES a subminimum wage. Those workers were transitioned to a new, integrated employment service known today as MaxWorx.
Most recently in 2020, Hope formed CHOICE services to support each person’s goals through a one-to-one model that pairs one individual with one Hope social worker. Very few organizations offer a one-to-one model, but Hope sees it as the path to the next level of community involvement and socialization.
In the future, Hope will continue to innovate on behalf of people with disABILITIES. “Every aspect of this organization is centered on people,” said Labatch. “As we evolve, families want services that provide the best advancement and growth for their loved ones. And with each new level we achieve, we can see the next opportunity to improve their lives.”
Employees will support change to empower, respect, and reflect the goals of people living with intellectual disABILITIES in the region. To lead innovation, the organization is hiring more employees who are dedicated to Hope’s mission.
Today, Hope Enterprises serves Lycoming, Clinton, Northumberland, Columbia, Montour, Snyder, and Union counties. The nonprofit offers support services in community participation, in-home support, employment services, and living options. The full range of services benefits individuals with intellectual disABILITIES in every aspect of their lives.
Learn more about Hope Enterprises, Inc. and support The Hope Foundation, at www.HopeAbility.org.
From Institutions to Community — Partners for Quality Webinar on March 8
From Institutions to Community
Learning From Our Past: Improvements in Disability Supports Through the 20th Century Webinar
In honor of March being National Disabilities Awareness Month, Partners for Quality has invited all members of the IDD Community to attend a free webinar on Tuesday, March 8, from 3:00 pm–4:00 pm. For decades, persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities were institutionalized, with little regard for their dignity, their right to choose, or their potential for growth and independence. Conditions were often overcrowded and even inhumane.
The Pennhurst State School and Hospital, in operation from 1903–1987, is a chilling example of an institution that holds vital lessons from our past. This free webinar will explore the mistakes made during the first half of the 20th century, the transitions from seclusion to self-advocacy, and the long overdue respect for persons with disabilities.
Introduction will be by Maggie Rothenberger, President & CEO of Partners For Quality. Dr. James Conroy, Co-President of Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance, will present some important and historical information on the Pennhurst State Institution to help us remember why we do what we do in the community!
Join via Zoom.
Meeting ID: 875 0777 8886 Passcode: 632925
This webinar will be presented by Partners for Quality in cooperation with Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance. RCPA wishes to thank them for this opportunity.
“Worlds Imagined” — March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Prudent Pay Suspension Extended
Today in a meeting with RCPA, Deputy Secretary Ahrens confirmed that even though the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) budget Blue Book indicates that Prudent Pay would be reinstated in Fiscal Year 2022/23, a decision has been made to continue the suspension. We anticipate a formal notification will be forthcoming. While we are grateful for the suspension for an additional year, RCPA will continue working with the legislature for a permanent solution.
COVID-19 Isn’t Going Away, But Health Officials Say Pa. is Ready to Transition to the Next Phase
Kids With Special Needs Play Ball in Lower Merion Challenger Programs
VF/EA Wage Ranges and Benefit Allowance for Specific PDS Effective March 1, 2022
ODP Announcement 22-025 serves to provide the hourly wage and benefits ranges for specific Participant Directed Services (PDS) for participants utilizing the Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent (VF/EA) FMS model, effective March 1, 2022. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) updated the data used in establishing rates, which impacted the hourly wage and benefits ranges. The high end of the hourly wage and benefits ranges either increased or remained the same. There were no decreases to the high end of the hourly wage and benefits ranges. These wage and benefit ranges will be used to pay SSPs and to support claims processing in the Provider Reimbursement and Operations Management Information System in electronic format (PROMISe™) by the VF/EA FMS organization. This communication will only be updated when changes occur to the information contained within.
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