OVR Updates Information For Pre-Employment Transition Services
ODP Reissues Guidance on Staffing Ratios for Facility Time in CPS Services
ODP published a revised version of Announcement 19-098 to provide guidance regarding when Individual Support Plan (ISP) team meetings must be held to address identification of staffing ratios for facility time in the provision of Community Participation Support (CPS) services.
While many individuals receiving CPS services choose to use the service to access their communities, some individuals also choose to receive this service in facility settings licensed under 55 Pa. Code Chapters 2380 and 2390. For facility-based providers that have significant movement of people between facility-based and community-based CPS services during the course of a day, this can create facility staffing ratios that do not reflect what is authorized on an ISP. This communication offers guidance for when staffing ratios change due to individuals leaving the facility to engage in community activities.
To identify the facility staffing ratios that should be included in each ISP, teams should consider the following at each annual ISP meeting:
- The maximum staffing ratio in which the individual’s health and safety needs can be met and the individual can be supported to meet the programmatic goals identified for that individual in the facility; and
- The likelihood that, due to programmatic demands for time supporting individuals in community, the ISP should include an authorization for the next lowest staffing ratio. This does not apply when the maximum staff ratio identified in the first bullet is 1:1 or 2:1.
The provider must have documentation that supports these staffing ratio changes, and the different staffing ratios must be in each individual’s ISP. If or when the individuals return from their community activity and rejoin the original group, the provider then must bill at the original staffing ratio. Changes to staffing ratios as discussed in this communication may not be added or authorized in the ISP with a retroactive effective date.
An ISP team meeting is not required to add the appropriate procedure code to the ISP for the next lowest staffing ratio in accordance with this communication. ODP will only allow requests for staffing ratio changes rendered in a facility when the change is related to the occurrence of others receiving CPS in the “community,” not for instances when staffing ratios would change due to individuals that are unable to receive CPS services (ex. illness, injury, vacation, etc.).
For individuals receiving CPS services in facilities in which engagement in community activities impacts the staffing ratios within the facilities, Individual Support Teams should discuss the appropriate facility staffing ratios to be included in the ISP. Where applicable, an ISP may include authorizations for two staffing ratios for facilities.
Changes to staffing ratios as described in this communication may be approved for a P/FDS cap exception. P/FDS cap exceptions should be identified by the ISP team and a request should be submitted to the Administrative Entity no later than August 15, 2019. The Administrative Entity will submit exception requests to their ODP designated Regional Office for review no later than August 30, 2019. ODP approvals will be communicated to the Administrative Entity. Questions about this communication should be directed to your ODP Regional Program Office.
ODP Updated Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services Manual
Office of Developmental Programs Bulletin 00-19-03 Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) was published on July 23, 2019. The purpose of the bulletin is to distribute the updated PUNS Manual. Additional materials include the PUNS Form, the PUNS cover letter, and the PUNS Disagreement Form. The PUNS Form and the PUNS Disagreement Form will be translated into Spanish; ODP will release a communication once the forms are translated.
When PUNS was first implemented in 1998 and revised in April 2006, a manual was published to provide instructions on the completion of the form. The PUNS Manual was updated to reflect circumstances that better identify the individual’s and family’s experiences throughout the individual’s lifespan. It also provides new instructions for completing the form, emphasizing that is to be completed in its entirety through a face-to-face conversation between the Supports Coordinator, the individual, and family.
The PUNS Form cannot be handed or sent to the individual and family to complete on their own; however, the form can be shared with the individual and family in advance of the meeting at their request so they are prepared when meeting with the SC.
A copy of the finalized HCSIS PUNS Form and PUNS cover letter must be sent to the individual and family within five working days of finalization of the HCSIS PUNS Form. The HCSIS PUNS should contain the same information as the PUNS Form completed during the meeting. The HCSIS PUNS reflects the service needs captured at the meeting.
The PUNS is a tool used to determine the need for ID/A services and establishes the priority of need for services when there is a waiting list for the County Program or AE to provide services as requested. The information in PUNS is reviewed and updated if needed during the annual Individual Support Planning (ISP) process and as an individual’s needs change.
