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Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

RCPA continues to raise funds to support the RCPA PAC, which provides financial support to state legislators who have demonstrated a strong, consistent, and positive interest in our issues and priorities.

We are excited to once again host the RCPA PAC silent auction to be held in conjunction with the RCPA conference. The silent auction will be held outside Connections Hall during the conference, and with over 700 attendees (registrants, presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors), we are hoping to attract all to participate.

We are requesting your consideration in assisting us with providing a donation of an auction item. We are hoping to secure a variety of auction items that will be enticing to all members. All donations are greatly appreciated and can be something as simple as a gift certificate for a restaurant to a basket of sorts (candy, movie night, grilling items, cooking theme). We are also accepting items such as jewelry, designer handbags, tickets to college or professional sporting events, golf items, and sports memorabilia. We hope we can count on your support.

We would like to thank our donors to date, including the following:

  • Basket of Sorts — Venango Training & Development Center, Inc.
  • Pearl & Gemstone Cuff Bracelet — RCPA Staff
  • The 19th Hole Basket (Whiskey, Cigars & Golf Balls) — Children’s Service Center of Wyoming Valley, Inc.
  • Chocolate / Kate Space Basket — PLEA
  • Coach Denim Jacket — RCPA Staff
  • Hershey Lodge Stay — Hershey Resorts
  • Black & Gold Pendant Statement Necklace — RCPA Staff
  • Round of Golf for 4 People — Dauphin Highlands Golf Course
  • Victoria’s Secret Large Tote Bag & Wallet — RCPA Staff
  • 2 Steelers / Packers Football Tickets — Corporate Benefits Consultants, Inc.
  • Winter Basket — Wesley Family Services
  • Basket of Sorts — Hope Enterprises
  • 2 Branded Sweaters & 2 Yeti Coffee Mugs — Greenspace Health
  • Signed Football from #2 Darius Slay of the Philadelphia Eagles — Success Rehabilitation, Inc.
  • Little League World Series Basket — Firetree, Ltd.

Please contact Christine Tartaglione before September 29, 2023, if you would like to donate any items. Thank you for your consideration of our request. We hope we can count on your support, and we look forward to seeing you at the conference.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) and Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP) providers are invited to sign up for a scheduled one-on-one virtual office hour to discuss incident management topics with ODP-BSASP. Providers may sign up for one 30-minute session, and multiple staff from the provider may join at the provider’s discretion. Topics for discussion may include: provider-specific IM issues or concerns; EIM reports; general questions about certified investigations; brainstorming ideas of how to improve “performance” related IM tasks; review of provider IM data and compliance; and discussion of provider trends.

We encourage AAW providers and ACAP to take advantage of this opportunity. Sessions are offered in 30-minutes intervals and are on a first-come, first-served basis. The first session is scheduled to begin at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, September 13. To register, visit here. Be sure to complete all required information to reserve a time slot.

Please contact the Provider Support Inbox with questions.

Don’t wait any longer — time is running out to take advantage of the early bird registration rate for the 2023 RCPA Annual Conference A Decade of Unity! Early bird rates end Friday, September 8, 2023. You can view our registration brochure to see our exciting lineup of sessions, keynote speakers, and activities, including networking and Connections Hall events, as well as information on booking your hotel room. Complete the brochure and reserve your seat at the early bird discount rate today!

We also wish to extend our thanks to those organizations that have already contributed and shown their support! Please note that all exhibitor booths have been reserved! However, you can still sponsor and advertise by completing our sponsor/exhibitor brochure today! As a reminder, sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by September 8. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

Students with disabilities in Pennsylvania will now receive free support through the public education system for an additional year beyond what current policy dictates, The Associated Press reported. Under a settlement announced Thursday, the state’s Department of Education will change its policy to allow students with disabilities to continue in K-12 public education until they turn 22. Previously, students would age out of the program at the end of the school year, during which they turned 21. Students who turned 21 during the 2022/23 school year and were considered to have aged out will also have the option to re-enroll in public school this year, according to the settlement. The new policy takes effect September 5.

