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Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared updates to ODPANN 26-037. The purpose of this communication is to announce the release of the updated Incident Management (IM) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on MyODP. This FAQ has been developed to answer commonly asked questions about incident management. The questions that have been added appear with a blue background, and any updated answer from a previous question is italicized.

Please view the announcement for more details.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has announced the release of the 2025 Employment First report. ODP believes that all people with an intellectual disability and/or autism must be encouraged to pursue their vision for an everyday life, which may include working in competitive integrated employment. Competitive integrated employment offers a person an opportunity to achieve economic independence, build self-confidence, enhance self-determination, and meet new people while building new skills. The Everyday Lives: Values in Action publication, developed by the ODP Information Sharing and Advisory Committee (ISAC), which includes self-advocates, reads:

“Employment is a centerpiece of adulthood and must be available for every person. The benefits of employment for people with disabilities are significant and are the same as for people without disabilities.”

This report serves as an update to all stakeholders on the progress that has been made to support individuals served by ODP on finding and maintaining competitive integrated employment.

Access the 2025 Employment First report here. This document can also be found by visiting the MyODP Employment Home page.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) invites you to register for its Everyday Lives 2026 Virtual Conference!

The 2026 Everyday Lives Conference will include ODP’s annual Dual Diagnosis Conference as a pre-conference event, jointly hosted with the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). The biannual Everyday Lives Conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), invites individuals with a disability and/or autism (ID/A), family members, caregivers, and support professionals to engage in presentations and panels focused on sharing information that empowers the everyday lives of individuals with disabilities throughout Pennsylvania. The 2026 Everyday Lives Conference (EDL) will be held virtually throughout the first two weeks of May 2026. The conference theme for 2026 is “Breaking Barriers and Building Futures.” View the conference program for more information, including the full conference agenda.

Learn More and Register Here

What to Expect:

The virtual conference will be hosted through the online platform Whova and will feature six days of presentations. A series of watch parties will be hosted throughout the state as an opportunity for conference-goers to connect and engage with the conference content together. Follow the registration link for more information.

The conference program is broken into three sections. Each conference section (excluding the post-conference) will include presentations for all ODP stakeholders, but some sessions may cater more to one audience than another. Regardless, ODP invites all audiences to attend every session. Content will be accessible and relevant to all.

Learn more at the EverydayLives website.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has announced the release of new and updated resources available through MyODP to support Life Sharing services. These materials have been developed to enhance the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of Life Sharing services provided to individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism across Pennsylvania.

In alignment with the mission of ODP, resources are intended to inform providers, along with individuals and families, about Life Sharing and support person-centered approaches across all Life Sharing settings.

Key Updates Include:

  • Resource materials for providers, families, and Support Coordinators;
  • Guidance reflecting current service definitions and rates;
  • Tools to support effective person-centered service planning; and
  • Recorded webinars about Life Sharing services.

ODP remains committed to ensuring that individuals receiving services experience safe, supportive, and meaningful living environments.  These resources are an important step in advancing that commitment and fostering continuous improvement across the system.

We encourage all providers, families, and partners to review and utilize these materials as part of their ongoing efforts to deliver high-quality Life Sharing services.

Resources can be accessed by clicking the following link: Life Sharing – MyODP

Or by navigating to MyODP’s website, clicking the “Resources” tab at the top of the page, then selecting “Life Sharing” from the drop-down menu.

Photo by Larry Crayton on Unsplash

Family-Centered Care: One Organization’s Revolutionary Approach to Include Families in All Aspects of Care

Monday, April 20, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am CDT;
9:00 am – 10:00 am MDT; 8:00 am – 9:00 am PDT 
Register Here

Donna Provenzano, Director of Family-Centered Care

Donna Provenzano is the Director of Family-Centered Care at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has thirty-nine years of experience in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families at Children’s Specialized. Donna serves on several hospital leadership committees and councils and provides administrative and operational management of Family-Centered Care and Volunteers. She supervises and partners with Family Faculty staff and coordinates with the Family Advisory Council. Donna has presented both nationally and internationally on Patient- and Family-Centered Care. Under Donna’s leadership, her department received the IPFCC Family-Centered Care Partnership Award for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in 2022. Donna has received additional leadership certifications from the Harvard Business School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Ithaca College.

Linda Waddell, Family Faculty Manager

Linda Waddell is the Family Faculty Manager at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has been employed at the hospital as a Family Faculty since June of 2008 and a member of the Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Family Advisory Council since 2014. On behalf of the hospital, Linda has presented with her team on Patient- and Family-Centered Care at regional, national, and international conferences. Most recently, Linda was a member of a panel that presented at the 2024 RISE Summit “Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): A Look into Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Program in NJ and Beyond.” Linda participates in various hospital committees and is also a member of the IPRC Steering Committee, where she provides a family member’s perspective for discussions and decision-making.

Linda was the 2019 recipient of the Lester Z. Lieberman Humanism in Healthcare Award and received the IPFCC 30th Anniversary 2022 Partnership Award on Social Determinants of Health. Linda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Kean University. Linda’s first experience with Children’s Specialized Hospital began in 1999, receiving multiple services for her newborn, medically fragile baby. She became an expert in the experience of pediatric rehabilitation through caring for her daughter with medical complications.

Family Faculty at Children’s Specialized Hospital are paid positions held by parents and family members whose children have received or are still receiving services at Children’s Specialized Hospital Inpatient, Outpatient, or Long-Term Care sites. Their own day-to-day experiences provide a unique perspective, understanding, and empathy for families going through similar situations. Family Faculty partner with staff and families to build a respectful and understanding relationship by listening, providing insights, and encouraging positive communication between staff and families.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will identify strategies to:

  • Embed Patient- and Family-Centered Care into your organization;
  • Cultivate respectful partnerships and collaboration with leadership, staff, and families;
  • Include families in education and training of staff at all levels; and
  • Engage families and staff in creating valuable resources.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

Image by Shotkitimages from Pixabay

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and Temple University have developed a new online training module shared in ODPANN 26-036. The newly released lesson provides an additional learning opportunity designed to enhance skills relating to interviewing the victim of an incident and supplies helpful information to Certified Investigators (CI), Administrative Review Committee members, CI Peer Reviewers, Incident Management (IM) Reps, and others involved in the incident investigation process. The “Interviewing the Victim” lesson has been added to the Additional Learning Opportunities section on the MyODP, PA ODP Certified Investigator Program Home page.

Please view the announcement for more details.