The PUNS indicates the urgency of need for services. The urgency of the need is identified in one of three categories:
- Emergency Need → the service need will occur within six months;
- Critical Need → the service need is anticipated to occur after six months but within two years; and
- Planning for Need → the service need is anticipated to occur more than two years away but less than five years away.
If there is disagreement with the results of the PUNS, the PUNS Disagreement Form has detailed instructions for the individual and family to indicate disagreement with the information on the finalized PUNS Form. Concerns should be noted on the PUNS Disagreement Form and returned to the SC within 10 calendar days of receipt of the finalized HCSIS PUNS Form. The Disagreement Form will be reviewed in attempt to resolve the concerns. The SCO must contact the individual and family within seven calendar days of receipt of the Disagreement Form to initiate a review of the concerns with the individual and family and why they disagree with the PUNS Form.
Effective July 23, 2019, Bulletin 00-06-15, Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) Manual, is obsolete.
Community Participation Supports (CPS) Provider ODP Survey
Today — Friday, August 2 — ODP staff emailed a survey to providers of CPS. It is very important that providers complete the survey to the best of your ability in order to document actual costs of providing CPS.
The email states, “ODP and the Community Participation Support (CPS) Implementation Workgroup are seeking your input on the enclosed survey questions. These questions are intended to inform rate assumptions associated with CPS provided in licensed facilities in response to concerns raised during the public comment period for the Final Fee-schedule Rates for FY 19/20. We are requesting survey responses by August 11, 2019. Thank you for your participation.”
We have learned that some members discovered the email in their spam or junk email, so please be aware that it was sent. The email came from Ashley Senoski — [email protected] — and the subject line is: “Current ODP Providers of Facility-based Community Participation Supports.”
If you are a provider of facility-based Community Participation Supports and did not receive the survey to complete, please contact Ashley at the email address above.
DHS Announces Dual Diagnosis Conference 2019
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are pleased to announce a statewide conference focused on building capacity to better support the complex needs of individuals in the community. The conference theme is Expanding Capacity: Reaching Further.
The Conference will be held on Wednesday, August 21 and Thursday, August 22, 2019 at the Blair County Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Drive, Altoona, PA 16602.
Keynote and Plenary Speakers include:
- Gina Calhoun – Program Director, Doors to Wellbeing, National Consumer Technical Assistance Center
Topic: WRAP: Living a Self-Determined Well Life - Julie Gentile, MD, Professor and Chair, Psychiatry – Wright State University
Topic: Practicing Medicine in the Digital World - Angela Moreland, PhD – Assistant Professor, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina
Topic: Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: From Research to Practice
Breakout Session Topics include:
- The Importance of Data Collection Relevant to Behavior Change and Medication;
- Autism and the Justice System;
- Communication and Collaboration: Supporting Transition Across the Lifespan; and
- Creative Strategies for Mental Health Professional in State Hospitals.
For more information, visit: https://www.myodp.org/mod/url/view.php?id=22147
For registration information, visit: https://www.myodp.org/mod/url/view.php?id=22147REGISTRATION:
Online registration is now open and will remain available until Friday, August 9, 2019. The registration fee is $100 and includes lunch, break snacks, and all materials.
This conference is hosted by the Office of Developmental Programs and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and supported by the Money Follows the Person grant funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
PA Autism Training Conference Registration Information Available
ODP Announcement 19-101 serves to communicate that registration is open for the 12th Annual PA Autism Training Conference: PATC Interact 2019. The conference will be held at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, 25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, PA. The conference is scheduled for Thursday, September 5 and Friday, September 6, 2019.
As programs in Pennsylvania expand to include people with autism, this conference will provide all professionals working directly with children and/or adults with autism the tools, strategies, and resources to provide the most effective support. Opportunities for engagement with providers and experts in the field will be offered throughout this conference. Professionals looking to increase their knowledge of and/or ability to support individuals with autism across the spectrum and the lifespan should attend. All professionals supporting individuals with autism in Pennsylvania, in all systems, are welcomed.
- Rates for pre-registration: $100 per day, per person
- Walk-in rates: $125 per day, per person
Conference session topics include:
Suicide Prevention, Behavior Analysis, Health & Wellness, Meaningful Communication, Justice System, Family Systems, Dual Diagnosis, Community Engagement, and Relationships.