RCPA members are encouraged to participate in the ID/A Workforce Compensation study conducted by and in collaboration with the Center for Healthcare Solutions described below. The Center for Healthcare Solutions performed the survey that we supported last year, as well. This study is being done jointly with several other statewide and regional associations, and we are hoping that providers across Pennsylvania will participate in order to provide adequate data for use in advocacy efforts to improve conditions for our workforce. This also presents an opportunity to have comparative data.

The scope of this survey and the report generated from it will address compensation practices for 46 positions, including Direct Support Professionals (DSP), supports coordinators, frontline supervisors, clinical positions, program specialists, facilities staff, and administrative personnel. It will also provide data on staff vacancies and turnover that continues to impact care and services across Pennsylvania.

Any ID/A employer in Pennsylvania is eligible to participate in the survey and will receive the published report, which will also be provided to the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs. As always, CFHS follows all FTC/DOJ guidelines to de-identify data and maintain confidentiality. If you are a member of multiple associations, you only need to complete the survey once.

Two files are included: the input form and the general instructions for filling out the input form. Completed surveys may be emailed to Steve Forest or uploaded via SFTP (information included in the instructions) by Friday, September 22. The published report is expected to be issued on Friday, October 6.

Additionally, a workshop has been scheduled for Thursday, September 7, at 10:00 am to review the survey and assist participants in its completion. To register for this workshop, please visit here.

At the 2023 RCPA Annual Conference A Decade of Unity, you’ll gain the opportunities for CEs and training while engaging directly with leaders in health and human services! Sessions will provide value to everyone, from nurses and DSPs to leadership and legal teams. View the full brochure here, and claim your early bird rate, your hotel room, and your discount today so you can earn CEs through workshops such as:

  • Walk the Talk: Working in the Behavioral Health Field When You, Yourself, Have a Mental Illness
    • Listen to Dr. Staley’s story of working within the behavioral health field when she herself was using evidence-based strategies to handle her own mental illness.
  • Disrupting the Great Resignation
    • Equip your leadership team with the necessary tools and skills for addressing barriers to employee engagement and retention.
  • Applied Tabletop Role-Playing Games – Change Through Play
    • Learn how you can use the power of role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, for capacity building, therapy, and educational goals.
  • Using System-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) to Reduce Acuity and Enhance Skill Acquisition in Individuals With Behavioral Health Challenges, IDD, and Autism
    • Reduce major risk events and workers’ compensation claims, and enhance functional levels and quality of life for youth and adults with behavioral challenges and ID/A through PBIS.
  • Applying Augmented Intelligence to Workforce Challenges and Care Delivery
    • Evaluate the types of augmented intelligence technologies available to clinicians in behavioral health and how they can improve care delivery.
  • Amplifying the Patient Voice: Using the Treatment Atlas Patient Experience Survey to Increase Engagement and Promote Quality Improvement at Your Facility
    • Discover strategies for completing the Patient Experience Survey (PES) to support your facility in better understanding patient populations, benchmark to state averages, and opportunities for quality improvement.
  • Termination Without Litigation
    • Learn how you can protect yourself and your agency through proper disciplinary practices and the importance of documentation.
Register today!

In addition to an impressive roster of speakers, our 2023 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have signed on thus far! **NOTE: EXHIBIT BOOTHS ARE SOLD OUT.** If you are interested in sponsoring, visit here for more details or contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, with any questions you may have. Keep up-to-date and register today for #rcpaconf!

Nominate a Direct Support Professional to enter them into a raffle for a $100 Amazon gift card!

Each September, our community comes together to celebrate the Direct Support Professionals (DSP) who make such an important impact in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The work of a DSP is complex and highly specialized, as they support every aspect of an individual’s daily life on a unique, person-by-person basis. These unsung heroes act as a lifeline for people with disabilities under normal circumstances.

In celebration of this year’s DSP Recognition Week, eVero will select 10 DSPs at random to win $100 Amazon gift cards. Please visit below to access the nomination form and let us know a little bit about your favorite DSP!

Visit Here for the DSP Nominee Form

  • 2 winners will be randomly selected each day from September 11–15, 2023.
  • Winners’ names will be announced each day on eVero’s blog post and social media accounts to further highlight the outstanding work of these individuals.