The event flyer contains details and registration information.
ODP Virtual Training Offering August 2019
ODP Announcement 19-097 provides updates to the schedule of Virtual Targeted Trainings (VTT) and Virtual Office Hours (VOH). VOH will be held on August 1, discussing QA&I Self-Assessments, and August 7, to discuss Goal Attainment Scaling and Quarterly Progress Reporting for AAW and ACAP.
Virtual Targeted trainings are scheduled as follows:
- August 14 – Implementing Behavioral Supports in AAW and ACAP
- August 15 – Positive Behavior Support and Lifestyle Changes/Interventions (for all professionals in the field)
- August 27 – Acknowledging Self-Determination in Supporting Participants (for all professionals)
- August 29 – The Basics of Blindness and Visual Impairments (for all professionals)
- August 30 – Tension Tips (for all professionals)
For more detailed information and to register for any of the offerings listed above, please refer to the ODP Announcement.
ODP Webinars on Adult Protective Services and Mandatory Reporting
ODP Announcement 19-100 announces the availability of five scheduled webinars that will present an overview of Adult Protective Services Law, eligibility criteria, statutory definitions, individual’s rights, DHS and Liberty Health Responsibilities, mandatory reporters, and general and additional reporting processes and requirements.
Each webinar is 45 to 60 minutes, allowing time at the end for questions. The webinars are scheduled for August 13, September 23, October 7, November 4, and December 17, 2019. Please see the ODP Announcement for registration information. If you need assistance with registration, or have questions, please contact Deborah Bender.
ODP Training on Online Provider Profiles for AEs and SCO Leadership
ODP Announcement 19-095 communicates the availability of training on ODP’s Online Provider Profiles for AEs and SCO leadership. Provider profiles consist of two parts: a provider summary developed and submitted by the provider, and a provider data display showing the provider’s performance in supporting individuals and families.
In Phase One, provider summaries and data displays are available on MyODP.org for 84 residential providers who had 10 or more individual surveys in the 2017 Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) data file. IM4Q Scale Scores are displayed for each provider in areas including Individual Satisfaction, Choice, Inclusion, Dignity, Family Satisfaction, and Physical Setting. ODP’s Provider Profiles web page also connects to licensing information, QA&I comprehensive reports, and the Services and Supports Directory for families to access.
- View the Provider Profiles on MyODP.
- Register for Provider Profile Training for AEs and SCO Leadership.
Contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with questions.
News & Announcements for AAW and ACAP Providers and SCOs
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has released several documents with pertinent information this month that is specifically directed to Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) and Adult Community Autism Providers (ACAP) providers and/or SCOs.
ODP Announcement 19-092 requests that Support Coordinators and Behavioral Specialists working with AAW and ACAP complete a survey about the Periodic Risk Evaluation (PRE). The data will be utilized in order to improve the user’s experience with the PRE and for supporting providers to identify and mitigate risks. The survey is to be completed by Friday, July 26, 2019; access the survey here.
ODP Announcement 19-094 communicates the process, effective immediately, for SCs in the AAW to inform individuals about the Right to be Free from Abuse initiative. This involves informing individuals about abuse, neglect, and exploitation and protections available to them. This must be completed annually during one of the quarterly in-person meetings and documented in a Service Note.
ODP Announcement 19-096 announces registration is open for a two-day Supports Coordinator training on Charting the Lifecourse by ODP. The training will provide an overview of the Charting the Lifecourse tools and resources to support the framework, and further discuss how BSASP programs can use the tools to support the people within the programs. The link to register is here.
ODP Announcement 19-099 provides clarification to AAW and ACAP Providers and SCOs about the new SPeCTRUM 2.0 Training. Due to the discovery of technical issues with some of the modules, ODP announced that while these issues are being resolved, staff and providers only need to complete part of the training. Only Modules 1 and 2 must be completed before enrolling as a new provider AND before newly hired staff may provide services to program participants. Modules 3–9 must be completed within 60 days of beginning to provide services to any program participants. Current provider and SCO staff and ACAP staff who have taken SPeCTRUM 1.0 and are currently providing services must complete all 9 modules by October 1, 2019.
Contact RCPA IDD Division Director Carol Ferenz with questions.
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